Showing posts with label Emma Thompson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emma Thompson. Show all posts
This Is A Nanny You Need
Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) is back to help another family. This time Nanny comes to help the Green family deal with their hectic life. Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is working as hard as possible to keep her family together and her farm in operation. Her husband is away in the war and Isabel works hard for Mrs. Docherty (Maggie Smith).
Not only does she work hard to maintain the family farm, but she is taking care of her three children and their two cousins. Five kids for a single mother would be difficult for anyone, but add in the pressure of maintaining the farm, that her husband’s brother is trying to sell out from under them and they need help!
Enter Nanny McPhee, who shows up one evening and changes the fate that the family is facing. She is here to help when they don’t want her but need her. Because when it comes to the time when they want her, but no longer need her, she must be off.
Nanny works magic, literally and figuratively with the kids and they grow as a team, a team that works towards common goals and objectives. Nanny will do her part to make things work, but will the family fully appreciate and acknowledge she has brought to them?
Emma Thompson loves this character and this character loves her. As one of the writers of the film, she has put her time and devotion into the character and it shows onscreen. She is able to bring Nanny into the film to advance the ideas, while leaving the focus on the kids, the magic, and the message.
It is an amazing accomplishment for an actor of her talents to leave it to some effects, and kids to carry the film. They fill all the supporting roles with wonderful actors from Maggie Gyllenhaal to Maggie Smith and Rhys Ifans. And the kids are spot on!
Nanny McPhee returns won’t win any major awards, but it will provide your family with just less than 2 hours of heartwarming fun. You do need to see Nanny McPhee Returns.
B-
Nanny McPhee Returns
Universal Pictures
Director: Susanna White
Cast: Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans, Maggie Smith
Rating: PG for rude humor, some language and mild thematic elements.
Runtime: 109 minutes.
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Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) is back to help another family. This time Nanny comes to help the Green family deal with their hectic life. Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is working as hard as possible to keep her family together and her farm in operation. Her husband is away in the war and Isabel works hard for Mrs. Docherty (Maggie Smith).
Not only does she work hard to maintain the family farm, but she is taking care of her three children and their two cousins. Five kids for a single mother would be difficult for anyone, but add in the pressure of maintaining the farm, that her husband’s brother is trying to sell out from under them and they need help!
Enter Nanny McPhee, who shows up one evening and changes the fate that the family is facing. She is here to help when they don’t want her but need her. Because when it comes to the time when they want her, but no longer need her, she must be off.
Nanny works magic, literally and figuratively with the kids and they grow as a team, a team that works towards common goals and objectives. Nanny will do her part to make things work, but will the family fully appreciate and acknowledge she has brought to them?
Emma Thompson loves this character and this character loves her. As one of the writers of the film, she has put her time and devotion into the character and it shows onscreen. She is able to bring Nanny into the film to advance the ideas, while leaving the focus on the kids, the magic, and the message.
It is an amazing accomplishment for an actor of her talents to leave it to some effects, and kids to carry the film. They fill all the supporting roles with wonderful actors from Maggie Gyllenhaal to Maggie Smith and Rhys Ifans. And the kids are spot on!
Nanny McPhee returns won’t win any major awards, but it will provide your family with just less than 2 hours of heartwarming fun. You do need to see Nanny McPhee Returns.
B-
Nanny McPhee Returns
Universal Pictures
Director: Susanna White
Cast: Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans, Maggie Smith
Rating: PG for rude humor, some language and mild thematic elements.
Runtime: 109 minutes.
Bravely Moving Forward
Pixar has been the ace in the hole for animated films for years. Despite a bit of a let down in 2011, the anticipation level for the new film Brave has been pretty high. When the bar is set as high as Pixar has it set for them, there is bound to be the occasional let down.
Pixar has been the ace in the hole for animated films for years. Despite a bit of a let down in 2011, the anticipation level for the new film Brave has been pretty high. When the bar is set as high as Pixar has it set for them, there is bound to be the occasional let down.
In the case of Brave, I don’t feel there was a huge let down, but this is a film that wasn’t marketed well…and I don’t think that will help the impression left with many viewers.Here’s the plot in a nutshell. The beautiful Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) has reached the age where it’s time to look for a suitor. Her parents King Fergus (Billy Connolly)and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson)have sent out the requests and have three suitors from the various corners of the kingdom. But this is not what Merida wants. She is young, vibrant, and the antithesis of many things associated with the royal position.
Merida decides to defy her parents and a rift between her mom and her occurs. But a journey into the forest, following a path created by wisps is about to change her life forever. It’s on that journey that she finds a small wood carving shop, or so it would seem. There a witch (Julie Walters) grants her a wish and she just wants mom to see things differently.
But sometimes, wishes don’t lead to the results you expect. And spells are not an easy thing. So when a certain Queen becomes a bear, trouble is brewing for all. Now can Merida put aside her differences and save her mom from a life as a bear, or certain death at the hand of the King?
What did I like about the new Pixar effort?
Visually it is a stunning piece. Pixar has a way of bringing things to life like no one else. The film rolls over the countryside with grace and leaves you yearning for the place that Merida calls home.
Voice talent is solid and drives some very cool characters through the film.
There’s good comic relief from the triplet brothers that occupy the screen.
The story, as laid out, is relatable to both older kids and adults. That story being, the relationship between Mom and Daughter. But it’s in that story that I think people might be let down.
The let down comes from the marketing that led one to believe that this was going to be about a young girl that exudes specific and life affirming bravery throughout a journey. I believed this was going to be the story specifically about Merida and her growth on her own. Instead, it’s more of a Mother/Daughter story that shows the growth of both individuals. Maybe it’s the title that is misleading, but something seemed amiss with the expectations for the film.
Though despite being a bit misleading and not the film I expected, it still is a film that should make Pixar proud of the result. I think this is one of those films that can make for a great Mother/Daughter day at the movies. There were lots of hugs between my daughter and her mom (my wife) at the end and that to me makes for a successful outing at the movies, even if it was less than I expected. This film shows Pixar is bravely moving forward, even if it’s not for everyone.
B
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell
Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson
Rating: PG for some scary action and rude humor.
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes