I think Elle is delightful and going to be a huge actress in a few more years…or maybe sooner. Her star turn in Super 8 was transformational, going from relative obscurity as younger sister to Dakota to a force in her own right. The camera lovers her even more than her sister. Her look is fresh and young, expressive and full of hope and beauty.
Elle is now a legitimate star playing opposite Angelina Jolie in Disney’s new tentpole MALIFICENT (2014). And, to be honest, Elle who plays Sleeping Beauty will be the only reason I watch this movie. I can’t wait to see what she gets to do with the role opposite the scenery-eating Jolie, who at this point can scare me without having to put horns on. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it will be a monster hit. That said, the real acting will be coming from the younger thespian and not Angelina – who’s reputation for being not very nice to begin with has been firmly established. But I digress. Elle is the real star of the movie. A star who is rapidly ascending in the eyes of audiences and Hollywood alike.
Elle is practically Hollywood royalty already. Her sister Dakota was a break-out child star and seemed to be in everything a few years back. Elle on the other hand, is on a much more mindful track to stardom – enjoying the process of filmmaking while keeping a balanced family life as well as pursuing dancing and other great, normal growing up pursuits out of the public eye. It’s so refreshing than so many other children of Hollywood who grow up too fast and burn out before they’ve even hit their mid-twenties.
There’s a freshness, an innocence to Elle that is integral to her onscreen appeal. I can only hope she retains that star quality while she grows into her own – amidst the pressures of stardom and all the entangling trappings that come with that rarest of territories. That’s where I think her family is going to really make the difference. As they must have learned with Dakota – fame can be fleeting but family is forever.
I think the casting of Elle as Sleeping Beauty was a no-brainer for Disney. And I’m looking forward to her interpretation of what could potentially be a phoned-in role for any number of young starlets. But that’s what I’m really hedging my bets with for Elle: the role that every princess would love to play has gone to a young actress with some real acting chops and a beauty that can transform any ordinary role. I’m banking that she gives Angelina a run for her money, no matter how many special effects they throw into Malificent. Because at the end of the day, the classic story deserves a contemporary twist and could be a lot of spooky fun. A promise that was not fulfilled in the subpar TWIXT in which Elle was a delightful ghost – in a ghost story that was otherwise dreadful thanks to Francis Ford Coppolla’s uninspired direction.
It will be an eye-opening experience finally seeing this sleeping beauty awaken into her own. And I’m pretty sure that will be worth the price of admission in a couple weeks!
iheartingrid 