|
Buy Radiohead tickets,
Coachella Festival tickets,
Kanye West tickets,
Tom Petty tickets,
Rascal Flatts tickets,
and loads more
concert tickets right here!
|
Mark Palansky, Penelope
03/11/2008 Penelope is not a classic movie or one that will be remembered for its greatness, but if you do not see it, you will be missing out on a whimsical and endearing story of what it means to find yourself. Christina Ricci plays Penelope, a beautiful, wealthy girl doomed by a family curse with a pig’s snout and ears. The curse is only broken by finding “one of your own kind” to accept Penelope as she is and thus -to everyone’s great delight- James McAvoy appears on the scene. Pretending to be a blueblood named, “Max”, he woos Penelope for a news story, but as fairytales would have it, falls in love with her; snout and all. The story is a lovely romance with wonderful aspects of mise-en-scene. The setting takes place in a mythical city where Irish, English, and Americans live together in a city resembling New York City coupled with London. Penelope wears bright colors on her dresses and tights, bringing attention to her unique character and strong spirit. Eventually, Penelope runs away to the city and encounters a new friend- Reese Witherspoon. I’ve never seen a mailwoman in leather ride a Vespa and so her quirky character is quite refreshing and snappy. Not only is Witherspoon an actor in the film, but the leading producer. Partnered with first-time director Mark Palansky , Witherspoon’s efforts as producer and actor prove worthy in Penelope. James McAvoy’s performance is stellar with a brilliantly accurate American accent. Catherine O’Hara graces the screen as Penelope’s mother and gives comic relief as the oftentimes cliché, overbearing mother of an only child. Despite such a strong supporting cast of characters, Penelope’s role does not fade – it shines. Christina Ricci does an excellent job as the innocent, naïve, yet courageous Penelope. During one scene, Penelope cries out to James McAvoy’s character- “But this isn't me, the real me is inside here somewhere just waiting to get out and you can make that happen once the curse is broken. I'll be just like anybody else!” Penelope is not so different from many of her audience members (minus the pig features). The theme of Penelope is not about finding your soul mate, but finding your own way in a world where people recognize what you are before knowing who you are. Penelope may not be the most elaborate film or large audience pleaser, but its story and characters are lovely with just enough fairytale to fit reality. Comments [post a comment]
|
|
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Weather: , °
Weather: , °
Post a Comment
E-mail To A Friend
Join The List
Technorati Tags
Penelope Fairy Tale James Mcavoy Christina Ricci Cinema Review