User reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was cute, funny, and appropriately over-the-top acting for a modern comedy retelling of the Cinderella story. One of the reviews mentions that they don't like the portrayal of stepmothers and stepsisters and the inaccuracy of the fashion industry etc, etc. Well this being comedy, and a parallel of Cinderella I don't think it should receive less stars because it focused on the story and the simple characters versus trying to be accurate. It is a very enjoyable, lighthearted movie. And if one is looking for a deep plot, accurate portrayals of the fashion industry and design, with multi-dimensional characters, you should look elsewhere. This movie is not for you and you will agree with the other reviewer instead of enjoying a truly good movie.

After the Ball is an entertaining little comedy that takes a few elements of Cinderella and uses them to tell the story of a young fashion designer who manages to get a job at her father's design company, only to be ousted by her stepmother and stepsisters. With the encouragement of her aunt and her actor friend, she disguises herself as a young male designer and manages to get hired back at the company where she battles the evil forces out to get her/him, but with newly found self-confidence.

I was expecting nothing from this movie, but my daughter wanted to watch it and it had a rating higher than one star on Netflix, so I figured why not. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. While it's predictable in the extreme, it's genuinely funny and moves along at a good pace, with a solid screenplay and likable characters. I had never heard of Portia Doubleday before watching this movie, but her performance is terrific. She's funny, sympathetic and simply a pleasure to watch.

Don't expect a profound or earth-shattering experience, but if you are in the mood for some lighthearted fun, you could do much worse than After the Ball.

Newly graduated Kate Kassell (Portia Doubleday) is trying to be a fashion designer but her father Lee (Chris Noth)'s cheap knockoff reputation stymies her. She joins her fathers company which was started with her deceased mother. Her stepmother Elise (Lauren Holly) schemes to kick her out of the company. Elise with her simpleton daughters are undermining the company. After they successfully get Kate fired, her friends suggest returning as a male designer.

This is sorta Cinderella with a dash of Twelfth Night. I like Portia Doubleday and really the only reason to watch this. Her weird-looking male character is off-putting at first but he does grow on me. The father is infuriating as if he is suffering dementia. It might be helpful to see the roots of the dysfunctional father daughter relationship. The evil stepmother is fine. The fashion business is nothing insightful or real. At the end of the day, none of that is the big problem. It is simply too cheap and too cheesy to be effective. It is not more than a TV movie that cannot elevate. Doubleday does an admirable job but it is not enough.

Just like its name, After The Ball is a modern twist on the Cinderella story with a bit more substance thrown in.

The supporting cast (especially Maurice!) and a well paced storyline makes this a delight to watch.

Though the story is predictable, there was enough heart in it to make you want to follow Kate's journey. There is more to the plot than just romantic attraction but has elements of father/daughter relstionships, greed/deceit and mateship.

You'll detect elements of Devil Wears Prada and She's The Man so if that's your kind of movie give this a go.

It probably helps to compare this film more to 'Twelfth Night' than to 'Cinderella', though it owes both.

I enjoyed it; but then I enjoy anything with Portia Doubleday. She is not as slapstick-funny as Amanda Bynes; but she is prettier; and she carries off the awkwardness of the Kate character amusingly and even credibly. You are inclined to like her character here - she is honest, well-meaning, and determined without being either overly sappy or shallow.

If there are shallow acting performances, they're down to everyone else - Daniel's character was insufficiently developed, making him appear like a caricature of Prince Charming rather than a real-life, modern-day Orsino; and Elise's character is hardly any Olivia. The actors are good enough but they aren't given much to work with.

Being a vehicle for Miss Doubleday is the movie's one saving grace. I really missed seeing her (little spoiler here) on the runway at the end; as it'd have been a major PR success for the company to have had Kate present in her new capacity; and of course she's lacking nothing to have made a good model... if only on her own terms :)

Honestly, After the Ball was difficult to watch. It was so unrealistic and silly - to the extent of being juvenile - that it was difficult to be engaged in the movie. And I am accustomed to watching a lot of TV movies and lower my standards appropriately.

Its problems are

• simple, one-note characters

• a ridiculous plot with characters acting in completely unrealistic ways

• no chemistry between the romantic leads

• dialogue that sounds as if it was written by children

• an insulting depiction of the fashion industry

• an insulting depiction of parents (clueless) and step-parents (so evil and malicious that they nonsensically behave in ways that hurt themselves)

This is fit for young children. However, if you're an adult, consider surfing the other channels. I'm sure you'll find something that deserves your time more than this. I mean, Really.

"After The Ball" is an interesting retelling of the "Cinderella" story. It stars Portia Doubleday as the "Cinderella" character, applying for and getting the job as the newest clothes designer for her father's company...but Doubleday does it as a man. In her disguise as an effeminate, gay guy, Doubleday creates designs that would hopefully take her father's company out of mediocrity and bring it back to its former glory days. But a conniving, mean step-mother and two step-sisters won't make things easy for our heroine. "After The Ball" has all the elements of an entertaining Rom-Com (boy and girl meet cute, boy loses girl, boy gets girl, eccentric characters, some heart-felt moments, good laughs here and there), but there's nothing special about it. What could have been an original twist on the fairy tale becomes a rehash of "Tootsie" and "The Secret Of My Success." My most memorable, movie moment is the first scene when Doubleday appears as a man -- it's astonishing how well she pulls it off.

