Search - Penelope on DVD

Blandly predictable modern-day fairy tale

Roland E. Zwick | Valencia, Ca USA | 10/06/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"**1/2

Due to a curse that was placed on her family in the 19th Century, an otherwise attractive British high society blueblood by the name of Penelope Wilhern was born with pigs' ears and a snout. This, as one would imagine, has put something of a damper on the poor girl's dating life, since prospective romantic partners invariably run screaming out of the room the moment they first lay eyes on her. Enter Johnny, a scruffy, down-on-his-luck compulsive gambler hired by an investigative reporter to infiltrate Penelope's house to see if the rumors of a pig-nosed girl residing therein are indeed true. But can this principled cad help falling in love with the "real," "beautiful" Penelope who lies just beneath the surface of this grotesquely swinish exterior? (Though, if truth be told, if you`re going to be stuck going through life with a pig-nose, you could do a lot worse than the one Penelope is forced to put up with here).

As to "Penelope" itself, it doesn't bode well for any film when most of the minor players have English accents and most of the major ones do not - especially when, without exception, everyone is ostensibly playing a British character. Beyond that, this "beauty is only skin deep" parable hasn't been accorded the wit or imagination it would actually need to be successful. The fairy tale ambiance has been reasonably well adapted to the modern scene, but the narrative arc that comes along with it could hardly be more transparent or predictable.

In addition, the movie, written by Leslie Caveny and directed by Mark Palansky, is replete with overwrought slapstick scenes of people screaming, running, diving out of windows, etc. at the mere sight of Penelope's face - scenes that, quite frankly, feel as if they were lifted straight out of an episode of "The Munsters."

Still, an appealing cast, made up of the likes of Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage, Richard E. Grant, Catherine O`Hara, and Simon Woods, at least makes the movie watchable - if you`re in the mood for this sort of thing, that is."

Ugly, Hollywood Style

JudyMoody | 07/31/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've read some reviews @ 'Rottentomatoes.com' and someone there picked up on the same issue I have with these sorts of movies: in the end, the actress is always beautiful [even with the nose on she's still Christina Ricci: pretty] - so what does that really tell unattractive people like myself? That I can feel really good about how I look even though I can't take my face off in some make-up trailer at the end of the day? And even the Fairy Tale books; it's always Beauty and the Beast, or Sleeping Beauty and the Handsome Prince - never Unredeemingly Ugly Girl and the Gosh-Awful Prince. Have you ever seen America Ferrara on the Red Carpet? She doesn't look anything like the character she plays on 'Ugly Betty'.......why? because she has to show up at industry functions and she has to be beautiful. This being said, I still liked the visual design of this film and the actors were very competent. I would recommend this film on those merits, not the social message being attempted."