"Penelope" *** (out of ****)
The critics were evenly divided on this film. On rottentomatoes.com the movie scored a 50%. Out of 120 reviews 60 were "for" it and 60 "against" it.
"Penelope", which is a modern day fairy tale, has been compared to "Cinderella", "The Ugly Duckling" and "Beauty & the Beast". I see it as a charming, old-fashion love story. The kind of movie which could have been made in the 1930s or 40s. That's why I like it.
"Penelope" doesn't take place in our world. The film resembles a cartoon. It is a caricature of modern day life. It has a sweet innocence which we rarely, if ever, see in movies nowadays. I have a hunch that is why the public and the critics stood away. The film grossed a mere $10 million. People aren't really interested in seeing innocent movies unless it is animated and done by Pixar. And that's fine. I'm not insulting Pixar. They make good movies. But look at the disappointing box-office films like "Leatherheads" directed by George Clooney or "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" did. They were throwbacks to another era. Audiences don't "get it". There is no interest to revisit the kind of storytelling done in the 30s and 40s.
In "Penelope" Christina Ricci stars as the title character. A curse has been put on her family by a witch, after her daughter killed herself when a wealthy blue-blood decided not to marry her, worried about the public shame it would bring to marry someone "beneath" him. Even though the woman was carrying his child. So the curse will be put on the first daughter born into the Willhern family. That daughter turns out to be Penelope. Now she has the nose of a pig. The curse will only be broken when one of her own loves her.
With this in mind, her mother, Jessica (Catherine O' Hara), has searched high and low for suitable blue-blood to marry Penelope. But once they all get a look at her face, the literally jump out the window to escape. So it seems poor Penelope will never find her true love. A man who can look beyond her looks and see the beautiful woman inside. Sound cheesy? Did I mention it was a fairy tale?
Penelope has lives a life of seclusion. Her mother does not want the public to see her. Because of this photographers hound them for a picture. One photographer, Lemon (Peter Dinklage) now wears a patch over his eye due to a beating Jessica gave him. His has devised a plan to get a down and out blue-blood, Max Campion (James McAvoy) to meet Penelope and take a picture of her.
This film directed by Mark Palansky, his debut film, and written by Leslie Caveny, who has written episodes for "Everybody Loves Raymond", was actually filmed in 2006 and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. It was scheduled for a 2007 released but was pushed back for an early 2008 released. Why was it postponed? There is nothing wrong with the movie. There was no reason to keep it on the shelf especially when you compare it to some of the things studios actually take off the shelf and release to the public.
What happens next in "Penelope" is pretty standard. It follows a formula everyone should be familiar with. But that is not a problem. Going into a movie like this you have to expect it. Will Penelope ever find love? Will she make friends? Actually Reese Witherspoon, who also produced the movie, has a small role, making her appearance an hour into the movie, as the first person to accept Penelope. She too is quite good in this.
All throughout 2008 I primarily focused on the critical darlings. The so-called Oscar contenders. So I watched "Revolutionary Road", "The Wrestler", "Doubt", "Frost/Nixon", "Rachel Getting Married", "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Reader". Thus completely avoided Hollywood mainstream titles such as "Penelope". In the end though I'm glad I saw this. It wont get any Oscar nominations and it doesn't seem to have gained a second life on DVD. But "Penelope" was a welcomed surprise. A charming, sweet, old-fashioned romantic movie.
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