By Courtney L. Woods
Does anyone else find it odd that Jennifer Lopez releases a new album, ignites a tabloid frenzy with her engagement to Ben Affleck, and stars in Maid in Manhattan, due out December 13, all within one month’s time? Let’s just say that “Jenny from the Block” is a very good businesswoman and great with a daily planner. It’s too bad her acting abilities and range aren’t as swift as her multitasking.
Maid in Manhattan, while not a bad film, is just like every romantic comedy involving the Cinderella storyline. Of course, it involves a working-class woman who catches the attention of a higher-status male (in this case, Ralph Fiennes as a wannabe senator), accidentally leading him to believe that she is something she isn’t. Lopez is Marisa, a maid at a swanky Manhattan hotel who dreams of being management. In between leaving mints on pillows and bringing robes to naked guests who have locked themselves out of their rooms, Marisa is a single mother to an ultra-bright son with a fascination for the Nixon administration, Simon and Garfunkel, and listening to The Best of Bread.
Fiennes is Christopher Marshall, a possible senatorial candidate who stays at Marisa’s hotel while campaigning. While trying on a Dolce and Gabanna suit that belongs to another guest, Marisa is spied by Christopher, and stars appear in their eyes. He asks her to a formal gala; she has to get dressed up, and all of her coworkers at the hotel (the maids, the seamstress, the boutique clerks) act like Cinderella’s mice-friends (sadly, there is no Gus-Gus) and usher her away into the pumpkin carriage… uh, stretch limo.
Really, there is no need to say any more; you can probably figure out the ending without even seeing the film. The real sparkle of the story belongs to the hugely talented supporting cast, which includes Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) as a butler; Marisa’s mentor, Stanley Tucci (Big Night), as Christopher’s campaign manager Jerry; and Natascha Richardson (The Parent Trap and a Tony Award winner for the Broadway revival of Cabaret) as a snobby, neurotic guest that’s looking for rebound romance with Christopher. Richardson’s performance is over the top and hilarious; however, one wonders why she would play second-fiddle to Lopez.
Even more questionable are Ralph Fiennes’ motives for starring in this contrived vehicle. He was the monstrous SS Commandant in Schindler’s List and the title character in The English Patient, both turns earning him Oscar nominations. He made another questionable move this year as the methodical serial killer and admirer of Hannibal Lecter in the film Red Dragon. Maybe he’s on the hunt for mainstream success; what better way to do that than starring in a movie with J. Lo?
Lopez has done bad films (Enough), but she has also done great work in films such as Out of Sight and even Selena. Now she is copying the role that she played in The Wedding Planner; a role that was probably better suited for Sandra Bullock. “Jenny from the Block” has the pizzazz to be a great actress, but not with throwaway fluff like Maid in Manhattan.
Cardinal Grade: C+
