I have never really been a fan of action/detective/spy movies but I have heard so many gushes about this film that I just had to give it a try. Of course, I was extremely far from being disappointed. I love just about everything about Miss Congeniality! From Sandra Bullock’s pig-like snort to her awkwardness as she tried to become more feminine, to the pure chaos of the pageant, everything just appealed to me in the film. I have to say that despite the occasional burst of action scenes, Miss Congeniality remained light and preppy with an air of mystery. It was rather like reading an extremely fun Nancy Drew novel. Sandra Bullock was really at ease with the dualistic aspect of her role, and she very largely contributed towards the refreshing aspect of the movie as a whole.
The plot is about Gracie Hart, a tough, somewhat masculine unrefined FBI agent who feels a lot more at ease with her male friends than with a circle of girls. However, the tables turn on her, though, when she has to go undercover as a beauty queen in order to uncover a dangerous conspiracy. The slight hitch, though, is that Gracie is everything but a beauty queen. Will she be able to let go of her unrefined habits long enough to transform into a clichéd Miss United States contestant?
Like I mentioned above, I was simply in awe in front of Sandra Bullock’s dualistic role. She had to play both the tough FBI agent and a Miss United States contestant and she rose to both parts perfectly. I just loved the way that she managed to make herself as masculine as possible; especially when you consider the fact that Sandra is a female movie star who is used to being pampered and graceful. She mastered the facial expressions and the little details that turned her into Gracie Hart perfectly. I was in hysterical laughter every time that Sandra did her pig snort when she laughed- it was so fitting to the role that she was playing!
She was also very much at ease into playing the part of the beauty queen contestant. I have to say that I liked the fact that she managed to show the audience that she was trying to be a beauty queen- most movies would have shown a radical transformation in her character and miraculously, Gracie would have become the perfect runner up for Miss United States. However, I think that the way that they showed how Gracie was subtly being transformed into a contestant really added a special touch to the film as a whole. There was no perfection to Sandra as a contestant; she was instead just someone very much ill at ease in being a pageant contestant, and yet determined to rise up to the role, That is why I was really impressed by the way that Bullock handled both roles, and that’s not to mention her flawless line deliveries and facial expressions.
There is practically no romance in the film as a whole; I would rather say that this is a comedy instead of a romantic movie. I will not even go to the extent of calling it an action movie because the fantastic comical scenes and great humoristic lines take the audiences’ mind off the slight action in the film. The comedy was really genuine and fresh, though and it was only enhanced by some incredibly well-placed lines and Sandra Bullock’s flawless acting.
The main cast includes: • Sandra Bullock • Michael Caine • Benjamin Bratt • Candice Bergen • William Shatner • Ernie Hudson
DVD Bonus features: • Commentary with Sandra Bullock and Screenwriter Marc Lawrence • Commentary with Director Donald Petrie • Documentary- Preparing for the Pageant • Documentary - the Pageant • Trailer
I really loved the two documentaries. I think that they remained true to the spirit of the film by keeping a light and humoristic tone all throughout!
Overall, this is a highly recommended movie for anyone. You won’t get to witness such marvellous pig snorts in other action movies!
Thanks for reading!
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How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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I've never seen this film all the way through, but it came out when I was working at a cinema and I saw bits of it in screen checks. It looked a lot better than I expected, plus William Shatner is always worth watching.
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It's a good thing Sandra Bullock knows her strengths and weaknesses, because without ... more
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![Miss Congeniality [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78238371.jpg "Miss Congeniality [DVD] [2001]")
Sep 11th, 2009
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