Review of Nanny McPhee (2005) by Filipeneto — 14 Jan 2020

A great movie for the whole family.

In this fantasy movie we find a widower on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Lonely since his wife's death, he has to divide his time between running his funeral home and raising his many children. To make matters worse, the kids are real brats who scare away all the mistresses their father arranges to look after them. But everything changes when a special nurse comes to that house.

It is a film clearly aimed at young audiences, but it will certainly be well tolerated by adults. Colorful, cheerful and very fun, has a good story where it conveys good educational values such as respect, friendship, family value. Of course everything is a bit predictable, but even so the movie proves to be catchy. Despite the strength of the kids, who are reserved for the hilarious moments of the movie, the movie is expertly directed by two or three very experienced adult actors who quietly steer it all: I'm talking, of course, about Colin Firth and Emma Thompson, but especially this actress who, in addition to giving life to the lead role, also ensures the writing of the script. She, better than anyone, understood well what the film needed and knew to be up to it. In addition, the film also features the brilliant participation of veteran Angela Lansbury and the sweetness of Kelly Macdonald.

Technically, the film bets heavily on CGI and quality visual and sound effects. A bet that surprises us nothing but does not detract from the final product. Good costumes and scenery help, although I had trouble digesting such an overt abuse of the almost ubiquitous green, yellow, and pink colors. This made the movie visually tiring. Patrick Doyle has signed the soundtrack, which looks beautiful in the film, though not exactly in the ear.