The Flat Hat

Article Tools
Share on Facebook
Seed Newsvine
Send Article
Print

‘Penelope’ spins conventions of a childern’s fairy tale

While it has the facade of a typical children’s fairy tale about a well-bred maiden seeking her prince charming, “Penelope” has one edgy twist: the maiden suffers from the unusual affliction of having a pig’s snout for a nose.

Courtesy Photo — Summit Entertainment. Christina Ricci stars as Penelope Wilhern, a young woman under a curse that gives her grotesque facial features in the new modern fable, “Penelope.”

As title character Penelope Wilhern, Christina Ricci (“Sleepy Hollow”) delivers a pleasant yet sometimes overly saccharine performance as the film’s spirited heroine. Her porcine appendage is an unfortunate repercussion of prior family wrongdoings: a cold-hearted ancestor courted a servant and then heartlessly cast her aside when his family convinced him that she was an unsuitable spouse for a noble like himself. A curse left the family’s next female child with grotesque facial features meant to render her equally unsuitable. For the curse to be lifted, Penelope must be accepted by “one of her own kind” by winning the heart of a fellow noble.

Penelope’s mother (Catherine O’Hara, “Best in Show”) is significantly more distraught about the snout than her daughter is. She attempts to speedily marry the girl off as soon as possible in order to free the family from further embarrassment. Mrs. Wilhern parades a slew of eligible, blue-blooded English gents into their home, but not even a hefty dowry can convince them to accept Penelope and her unbecoming facial features.

That is, until Max (James McAvoy, “Atonement”) comes on the scene. A down-and-out noble, he is surprisingly undaunted by Penelope’s snout. The pair seem a perfect match, but Max may have secrets of his own.

McAvoy embraces his role with enthusiasm, plowing through the film with a delightful, rakish charm. One can’t help but wonder, however, why the filmmaker chose to have him conceal his Scottish brogue with a stilted American accent.

The most well-known star of the film, Reese Witherspoon (“Walk the Line”), appears onscreen only briefly. Though she played Penelope’s best friend, Annie, Witherspoon’s primary involvement in the film was her role as producer.

Fans of more eclectic and artistic works need not fear: “Penelope” may be a fairy tale, but it is far from main-stream. Everything from the costumes to the scenery give the film an unusual, family-film vibe. However, one has to wonder how many young children will really be engaged by the often dark and strange world depicted on screen, not to mention the dysfunctional family portrayed.

The film’s main problem is its inability to choose between being a children’s film or one that appeals to an older crowd. There are moments of innuendo, which are clever, but not necessarily geared towards a PG crowd. At other times, exaggerated slapstick moments clearly target young audiences. These conflicting tones might baffle a more mature crowd and cause them to question exactly how seriously they should take the film.

The climax of “Penelope” may be a bit far-fetched — even for a fairy tale — but it is original nonetheless. While the film certainly will not earn its critically acclaimed cast any nominations, it seems clear that they had fun in the process of making it. The cast invites the audience to join in for a mindless yet entertaining few hours at the movies.