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Nanny McPhee
R1 - America - Universal Pictures Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Tom Williams (21st June 2006). |
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The Film
 Nanny McPhee may not be an earth-shaking cinematic event, but it does perhaps act as proof that film makers are finally beginning to understand what Pixar have known for some time: a children’s movie need not be mindless fluff. It may well be Emma Thompson‘s influence on the film, not only starring in the titular role but also writing the screenplay, based on the Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand, but for whatever reason, Nanny McPhee is an excellent children’s film. It follows the story of the Brown household, its seven unruly children and their lonely widower father. Cedric Brown, played by Colin Firth, lost his wife after the birth of his youngest child, Aggie, and consequently faces losing the allowance his awful benefactor, Great Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) bestows upon him. The allowance is the only thing keeping the family afloat, as Cedric’s job as a mortician does not provide adequately for his family- and Adelaide will only continue it if Cedric remarries, so there is an appropriate female role model for the children. The pain of losing his wife and the pressure of finding a new one within a strict time limit has made Cedric distant from his children, who pride themselves on destroying the wills of their nannies. Led by eldest child Simon (Thomas Sangster), who feels more sharply than his siblings the pain of their father’s withdrawal, the children behave so atrociously it can scarcely be believed- but all this changes when Nanny McPhee, a government-issued nanny arrives on their doorstep, warts and all. For one of the attempted shocks of the movie is Nanny McPhee’s appearance- which is to say, she’s hideous. With warts, a mono-brow, and a bulbous nose, Thompson is totally disguised, and totally in control. Within moments of her mysterious arrival on the Brown’s doorstep, she makes it clear who has the power- which resides in her gnarled, magical cane. Soon the children find that they are unable to stop doing the naughty things they start and that their fake illnesses become real- and as they learn the five lessons Nanny McPhee says she will teach them, they learn a lot more besides. The comparison to Mary Poppins (1964) is inevitable- and even referenced on the DVD cover- but the two exist side by side. The major difference is the broad nature of Nanny McPhee, which not only extends the relationship between children and guardian by making both groups almost totally unlikeable at first but also by extending the scope of the story of supporting cast. The family unit- and what it means to be a family- is the focus of this film. By and large, it is successfully pulled off. Thompson and Firth walk naturally through their roles, presumably finding the characters no challenge at all. The children are moderately successful, but unfortunately do reveal the limitations of adapting print media into film. While some attempt is given to creating interesting personalities for the children, they not only end up being stereotypical (the clever inventor, the hungry one) but also glossed over- a child’s dominant trait paid lip service before the plot rolls on. That said, it does at least give the feeling that attention has been paid to giving the children motivations and roles that make sense, and to making them individuals rather than a group of seven. Understandably, the character of Simon Brown, eldest child and ringleader, is the most fleshed out, and his rage at his father, his fear that the stories they all read will come true and they’ll be left behind, his driving motivation to act out are all understandable and well acted. One of the most interesting and enjoyable aspects of the story is the mystery surrounding our Nanny. Though she says she is from the government, this is clearly not so- unless magical canes are handed out more commonly than is advertised. Her slow transformation in the course of the film as children and adults learn their lessons from bizarrely odd and misshaped into - well, into Emma Thompson, a not unattractive lady, is similarly never explained. Is it in fact transformation or merely perception? Where does Nanny McPhee go? Does she have children of her own? Did she ever? We never know- and it’s barely referred to at all. Nanny McPhee has a heart, and that’s not something you can often expect to come in a film that is genuinely entertaining and has a message and is well acted and keeps you engaged. It’s certainly worth children watching, especially if they have a nearby adult to explain some of the lessons of the film. You could do an awful lot worse than this film, even if its simplistic nature and small shortcomings prevent it from being a total classic: Nanny McPhee has a harder edge and slightly darker tone- perhaps hallmarks of more recent children’s films- neatly counteract the inevitable happy ending and especially saccharine final scene.
Video
Presented in the film’s original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1, this anamorphic transfer is generally quite good, although a little on the soft side. Colors are rendered quite well as are skin tones, blacks are deep and bold, shadow detail is consistent. Nothing really stands out negatively aside from the overall softness and suits the film quite well.
