PenelopeMark Palansky, 2006 I believe in the premise, and the adorableness and wonderfulness of Cristina Ricci with a pig's nose and James McAvoy, enough not to mind some of the rootlessness of this film. It lays it on a little thick in the end, but Penelope is one I'd probably rewatch in a rough patch. It could be one of my favorite movies heavily featuring rich people, too, as the wealthy usually repulse me.
It's not complicated, the Ricci character Penelope was born with a curse and has a pig's nose. Her family tries to marry her off to a rich man, under the assumption that a blue blood will break the curse. McAvoy's Johnny Martin tries to take advantage of the situation to earn him some more money to feed his gambling addiction, so he plays it off as if he's a man named Max Campion, who comes from wealth. What happens next, I'm sure you can guess, but I enjoyed how it unfolded.
For instance, there is a sequence where Penelope tries to figure out Johnny/Max's instrument, and the ensuing try-out is quite amusing. Their game of chess, though played through a one-way window, is oddly intimate. Then, Penelope's own search for self-discovery, and eventual self-acceptance, has its own set of cute and fun moments in a city and world that is rife with character and a life of its own, truly fairy tale stuff. She goes from grotesque monster to curiosity continuously trailed by the paparazzi. It's bizarre, but there are many heartening and sweet moments that make it work. The rather surprising entrance of Reese Witherspoon as a bit of an outsider and wing woman is a bit distracting, but this film was crying out for a good female friend for Penelope, a strong feminine bond. This makes the film work for me as much as anything else.
Granted, for some, it will be far too sentimental. Syrupy. Saccharine. The last three days I've seen Instant Family, 2 or 3 Things I Know About her, and Penelope. All over the place. I prefer film as art over just entertainment, and I actually think the stabs at pure escapism fall short of what can be done in books and comics. Some films, though, just seem like acts of love, meant to warm the heart. Most of those, I cannot stand, which is why I started this marathon, to find the ones that can ride the line and manage to be good films that also warm your heart. Penelope may not even do it. But this was just great utilization of the entity that is Cristina Ricci, in all her odd sweetness, it worked for me. A part of me is skeptical. The rest felt rather warmed.
A Happy Cat - Feel-good for sure
Bucket, Filled - This just brought me up a notch
Warm Blanket Movie - Just kick back, relax, watch, ahh