Mannysmemorablemoviemoments

This is pretty bad! Usually i'm a sucker for the fairytale re-tellings, but not this one. It starts off as a Cinderella retelling but then seems to drop that storyline halfway and goes the goofy disguise route that isn't believable at all. I don't need my movies to be realistic, but if a movie is as bad as this one it really can't get away with it.

Visually it's boring and colourless, which is strange for a movie set in the colourful fashion industry. I like movies set in the fashion industry, it's an interesting world. But the fact that the main character works in fashion didn't seem to play any part in the film, they didn't use that fact at all, thats a missed opportunity.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone!

Probably because I like Yentyl, with Barbara Streisand.

I have a hard time believing that just because a guy does woman' fashion design he is gay. Sorry folks. Because this stereotype was pushed to the heights I down grade it to a 6.5.

That being said, the acting by the actress is exemplary, she carries the movie w/o the viewer realizing it. Pretty impressive.

The movie has two threads in it, competitive fashion design and a boy/ girl romance.

I would have really liked it more if they had more design stuff to it, get a real feel for the process. It was definitely front and center in the movie, I would just have liked more of that with less drama.

After the Ball is purely light entertainment with lots of make believe and succeeds in keeping it that way throughout the story.

A very simple tale of a girl fresh out of designer school and discovering the job market is a tough place for her profession. Her father gives her a chance in his clothing manufacturing business and Kate/Nate ends up saving the business from sinister doings!!

Yes its a silly story with a little bit of Cinderella and The Devil Wears Prada thrown in but the director Sean Garrity keeps it simple and fun and doesn't get too invested into the 'feelings' of the characters. Portia Doubleday is better at being the character Nate than she is at being Kate. And the two 'sisters' are perfect at being the buffoons of the story.

If you get a chance check this one out!

This movie is way better the the reviews. Admittedly I love a good Cinderella story and this is one of them. The star of this movie is a believable actor and she does a great job. The love story in the movie works as well. They have chemistry. It's a comedy that works as well. The stepmother and daughters do a great job and making her life horrible and the outcome of the movie really works. The fairly godmother is her god mother in the movie and she helps her in her personal growth and support her love and confidence which adds to the magic. I don't want to give anything way so I won't say anymore. Enjoy.

I enjoyed this movie immensely! It took the "Cinderella-like" tale to a whole new Modern Day version that I very much enjoyed. The characters were relatable and hilarious, and I couldn't help laughing so hard during it. Portia, the actress playing the lead female, did a FANTASTIC job playing her parts! It wasn't too dorky that it was terrible and overdone; it had just enough silly humor that it was entertaining for me. The romantic parts were charming and "awwww!"-inducing that I couldn't help but melt inside. So adorable!

It's a GREAT movie to watch and laugh out loud with the entire family!! You won't regret it! :D

This is my kind of movie. A sweet and fun hour and a half with my 12 year old daughter. Of course it's unrealistic, but so are Shakespeare and Cinderella.

Usually shows take the secret too far. I can't stand that. The timing was perfect here. Just when I thought the secret should be told, the right people find out. Since that's my opinion, I'm going to hope that's not a spoiler.

Portia Doubleday heads a phenomenal cast who have fun with Shakespeare's themes of disguises and miscommunication. I started watching this show thinking it was just a Cinderella remake, but was taken on a surprise road trip through a comedic spectacular.

This is just another version of Cinderella with a twist of fashion. I thought it was charming and entertaining. Some parts delivered from by the main actress made me cringe a bit, but this is the type of movies I enjoy - clean and family friendly.

I'm always a sucker for Cinderella-themed movies. But mostly, when I watch a movie, I just get disappointed because of the story being silly and corny. When I saw the title, I watched AFTER THE BALL without any expectations. I'm glad I did. It's lighthearted but not corny. All the characters are likable, even Colin, and he's very good at playing creepy. My favorites are Maurice and Richard. They're hilarious. The two evil stepsisters, I thought were sisters in real life since they look so much alike. I don't get when people say the two leads didn't have chemistry when they did. My favorite moments are the phone call in the loo and the "fondue" scene. Hysterical!

'After the Ball' is a cute film if you are looking for something light and funny. Caught on from the film description that this would be a take on Shakespeare's comedy 12th Night, where the heroine dresses as a male and the intrigues begin from there.

If your into films in the fashion industry, this is no 'The Devil Wears Prada', but does include a lot of the business of fashion in the story line...though don't count on it being completely believable.

Lots of story holes and plot deadends, but it's a light film, so whatever. Actors are adequate, some a bit over the top silly. Best actor in the film is veteran Mimi Kuzyk, as the Godmother.

Check if out if seeking something lightly amusing.

My wife and I watched it together and we loved it! Very nice movie!