New On Video: 'Maid In Manhattan'
Fiennes, Newcomer Boost Lopez's Performance
POSTED: 4:59 p.m. EST March 28, 2003
'Maid In Manhattan' (PG-13) While I thought I had "enough" of actress-pop singer Jennifer Lopez after the shockingly bad domestic abuse thriller "Enough," I've decided to give her one more chance after "Maid in Manhattan," an above-average romantic comedy that yields surprising results.
Lopez stars as Marisa Ventura, a single mom struggling to make ends meet as she works as a chambermaid at one of Manhattan's most posh hotels. Her luck changes, though, when New York Senate candidate Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) mistakes her to be a high society socialite after she tries on a hotel guest's posh clothes. A friendship ensues, but when couple falls in love, Marisa must face the fact that once she reveals the truth, their cultural differences and economic status may very well tear them apart.
While the also-ran storyline of "Maid in Manhattan" is hopelessly predictable, great chemistry between Lopez and Fiennes makes the movie charming nonetheless. With a politician at the center of the proceedings, the film also tries to interject some social commentary into the plot, which is mostly effective despite being a bit preachy.
Stretching his acting range, Fiennes (who embodied evil in "Schindler's List" and seethed with intensity in "Red Dragon") is most impressive as the senatorial candidate, as he wields an incredible amount of charisma. There's no doubt his presence alone elevated the performance of Lopez, who turns in a surprisingly solid performance.
Nearly stealing the show, however, is Tyler Posey, who turns in an ingenious performance as Marisa's 10-year-old son. And his performance requires far more than just playing a cute kids making wisecracks. Instead, he's a sensitive, articulate political aficionado who's central to bringing Marisa and Christopher together.
Also strong are Stanley Tucci as Christopher's high-strung political adviser, Bob Hoskins as veteran hotel butler and Natasha Richardson as a flaky socialite who unknowingly opened the door to Marisa's new world.
DVD Features: Features are surprisingly scant on the disc, with only widescreen and closed-caption options available as the main bonus features. (Columbia-TriStar Home Entertainment)
Recently Released
'Brown Sugar' (PG-13) The romantic comedy genre gets a hip-hop spin with "Brown Sugar," a movie like, Jennifer Lopez's "Maid in Manhattan" that doesn't necessarily set the movie world on its ear, but scores points with memorable performances. "Chicago" emcee Taye Diggs stars as Dre, a hip-hop record executive who's lifelong friendship with magazine editor Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) becomes complicated when they fall for one another.
Life would be grand for the pair, if it weren't for the fact that Dre's engaged and Sidney is dating a basketball player. Once again, like "Maid in Manhattan," "Brown Sugar" suffers from an all-too-familiar narrative, but refreshing comic moments, a wonderful pairing of Diggs and Lathan, and the fresh setting of the hip-hop world helps the film rise above the average pack of romantic comedies. Diggs' "Chicago" co-star Queen Latifah co-stars.
DVD Features: Audio commentary by director Rick Famuyiwa and film editor Dirk Westervelt, deleted scenes with optional commentary and music videos. (Fox Home Entertainment)
TV On DVD
'Futurama' Season One (NR) Sure, Matt Groening's "Futurama" isn't quite the phenomenon as his "Simpsons" are, but it certainly has built a loyal audience -- which merits the release of the first season of the show on a three-disc DVD set.
The series follows the exploits of Phillip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West), a wayward 25-year-old pizza guy who wakes up in the future after 1,000 years in the deep freeze. There's he's joined by Captain Turanga Leela (Katey Segal) one-eyed female alien and Bender (John DiMaggio), a booze-swilling robot, as he goes to work for a futuristic delivery service.
Disc features include audio commentary by writer Groening, executive producer David X. Cohen, co-director and supervising director Rich Moore, co-director and supervising director Gregg Vanzo, and DiMaggio; scripts and storyboards for "Space Pilot 3000"; deleted scenes from "Episode 2: The Series Has Landed," "I, Roommate," and "Love's Labours Lost in Space." (Fox Home Entertainment)
Lopez stars as Marisa Ventura, a single mom struggling to make ends meet as she works as a chambermaid at one of Manhattan's most posh hotels. Her luck changes, though, when New York Senate candidate Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) mistakes her to be a high society socialite after she tries on a hotel guest's posh clothes. A friendship ensues, but when couple falls in love, Marisa must face the fact that once she reveals the truth, their cultural differences and economic status may very well tear them apart.
While the also-ran storyline of "Maid in Manhattan" is hopelessly predictable, great chemistry between Lopez and Fiennes makes the movie charming nonetheless. With a politician at the center of the proceedings, the film also tries to interject some social commentary into the plot, which is mostly effective despite being a bit preachy.
Stretching his acting range, Fiennes (who embodied evil in "Schindler's List" and seethed with intensity in "Red Dragon") is most impressive as the senatorial candidate, as he wields an incredible amount of charisma. There's no doubt his presence alone elevated the performance of Lopez, who turns in a surprisingly solid performance.
Nearly stealing the show, however, is Tyler Posey, who turns in an ingenious performance as Marisa's 10-year-old son. And his performance requires far more than just playing a cute kids making wisecracks. Instead, he's a sensitive, articulate political aficionado who's central to bringing Marisa and Christopher together.
Also strong are Stanley Tucci as Christopher's high-strung political adviser, Bob Hoskins as veteran hotel butler and Natasha Richardson as a flaky socialite who unknowingly opened the door to Marisa's new world.
DVD Features: Features are surprisingly scant on the disc, with only widescreen and closed-caption options available as the main bonus features. (Columbia-TriStar Home Entertainment)
Recently Released
'Brown Sugar' (PG-13) The romantic comedy genre gets a hip-hop spin with "Brown Sugar," a movie like, Jennifer Lopez's "Maid in Manhattan" that doesn't necessarily set the movie world on its ear, but scores points with memorable performances. "Chicago" emcee Taye Diggs stars as Dre, a hip-hop record executive who's lifelong friendship with magazine editor Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) becomes complicated when they fall for one another.
Life would be grand for the pair, if it weren't for the fact that Dre's engaged and Sidney is dating a basketball player. Once again, like "Maid in Manhattan," "Brown Sugar" suffers from an all-too-familiar narrative, but refreshing comic moments, a wonderful pairing of Diggs and Lathan, and the fresh setting of the hip-hop world helps the film rise above the average pack of romantic comedies. Diggs' "Chicago" co-star Queen Latifah co-stars.
DVD Features: Audio commentary by director Rick Famuyiwa and film editor Dirk Westervelt, deleted scenes with optional commentary and music videos. (Fox Home Entertainment)
TV On DVD
'Futurama' Season One (NR) Sure, Matt Groening's "Futurama" isn't quite the phenomenon as his "Simpsons" are, but it certainly has built a loyal audience -- which merits the release of the first season of the show on a three-disc DVD set.
The series follows the exploits of Phillip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West), a wayward 25-year-old pizza guy who wakes up in the future after 1,000 years in the deep freeze. There's he's joined by Captain Turanga Leela (Katey Segal) one-eyed female alien and Bender (John DiMaggio), a booze-swilling robot, as he goes to work for a futuristic delivery service.
Disc features include audio commentary by writer Groening, executive producer David X. Cohen, co-director and supervising director Rich Moore, co-director and supervising director Gregg Vanzo, and DiMaggio; scripts and storyboards for "Space Pilot 3000"; deleted scenes from "Episode 2: The Series Has Landed," "I, Roommate," and "Love's Labours Lost in Space." (Fox Home Entertainment)Copyright 2003 by Lifewhile.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
