Made for light entertainment
Maid in Manhattan:
Ruwini JAYAWARDANA
Jennifer Lopez and Tyler Posey make a charming mother and son
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Wayne Wang's Maid in Manhattan may have generated some interest due
to the presence of the glamorous Jennifer Lopez as its heroine but a
couple of episodes into the movie and you are boomeranged by clichés.
This rags-to-riches tale revolves around Marisa Ventura, a maid
working at a classy Manhattan hotel. She is also a single mother trying
to keep up with her fast-growing son. While cleaning the room of a
wealthy woman, Marisa is caught in the act of trying on a creamy Dolce
and Gabbana coat belonging to a wealthy lady by reputed American
political hotshot Christopher Marshall who assumes she is a guest. He
invites her to join him for a walk and later send her an invitation to
meet him for a meal.
When the real Caroline Lane, the name Marisa had given Marshall,
turns up for the date he is confused. He later meets her on the street
and invites for a dinner dance. Attracted by his charm, Marisa keeps up
the deception until fate interferes and she is forced to reveal her true
identity to him. There the infamously romantic question lingers: is
Marshall's love for her strong enough to bridge the gap between their
worlds?
Interestingly both are in similar positions vying for power: he is a
white man aiming for a senate seat while she is a Puerto Rican maid
aiming for a managerial position at the Bereford Hotel.
One of the few plus points in Maid in Manhattan is when Marisa
swallows her shame and accepts her second-class citizenship in front of
the press. Similarly Marshall too put aside his pride and reveals his
feelings to Marisa at the end of the tale. Thus the fairytale element is
complete and the 'and they lived happily ever after' ending follows. The
Cinderella element of Maid in Manhattan is all too predictable despite
the added features of the heroine being a single mother and the hero
being a congressman.
The theme has been exhausted many times before in countless movies
and productions like Pretty Woman and My Fair Lady comes to mind. Marisa
is practically ordered to go to the ball to meet her prince by her
superior and is handed her ball gown and jewellery on a platter. One
cliché following another also irritates viewers who have paid their
bucks to watch something new.There are hardly any sparks between the two
protagonists Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes. Their feelings for each
other seem imposed rather than natural and they seem increasingly
uncomfortable in each other's arms. In contrast, Lopez's relationship
with young Tyler Posey who plays her son makes a charming picture.
Despite her vocal talent Lopez does not embody the charisma to carry off
this suppose-to-be rom-com. The laughs are rare and most of the scenes
annoy rather than entertain. Lopez's character is hardly developed and
most of her attraction is judged by her appearance rather than her
traits.
No audience sympathy is lost on her and neither do they warm up to
Fiennes who portrays a extremely unlikable hero. Not only is her too old
for Lopez but needs to hone his acting skills.
The movie even runs along somewhat similar lines of Lopez's previous
flick, The Wedding Planner. It is time she got out of her comfort zone
and tried diverse roles.
'Maid in Manhattan' might keep hopeless romantics happy but mature
audience would find it a bore. It does not address any serious topics,
though there are a few references motivating the working class. But
whole in whole it is made purely for entertainment purposes - an aspect
that it sadly fails in. |