Go backOur reviews service now comes with an RSS feed so click the icon and syndicate. 
Talote staff recommend lovefilm.com. So click and be happy!
|
21/6/2008
|
Penelope (2007)
|
Penelope (2008)
Christina Ricci plays the victim of a family curse in this enjoyable but uneven comic fantasy from director Mark Palansky. The aristocratic Wilherns were once cursed by a witch who declared that the next girl born into their family would look like a pig. Generations later, the Wilherns finally welcome a baby girl into the world and, sure enough, she has floppy ears and a snout. Penelope’s parents decide to fake her death and raise her in the isolation of their mansion, where she can’t be teased by her peers or cause any embarrassment to their good name.
As Penelope grows older, her parents attempt to find her a blue-blooded man who will accept Penelope for who she is and marry her, and thus break the curse. Trouble is, whenever she reveals her face to them they jump out of the window in fright. One potential suitor, Edward Vanderman (Simon Woods), runs off and tells everyone what he’s seen before her family can make him sign a confidentiality contract. Taken for a madman by most people, Edward catches the attention of journalist Lemon (Peter Dinklage) who’s been trying to discover the truth about Penelope for years. They bribe young aristocrat and compulsive gambler Max (James McAvoy) to help them in their quest.
Penelope’s burgeoning relationship with Max is ruined when she discovers that he’s working with Edward and Lemon. Hurt and frustrated, she runs away from home to assert her independence. What follows is a predictable tale of self-discovery on Penelope’s part, as she experiences everyday things for the first time, and makes friends with Reese Witherspoon’s chirpy bike-courier along the way. Without giving away too much, the film is resolved pretty much how you might expect, but with a few twists along the way.
As Penelope Christina Ricci is wide-eyed and charming, but with an edge that points towards her character’s growing confidence, while James McAvoy rises above his terrible haircut to breath some life into a fairly two-dimensional character. The rest of the cast is hit-and-miss; Richard E. Grant looks uncomfortable as Penelope’s father, and it’s jarring to see a star as big as Reese Witherspoon relegated to the quirky-friend role. On the other hand, Peter Dinklage’s considered mix of humour and cynicism prevents his character from being just another obnoxious movie journo.
There is something peculiar about this film. It’s set in England, mostly London, but over half of the cast speak with American accents. Why British actor James McAvoy uses an American accent for a film set in England in which he plays an aristocrat is frankly puzzling. Bizarrely, well-known Brit actors Richard E. Grant, Nick Frost and Ronnie Ancona use American accents; if the Wilherns are an old aristocratic family, why not make them British? Perhaps the film could get more funding with Christina Ricci and Reese Witherspoon on the payroll and everything else had to fit in around them – it certainly feels a bit that way.
The tone of the film is uneven too. The fairytale nature of the story and the whimsical directing style suggest that this is a family movie, but parents of young children will not appreciate the swearing and gambling that feature quite heavily for a film with a Universal rating. One final criticism: Penelope’s snout nose is not exactly pretty but the reactions of her potential suitors are wildly out of proportion to the way she looks. She may be ugly, but she’s Hollywood ugly.
Quibbles aside, Penelope remains an entertaining if unexceptional film, with a slightly uneven tone but two good central performances from Ricci and McAvoy and an engaging and unusual storyline. Worth seeing on DVD if you like romantic comedies.
Review by Catherine Leopold
|
|
Our Rating:
|
There are no votes for this films yet.
Please login to rate this film.
|
|
