Penelope

Product Details

Format : NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0774212000096
Product Group : DVD
Release Date : 2008-07-15
Studio : Paradox
UPC : 774212000096

ASIN : B0018RCN72

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Taking cues from Beauty and the Beast and Cyrano de Bergerac, director Mark Palanksy debuts with a slight, if fanciful confection. Produced by Reese Witherspoon and written by Leslie Caveny, Penelope begins with the phrase, "Once upon a time...," making it clear the proceedings owe more to fantasy than reality. Due to a family curse, Ricci's sweet-natured heiress sports a pig snout instead of a normal nose. Since surgery isn't an option--it would sever her carotid artery--her parents (Christopher Guest favorite Catherine O'Hara and an underused Richard E. Grant) hide her from the world for 25 years. Penelope can only break the spell through "one who will love her faithfully," but none of the local bluebloods will have her. One fateful day, while her face is hidden, she meets musician-turned-gambler Max (Atonement's James McAvoy in a winning performance). Sparks fly, until she finds he's only cozying up to her on orders from tabloid reporter Lemon (The Station Agent's Peter Dinklage), so Penelope runs away from home. The city she enters looks much like modern-day London--Amélie's Michel Amathieu served as cinematographer--except most everyone speaks with an American accent (then again, the film is a fable). The aspiring horticulturist befriends spunky courier Annie (Witherspoon) and reconnects with Max, who harbors secrets of his own. Once people become accustomed to her unconventional looks, Penelope's future starts to brighten. Like Enchanted, Palanksy's first feature gives the romantic comedy a refreshing--and empowering--fairytale twist. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

A very sweet and enjoyable movie. (2008-09-25)

I really enjoyed this film and I think it is something people of all ages can enjoy. It has a really positive message and during the interviews they mentioned that the motivation behind the film was to create a movie for girls where they can not only see a woman excepting herself just as she but to have a man accept and love her too because there are many movies like that for guys (Beauty and the Beast, Hitch)but not so much for the girls. The story is about a 25 year old girl who was born with a pig face thanks to a family curse. She spent all her life sheltered by her parents, especially her mom, because they could not bear to have her face the cruel world. They had been trying to get men from families of old money to marry her ever since she was 18 years old because it is believed the only way the curse can be broken is if one of their own can love her as she is (they're old money too). The story pretty much sets off from there but I don't want to give too much away!There was clearly a lot of effort placed into creating Penelope's unique style and you can see it all in her room and her outfits. It's very pleasing to watch (as you can already tell from the colourful and creative cover). What I also loved was how they brought magic and reality together so while the story had a fairy tale like feel, it didn't feel too out there to be impossible.This movie has a great message and is sweet,entertaining, and appropriate for kids of all ages.

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