Review of The Beautician and the Beast (1997) by Suzanne F — 20 Apr 2010
(from The Watermark, 02/06/97).
On TV's The Nanny, Drescher plays a vocally-grating wiseass Jewish nanny for an English producer. In Beautician, she's a vocally-grating wiseass Jewish nanny for an Eastern European dictator (the stern and sexy Dalton). Same act, different medium. Oy! She is brought to the fictitious country of Slovetzia to tutor the children of the president, on the incorrect assumption that she is a great educator. But, of course, she ends up locking horns with the big guy, and eventually falls in love with him as she helps him forge a better relationship with his kids. Dalton is believable as the harsh dictator who also has a soft side that he is afraid to show. But the weight of the film falls on Drescher, and even though she is as adorable as always, seeing her on the big screen leaves one wondering what she could accomplish if given the chance to really act in a challenging role. QUEER QUOTIENT: Drescher's shallow caricature of a persona has a great appeal to gay men, especially for her bizarre fashion choices, drag queen-inspired makeup, and towering hairdos. Broadway queens will also enjoy the blatant references to The King and I and The Sound of Music.
POST REVIEW 04/21/10: Isn't this the film that had the distinction of introducing "Talk To The Hand" into mainstream culture? Interesting that such a lackluster film could still manage to have such a cultural impact!
This review of The Beautician and the Beast (1997) was written by Suzanne F on 20 Apr 2010.
The Beautician and the Beast has generally received mixed reviews.
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