Rags, Riches and Granny's Teeth! (Maid In Manhattan (DVD))

Member Name: nykied

Product:	Maid In Manhattan (DVD)
Date:	06/11/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice enjoyable film

Disadvantages: I've watched Red Dragon too many times to buy in fully

'Maid In Manhattan' is a romantic comedy made in 2002. It was on TV the other night and although I've watched it before, I remember quite enjoying it, so I watched it again.

It's your fairly typical girly film, one of the films made when Jennifer Lopez was trying to break into the film industry following her success in the music business. Also in the film are Ralph Fiennes, Bob Hoskins and Natasha Richardson.

Jennifer Lopez is Marissa Ventura, a maid working in a posh uptown New York hotel. She has aspirations to move into management and when a vacant position becomes available, her friend Steph hands her an application form (which Steph then fills in).

Chris Marshall (played by Ralph Fiennes) is a politician who is thinking of running for the Senate, who is staying at the hotel whilst in New York. He first meets Marissa when she's cleaning his bathroom floor (as maids do!) and he walks in to take a leak.

Marissa is also single mum to Ty. One weekend, Ty is due to give a speech at school and then go on a camping trip with his Dad Marcus, who, as usual, lets him down. This means that Marissa is forced to take him into the hotel with her. On a trip in the elevator, Ty meets Chris and invites him to go for a walk with his dog, Rufus. This means that they go to find Marissa to ask permission, who is trying on clothes in a guest's suite.

They hit it off as expected (it is a rom-com, after all!), but he thinks she's a guest at the hotel who is the sort of person who wears Dolce & Gabanna for a walk in the park.

So, Marissa gets accepted onto the management training programme at the hotel and she's got a powerful politician interested in her. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, if you suspend belief for the duration of this film and again, it's a rom-com, a modern fairytale if you will, then it's a very enjoyable film. Jennifer Lopez gives a good performance as Marissa Ventura and plays the 'Jenny From The Block' role to perfection. Ralph Fiennes is not bad as Chris Marshall, if you can get the picture of him as a serial killer wearing Granny's teeth out of your head. I couldn't but then maybe I'm weird!

Bob Hoskins' upper-crust English accent as Lionel Bloch (the pernickety yet kindly floor butler) is barely believable but he does add warmth to his character. Tyler Garcia Posey does a good job in his role as Ty Ventura and Natasha Richardson is fantastic as vacuous blonde Caroline Lane, who is actually staying at the hotel and whose clothes Marissa tries on. Stanley Tucci plays Lionel Siegal, Chris' assistant and he gives a funny performance. Rufus the dog is great (but I love big dogs, so I would say that, wouldn't I?).The least believable acting is that of Marissa's friend Steph Kehoe, but she's a supporting role so it doesn't really detract from the film.

The film has a funny yet predictable script, with some very funny lines and also some unbelievably corny lines. It's probably not for blokes, but girls who like to believe in fairytales once in a while would probably enjoy it. I did (despite the images of Ralph Fiennes as Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon that kept popping into my head) and I'm giving it four stars.

Summary: J-Lo looks better without all the slap!