The Nanny Diaries

The Nanny Diaries ***

Directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman
Written by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, based on the book by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Starring:
Scarlett Johansson as Annie Braddock
Laura Linney as Mrs. X
Alicia Keys as Lynette
Chris Evans as Harvard Hottie
Donna Murphy as Judy
Paul Giamatti as Mr. X
Nicholas Art as Grayer

107 Minutes(Rated PG-13 for language. )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Nanny Diaries" may very well be the surprise of the summer, and I feel like this is a film I will be defending for many days to come. Fresh off the heels of last year's "The Devil Wears Prada," a film that I am still puzzling the awards and nominations it received, "The Nanny Diaries" is a similar commentary on the 5th Avenue Women and their constant need to accessorize and buy and wear the latest things, etc. This time instead of women wanting to buy a new dress because its the latest fad, they want to have children. And then they treat their children as they would a necklace or a ring, or just simply hire somebody else to take care of it: the nanny.

Scarlet Johannson is the nanny in the title,-her real name is Annie- and she recently graduated college and her mother wants her to go out and start a corporate gig. When she flops at an interview, a twist of fate and a case of mistaken identity begin her work as a nanny for the X's. Mrs X. is a classic 5th Avenue Mother, who has no job or real purpose but to constantly demand alone time, and time for herself. Mr. X is the rarely seen father who is having many affairs with secretaries, and needs to work more than actually see his son and wife. Even so, Annie begins to take care of their son Grayer, who begins to slowly warm up to Annie after a rocky start.

The best parts in "The Nanny Diaries" are the scenes where the Annie character is at her job and relating to the X's. Mrs. X is a better equivalent of the Meryl Streep character in "The Devil Wears Prada." She is cold, bitter, but behind that mask you know that there is something a little kinder-or at least a fragment of what once was. However I didn't really see Meryl Streep portray that other side to her character, except in one scene. Laura Linney does a fantastic job in the role, showing several dimensions to Mrs. X. Perhaps there was something in the man she married once upon a time. But why is still hanging with him? Is it because she is used to this phony lifestyle that she has created for herself? Is it because she wants to stay together to her son? Does she love her son? Does she love her husband? The answer to all of these is yes and no, as Mrs. X struggles to rid herself of whatever life she led once before. She says so herself-she grew up in Connecticut. You don't become a rich Manhattan woman when you grew up in Connecticut with the snap of a finger-especially when you are jobless.

The movie is fun during the initial nannying scenes, and the drama is handled quite well. There are a few in-jokes, a few of them for New York people only-many will not get those. There is a sly reference to "The Devil Wears Prada,"-an old materialistic and condescending woman who also happens to be Mr. X's mother is reading it on a beach. And Scarlett Johannson's cell phone ring after getting the job is the chimney song from "Mary Poppins." Nicholas Art as the young son is not the best actor in the world, but certainly not as hammy as others-say Josh Harnett's son in "Resurrecting the Champ." And it was great to see Paul Giamatti playing a bad guy once again-the next time is in the upcoming "Shoot 'Em Up,"-see my advanced review a few posts down-and he even looks different than he has before. Even his eye color changed.

All that being said, there is the inevitable downfall of the film, and that is two characters. The first is the standard, typical "best friend" character, usually played to be a sassy and independent woman-here played by Alicia Keys. The other is the standard and typical "love interest," here played by Chris Evans who can't act his way out of a paper bag. He is terrible, and the chemistry between him and Johannson is so bad that I thought the film would blow up. The love subplot takes up such a small amount of screen time that it was almost pointless, and whenever those scenes came up the film just took a wrong turn. I guess it was needed in a Hollywood way, but it wasn't needed to tell a good story. Overall I did get enjoyment from "The Nanny Diaries." I bet it won't get the praise that "The Devil Wears Prada" received, but it doesn't need to. "The Devil Wears Prada' getting strong praise was an odd fluke, and yet another one of those Hollywood mysteries that I will never understand.

Now Playing At:
Area Theatres