Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Movie Review: Penelope

By Shawn Parikh

Penelope

Penelope Wilhern, born to wealthy socialites, is afflicted by a secret family curse that can only be broken when she is loved by "one of her own kind." Hidden away in the family's majestic home, she is subjected to meeting a string of blue-bloods through her parent's futile attempt to marry her off and break the curse. Each suitor is instantly enamored with Penelope (and her sizable dowry)… until the curse is revealed. When a willing mate cannot be found, mischievous tabloid reporter Lemon hires Max to pose as a prospective suitor in hopes of snapping a photo of the mysterious Penelope. Max, who is really a down-on-his-luck gambler, finds himself drawn to Penelope and not wanting to expose or disappoint her, disappears and leaves Lemon in the lurch. Fed up by this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope breaks free from her family and goes out into the world in search of adventure--curse be damned.

Source: Cinema Source

• Showtimes and more on Penelope

“It’s what’s on the inside that matters.” You know that’s the moral of Penelope before even stepping into the movie theater. And with Ugly Betty already out there, Penelope had to make sure it told the story in a unique way to avoid the hackneyed moral.

Penelope succeeds in the beginning since it is told in a whimsical, fairytale romantic style filled with voiceovers and great effects. The movie starts off explaining a curse put on the hoity-toity Wilhern family that the first female born into the family will take on “pig face.” The only way to break the curse is for her to find someone that truly loves her and accepts her.

Obviously, the curse lands on Penelope Wilhern, where her pig snout causes her parents to lock her up and pretend that their child had died. When she is older, Penelope sits behind a two-way mirror and interviews potential husbands set up by her mother. These suitors all sign waivers to not squeal about Penelope’s pig face.

One suitor runs away after seeing her face without signing the waiver and goes to a reporter who has had his suspicions about the family before. They hire a guy, Max, to pose as a suitor and charm Penelope and snap pictures. Penelope gets fed up with all the isolation when she hears stories about the outside world from Max, and decides to escape one day and live life on her own.

The story is charming, quirky, and funny up to a certain point. You enjoy seeing this new system of blind dating, as well as seeing how Penelope adjusts to the real world.

However, the ending makes the movie more of a Blockbuster night due to the corniness and obvious outcome. Also, the movie loses some of its whimsical and fairytale qualities that were unique in the beginning, thus making some scenes quite flat.

Not allowed to see her by the hair on her chinny chin chin.

I do have to say that technically, the designers and artists must have had a blast creating the fairytale atmosphere. From wardrobe to set to cinematography, each element added the perfect touch to appeal to everyone. And you have to give props to the people who helped create the pig snout.

With a cast of reliable actors, everyone is quite excellent. Christina Ricci’s conflicting feelings about the snout come across smoothly and she plays the character with so much charm that we will feel whatever she wants us to feel.

After such a serious performance in Atonement, James McAvoy shows his soft, romantic comedy skills as Max. He provides the perfect romantic opposite to Penelope. Reese Witherspoon pops up for a couple of scenes (she is one of the producers), and it was good to see her in a role that best suits her: an endearing girl who cheers people up.

This little piggy didn't have roast beef.

Catherine O’Hara is always hilarious, and she is able to steal most scenes and get some great laughs as the overprotective, shamed mother. Her timing and character make her the funniest part of the movie.

You pretty much know what you are in for when seeing Penelope, and all you have to do is put your mind aside and just enjoy.

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