Film Review - Nanny McPhee

Eye candy for the young at heart
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury
Directed by: Kirk Jones
Official Movie site

Nanny McPhee has a twisted visual imagination meant for the kids. Technically, its cotton candy look has a rich layer of colors ranging from the Disney pastels to the “Roald Dahl-esque” colors. Comparisons to Mary Poppins may be inevitable, but this film falls between Mary Poppins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Based from the Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand, this is a quirky adaptation treated in a fantasy-cheesy way. This British picture is very predictable – as many other average children movies. Overall, it is quite corny for adults to take but it is surely enjoyable for the little kids. So my advice to the teenagers and adults, just try to be a child again for two hours so you can enjoy it as well.

Looks like the art department has much of a budget. The sugary production design, the always prop-filled frame, the blue-lit sets enhancing the night’s color, the pink-and-red highlights, the striking combination of day-glo psychedelic colors and the overall color scheme treated in wildly, cartoony extremes are enjoyable to the kids’ eyes. It radiates a spunky story with such an enchanted feel and fairy tale look. Indeed, it is bloody maximalist! But for viewers (including adolescents), the hysterical color scheme showing hot-pink bustiers and lime-painted costumes may start becoming a bit questionable for both personal and/or artistic reasons. Ironically, some may even see it to be lacking that visual dazzle as it tries to escape by using a garish neon color palette contrasted against clownish costumes as if there is no tomorrow. And just like what I said, in order to enjoy the movie, watch it like a little child – without questioning the very shallow and predictable story, the minor booboos and misuse/overuse of some artistic elements, cinematically speaking. Take the humor and the fairy tale story in an escapist fashion and you can have fun watching the movie with the kids.

Nanny McPhee is a family film – a good movie for family bonding. Delightful and charming for the young at heart, it combines being sentimental with being morbid for it to become a fantasy, live-action cartoon for the young ones. It leads to a slapstick showdown of a winning tale about naughty children in need of love and attention and the mysterious governess who comes to their aid. It offers solid family entertainment with moral lessons to learn – the way a storybook does. A DVD of this movie is an ideal buy for parents to let their kids watch it over and over again at home.

Kirk Jones’ direction and Emma Thompson’s script get their points across without resorting to too complicated and/or manipulative scenes. Jones is wise to keep the movie short – knowing the attention span of its target audience, the children. The story itself seems to be very, very predictable – with no surprises. From Mrs. Quickly’s aura to Evangeline’s fate, they are most likely what any viewer will expect to happen. But the movie’s comic side and uncanny dignity to the whimsical and wholesome script have a really good appeal to the children. As a delightfully odd tale, its gleefully morbid sense of humor doesn’t go beyond the standard fairy tale plotting. As a kiddie flick, it captures the magic of a classic fairy tale.

The morbid-looking Nanny McPhee curls her protruding front tooth over her lower lip while working with seven children and a barnyard of animals within the house. Thompson’s ineffable grace and expressionless demeanor as Nanny Mcphee conveys the power and strength of her character just by the look in her eyes. Colin Firth as the children’s hapless father is a true weakling. While being more interested with his newspaper than with his children, his performance is not that interesting as well. Thomas Sangster as Simon is terrific in his role as the eldest brother. The other children give average but funny performances – including the cute, little baby. Angela Lansbury as the dreaded Aunt Adelaide interprets her role with an uncanny performance. The cook is just a walking cliché. Nevertheless, she is effective. The Kate Winslet look-alike Kelly McDonald as Evangeline is okay for her ole as a kind, beautiful, undereducated maid who dreams of a better life. But she looks off and really unconvincing as the new Mrs. Brown. She looks too young to be one. Celia Imrie as Mrs. Quickly looks naturally bitching and funny at the same time.

The orchestral music adds to that fairy tale appeal. Some of the effects are distractingly shoddy especially if you give great attention to detail. The unconvincing dancing and smiling donkey looks cute on its own as a short animation piece. But as part of the scene, the way it has been animated looks off for the ensemble. It looks corny, too. But the snow-turned dress of Evangeline may not be a technically excellent special effects effort but it has worked with grace for the scene. With the transition of a spring-inspired wedding to a solemnized winter wedding is cinematic. But the effortless transition from spring to winter becomes too abrupt. It could have been rendered much better. The slapsticks work: the pie fight, the tea scene and the first encounter of Nanny McPhee with the children rumbling in the kitchen.

If you look into its cultural correctness, the overall look seems a bit inconsistent. It being a children’s fantasy movie should not be an excuse as having a good basis on realistic elements is deemed more appropriate and children can learn from such. It doesn’t seem to fall in a clear period and time frame (Is it within the Victorian period? Or can it be set within the contemporary times?). There is no clear exposition to clear this up. And though this may not be much demanded by most children, a better film could have considered making it clearer and more culturally-correct.

The end animation sequence becomes a short film highlighting the things that happened in the story. It has a similarly appealing effect as “Lemony Snickets’ A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The end credits interacting with the animation and summarizing the story and characters of the movie brings an entertaining end to this whimsical picture – this time, both to the children and adult audiences.

As a British kiddie flick, it is an appealing tale melding with exaggerated visual and acting styles. Nevertheless, it can bring a magical experience to the young at heart. The story is simple and well-intended. It may be quite conventional and slapstick in virtually every regard but it is convincingly an enjoyable nasty children’s tale. It is a feel-good movie. And this is what flicks should be all about… for it to be a great family day of thoughtful escapism inside the theater.

With one tap of her cane, Nanny McPhee can help bring back the children in us.