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The Nanny Diaries
In theaters August 24th 2007
- Rated PG-13 for language
- RunTime: 105 min
- Matt's rating - 3 out of 5
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Review by Matt Mungle
I love being surprised at the movies. That feeling of
going into a film expecting one thing and getting
something totally different. Even if it is bad, if it is at
least surprising that counts for something. The
previews and poster for The Nanny Diaries had me
flashing back to Brittany Murphy chasing around an
anal Dakota Fanning in Uptown Girls. I thought, did
they really do another one of these? And no, thank
goodness, they didn't. What writer/director team Shari
Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini did do was
create a comedy drama that takes a few hard, well
deserved jabs at upper class parenting. Based on the
best selling book by the same name, you have to
wonder how true this tale sadly is for many families.
But, hey, isn't it a little gratifying to poke fun at the high
and mighty? Too bad most will never even see this.
Annie/Nanny (Scarlett Johansson) is a Jersey girl
fresh out of college with no clue who she really is. All
she has is a degree and a desire to please those
around her. When she takes a job as a nanny for the X
family she has the rare opportunity to view a species
of land dwellers few see from inside the tribe itself.
The Upper East Side Manhattan family unit. What she
documents is dysfunction, selfishness and a group
starving for real affection. Mr. X (Paul Giamatti)
escapes in his work and has no time for his son or
Mrs. X (Laura Linney). In turn Mrs. X is too consumed
with social standings and reputation to bother with
actually raising her son. So everything involving the X
offspring is left to the nanny to handle.
I liked how the story is told from a study point of view.
Annie has a minor in anthropology and she narrates
the story as if explaining the habits and rituals of a
strange civilization while trying to find her place within
this society at the same time. The principle characters
have no names but are known by labels. This makes
for a unique telling of an otherwise common plot. Also,
it allowed itself to get serious when need be and take
a hard look at a devastating part of our culture. It
balances this with some comedic elements and a
slight romantic interest of Annie's, labeled
appropriately as Harvard Hottie. Johansson continues
to make her mark as a comfortable, believable
actress. Linney performs well and you hate her
character as much as you feel sorry for her.
The Nanny Diaries is Rated PG-13 for language. The
expletives are mild but laced throughout. The F word
is used once but in a context that is fitting and I am not
sure any other word would have driven home the point
so effectively. This is a good movie for mother
daughter outings and your 14 and up teen will find it
cute and enjoyable. Younger viewers will get lost in
the underlying drama and find the slapstick comedy
lost in lots of dialogue. It is 105 minutes long but feels
longer. It bogs down near the end and you start
hoping for a quick, tightly packaged ending. Still I give
it a solid 3 out of 5 playdates. Very seldom do you get
a look into the dysfunction of the elite from this
perspective. Just know before you go.
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Matt and Cindy are members of the North Texas
Film
Critics Association (NTFCA). For additional
reviews
and interview clips visit the website.
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Mungleshow Productions
Matt Mungle
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