Audio
Three audio tracks are included in English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. I chose to view this film with its English soundtrack for the purposes of this review. As expected this is a fine example of an effective sound mix, the dialogue is clear and distortion free, the music is vibrant and envelopes you into the film quote easily, surround effects aren’t as broad as I’d have like, although the magical elements in the film make good use of the surround speakers. Optional subtitles are also included in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Audio commentaries are always welcome additions to a film, and Nanny McPhee has two. The first with actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson talking about her role as actress and, more interestingly, writer along with producer Lindsay Doran. Thompson consistently engages us, and has many interesting things to say about the creation of the film. Her input on this commentary confirms that her input is part of what made the film work- Thompson is an intelligent and hard working filmmaker. The second audio commentary features director Kirk Jones and the child actors, Eliza Bennett, Jennifer Rae Daykin, Raphael Coleman, Sam Honywood and Holly Gibbs - most of whom make you wish for a commentary with Jones alone, or even Jones and Thompson together. While the children don’t annoy too much- they are actually fairly entertaining- it’s just not as interesting as what Jones has to say. The DVD’s featurettes are by and large elements unlikely to be re-watched. They’re not bad, but there’s little in there that might inspire a second pass. The featurette Casting the Children which runs for 11 minutes 40 seconds, is moderately interesting, especially the footage from the actual casting sessions. It also includes fairly standard interviews, but it’s nice to see some of the children being fairly articulate. The next featurette, Village Life runs for 3 minutes 52 seconds and is a very brief look at the design process for the house and village, which honestly could probably have been considerably extended. While not devastatingly interesting, design and art direction on films like this are usually very involved processes, and the effort that went in to the film could easily have been more celebrated. Nanny McPhee Makeover is the featurette on the creation of the prosthetic elements of Nanny McPhee’s character and runs for 5 minutes 39 seconds. This clip has several interviews with Thompson and her costume and make up designers on the evolving appearance of the nanny, and the detailed log of the changes made and when they should occur. The most interesting featurette is How Nanny McPhee Came To Be, which runs for 7 minutes 42 seconds and not only features information on original author Christianna Brand but also details the adaptation of three books into one movie, and the changes made as a consequence. The remaining features on the disc are the ever-present gag reel which runs for 2 minutes 46 seconds and is standard fare, and a series of deleted scenesis also included that come with an introduction from the director which explains their cut from the final film. Most of the scenes are pretty ordinary stuff: - Alternate Opening (Nannies of the World) which runs for 2 minutes 39 seconds, this is a historical look at troublesome kids over time and also includes a brief background on the Brown family. - Jowls and Wheen Walk at Night runs for 1 minute 40 seconds, Mr Wheen (Derek Jacobi) tells Mr. Jowls (Patrick Barlow) about his idea of trying scare Mr. Brown by hiding in the cupboard instead of the coffins, therefore he wouldn’t be expecting it. - Mr. Brown and Evangeline runs for 1 minute 46 seconds, Mr. Brown and Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) share a moment as she’s off to post a letter. - Mr. Sapless and the Pink Chair runs for 1 minute 3 seconds, Mr. Sapless admires the pink chair as Mr. Brown collects things from the house to sell. - Jowls and Wheen Surprise Mr. Brown runs for 2 minutes 23 seconds, Jowls and Wheen present Mr. Brown with a letter from Mrs. Elton who expresses her embarrassment. - The Tea Party runs for 2 minutes 7 seconds, this scene is redone in the style of a 1920s silent film and is very enjoyable. - Nanny in Disguise runs for 1 minute 17 seconds, in it Colin Firth secretly dresses up as the nanny to surprise everyone. These deleted scenes can be viewed individually or with the option of a Play All function. Rounding out the extras are some start-up trailers which can be skipped by pressing the Menu button on your remote: - Over the Hedge which runs for 2 minutes 7 seconds. - Curious George which runs for 33 seconds. - Polly Pocket in Pollyworld which runs for 47 seconds. - Leave it to Beaver The First and Second Seasons on DVD which runs for 49 seconds.
Packaging
It is packaged in a cardboard sleeve, although it is unlikely that an attractive sleeve with holographic printing on it will wow anybody - ever.
Overall
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