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Maid in Manhattan | Year: 2002 Classification: Comedy Directed: - Wayne Wang Actors/Actresses: - Jennifer Lopez - Ralph Fiennes - Natasha Richardson I LIKED IT I have to disagree with the reviews I have been reading here. I liked this movie, I thought it was adorable. What woman who is struggling and trying to raise a child, has not had a dream that her Knight in Shinning Armor will come along and change her life. Of course they have!<BR> I also felt it showed the emotional struggle that both of them went through before they gave in to their love.<BR>I enjoyed it and think many others will as well! Pretty Woman Wannabe Where Julia Roberts has great success in her box office Cinderella story, 'Pretty Woman', Jennifer Lopez is less than successful. I'm not saying that this is a bad movie---its cute, but its similarity to 'Pretty Woman' is almost text book and too convenient.<BR> J-lo is Marisa, a maid in a distinguished Manhattan hotel---she aspires to a management position and is motivated by her colleagues, and her son, Ty a young boy with a penchant for politics. She's got two thorns in her side: a mother who thinks management dreams are a waste of time and an ex-husband (who we don't see) who constantly disappoints Ty with his lack of involvement. Enter Chris, young Anglo assemblyman played wonderfully and optimistically by Ralph Fiennes who when seeing Marisa dressed in a socialite's $5000 outfit assumes she is a guest at the hotel and becomes immediately interested. J-lo keeps the facade going with some disastrous results and some funny moments with Natashia Richardson, as an over eager society woman, Bob Hoskins as the hotel's butler, and Stanely Tucci as Chris' PR man. <BR><BR>What's really wrong the movie is that unlike Gere and Robert's unmistakable likeability and chemistry, Lopez and Fiennes do not seem to match. Fiennes is charming; he plays his part with the same boyish charisma seen in 'Quiz Show'--the audience cannot help but respond. Lopez, on the other hand, is too harried, Fiennes good looks and pleasant mannerisms simply do not seem to effect her---why I can't imagine---perhaps she was too intent on playing Marisa as too burdened by her life as a single mother to actually enjoy the intentions of a fabulously good looking man. Her actions don't match the lack of emotions she fails to convey. She comes across as flat (except for the obvious), Chris's dog has more soul peeking through out of its brown eyes than she does. The young actor who plays Ty is far more engaging but his attachment to Chris seems stretched as does Tucci's desire to utterly control Chris's personal life---in these two cases, the fault lies with the script and not the actors. Sadly, Fiennes is wasted in this film, but kudos to him on a perfect performance with little or no help from the script or his leading lady.<BR><BR>Recommended to those who simply love J-lo (?) AND to all women who love Ralph Fiennes. Great Movie I disagree with the bad reviews that this movie has gotten. Although this is a predictable "Cinderella" story, it's still a really good movie. I really enjoyed it. Tyler Garcia Posey was one of my favorites as Marisa's son Ty. He was so cute and funny. Jennifer Lopez as Marisa was very believable because the two of them are so much alike. I would recommend seeing this movie. It's not very deep, but it's still a great movie to watch. It's very sweet. Leads outshine re-tread script This was an enjoyable but forgettable movie that has few surprises but leaves you feeling sort of warm when it's finished. If you've seen the trailer, there's probably nothing about this movie that can surprise you. Jennifer Lopez is Marisa (not Maria!) Ventura, a single mom of a precocious but gifted bot named Ty. She works hard as a maid at the Beresford Hotel, the sort of ultra-ritzy hotel that only exists in movies (and can only exist as composite of several hotels and Hollywood soundstages.) Knowing that she hasn't the advantages, Marisa is ambitious and determined to suceed. With the urging of one her friends and a sage butler played by Bob Hoskins (in a quiet yet dignified beefy voice similar to the one Ian Mckellen used in "Lord of the Rings") Marisa takes a shot at hotel management. The lure of luxury enjoyed by her guests becomes too strong, and when she "borrows" a Dolce afternoon suit belonging to a Sotheby's exec staying at the hotel (Natasha Richardson), Marisa catches the eye of a sweet but ambitious senatorial hopeful, Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) who thinks her a part of the uppercrust society. Drawn to her, he pursues her, learning slowly that there's either more or less to her than meets the eye (depending I guess on how openly snobbish you are). Will true love (emphasis on the true) conquer class boundaries? Okay, let's face it, this is Hollywood. "Maid" is a pretty thin film, though that's considering how many other "Cinderella" flicks it riffs on - like "Ever After" (a non-fairytale version of Cinderella) or "Pretty Woman". The problem? Though it sounds unlikely, Fiennes and Lopez actually have some chemistry, but there's barely enough of them together. Instead, the flick has Lopez ducking Richardson and keeping out of Fiennes's eye while she's on duty. Then there's the hidden society of worker's that keeps the Beresford relentlessly luxurious - when J-Lo needs to be improbably dolled up for "The Big Night", they come together and pull off a miracle, but where were they for the rest of the movie? Instead, we get Richardson and her snotty friend (in "Maid", the guests are essentially white, rich and never work). If "Maid" works, it's because the stars manage to shine better than the re-tread script - Fiennes and Lopez, but also Tyler Posey as Marisa's son who gets the best line of the movie - "Mom, I don't think he's after you for your money". Buy Maid In Manhattan at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Maid In Manhattan Search with the Priority Search Engine on Maid In Manhattan This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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