Charlie Cantilini is a flighty hard working girl who has strong morals and is extraordinarily well liked in her community, she works as a dog walker, a doctors receptionist and a fashion designer (and miraculously is amazing at all of them) finally she has acquired a nice apartment and two ... Read review
Comedy - Director: Tony Dow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: John Challis, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tessa Peake-Jones, Gwyneth Strong
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Advantages: The Two Leading Ladies Are Good, Some Funny Parts Disadvantages: Deeply Disspiriting and Profoundly Dumb.
Charlie Cantilini is a flighty hard working girl who has strong morals and is extraordinarily well liked in her community, she works as a dog walker, a doctors receptionist and a fashion designer (and miraculously is amazing at all of them) finally she has acquired a nice apartment and two close friends but there is one thing missing in her life: A Man. Kevin is the perfect catch, he is sweet, handsome, interesting and a respected doctor, after a ... ...proposes, true love has conquered all, or has it?
Viola is one of the most successful journalists of her time rising up from a weather girl to a ground breaking interviewee she has gained respect from all corners of the media world and her hit day time show has just celebrated its tenth year on air, life couldn't get better, but when she is called into her boss's office and told that they want to swap her for a new younger presenter ... more
Charlie Cantilini is a flighty hard working girl who has strong morals and is extraordinarily well liked in her community, she works as a dog walker, a doctors receptionist and a fashion designer (and miraculously is amazing at all of them) finally she has acquired a nice apartment and two close friends but there is one thing missing in her life: A Man. Kevin is the perfect catch, he is sweet, handsome, interesting and a respected doctor, after a few mishaps they finally fall in love and he eventually proposes, true love has conquered all, or has it?
Viola is one of the most successful journalists of her time rising up from a weather girl to a ground breaking interviewee she has gained respect from all corners of the media world and her hit day time show has just celebrated its tenth year on air, life couldn't get better, but when she is called into her boss's office and told that they want to swap her for a new younger presenter she spirals head first into a mental breakdown and has to spend the next few months in therapy getting over her ordeal. When Viola discovers her sons proposal to Charlie she goes mad and a battle of wits ensues with outrageous consequences.
Monster In Law is a very odd film, it never really knows what it wants to be, which makes the audience confused and at times slightly uncomfortable as you never really know what emotions you should be feeling. The pacing is fairly horrendous which is the main contributor to the film not being an overly successful one, the big comedy pieces go over too fast and don't really make an impression on the audience and the slushy overly melodramatic finale doesn't sum the film up very well and instantly loses any sparkle that the flick gathers.
Jennifer Lopez actually hold her own in Monster In Law even though her character is flat and one big cliché. Charlie's transformation from sweet natured California girl to raving loony out for revenge is wholly unconvincing and deeply dispiriting making the movie lose focus as there isn't one clear good guy. Never the less though Lopez does look stunning in the film and she is charming making her portrayal fairly believable, sadly she never really gains any chemistry with Michael Vartan or Jane Fonda but at least she holds her own.
Jane Fonda puts in one of the most energetic, fun, outrageous and over the top performances of the last decade, which makes Monster In Law a better film than it has any right to be, she gets the constant hysteria just right and always keeps the sparkle of evil into her performance never losing track of what her characters aim in the film is. From the very beginning she is the one who lights up the screen with her mad cap antics and good comic timing. Sadly her character isn't allowed to be as deliciously evil all the way through the film, but for the most part it is an excellent performance.
Michael Vartan is an actor I have been watching for quite a bit, Alias is without doubt (in my mind) the best television show running on television at the moment and he has handled the twists and turns (especially at the end of the third season) with utmost professionalism and a breezy confidence, in the show he always strikes an emotional chored with the viewers and bounces off Jennifer Garner well. Sadly he isn't really given much to do in monster In Law other than pout a bit. It is annoying as he is obviously capable of much more, but he doesn't seem to be able to make the central relationship work as he has little chemistry with Lopez and doesn't seem all that committed to his role.
The best character is without doubt Ruby Viola's loyal but spunky assistant and she is played beautifully by the amazing Wanda Sykes who shows off some amazing comic ability in this little flick. She has chemistry with all of the cast and makes the audience believe in her tight relationship with the loud Viola. Having the best lines in the film she never fails to make the audience laugh with her confident style of comedy. In stark contrast Adam Scott is saddled with the worst character ever invented in movie history Remy Charlie's best friend is an overdone cliché who never has anything funny to say.
Another massive problem with Monster In Law is that it isn't actually very funny, I found myself laughing for the sake of it. The not very well structured slapstick scenes are more annoying than funny as they are just so obvious and most of the chuckle worthy sequences have already been used in the trailers leaving not that much left for the movie to keep going. You will get a few chuckles but you will not be all that amused either.
I found the script by Anya Kochoff more upsetting than funny and deeply confused floundering without a real plot to latch onto. Nearly all the characters are underdeveloped in turn making them not all that likeable and not that interesting and the end is just unforgivable because of its unoriginality, over the top sentimentality and ridiculous moral message. The whole film just raps up too neatly and the streak of vicious comedy (the screenplays one saving grace) eventually peters out into saccharine sweetness.
If there is one person who can make a fun comedy it is Robert Luketic who held together the surprisingly good Legally Blonde and to be fair he does give the film a little bit more focus than the script first allows. By transporting most of the film into California he adds a more fun and fresh aspect to the whole film, but in the end he never really lifts the film any higher than is expected and doesn't make any attempts at originality.
The production values of monster In Law are very glossy which makes the movie very slick and fairly fun to watch, but I wouldn't of said the costumes were really astounding or the sets were particularly lush. The running soundtrack is filled with jingly pop pieces designed to raise the mood of this dispiriting film but in the end it really doesn't work.
Overall I didn't think that Monster In Law was all that impressive, not that I was expecting much. The middle of the film is defiantly better than the weak beginning and stupid finale as the script gets tighter and the performance good, but the mean streak disappears revealing a predictable message of 'everyone is good and there is no evil in the world' Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez play off each other nicely, but that is undermined by a deeply confused script and sadly the physical comedy isn't all that funny. A more structured relationship between Charlie and Kevin would have been nice making the film more stable and giving the two women more reasons to fight for Kevin's affections. It isn't a good movie, but its not awful, just profoundly dumb.
Monster In Law should be still showing at some cinemas nationwide.
[Viola has a hissy fit] Ruby: [departing with the champagne] Gonna need something stronger than this.
Ruby: [fighting Viola for the nut-tainted gravy] I think you dislocated my vagina.
Ruby: Fix your hair. You look like a damn cockatoo.
Dr. Kevin Fields: What are you doing the rest of your life?
Thankyou All for Reading it truly is appreciated! Jay : )
Advantages: Surprisingly better than I expected. Disadvantages: Sickeningly over-romantic at times
...in recent years. In comparison, Monster-in-law doesn't have the same biting irony that I loved so much in Legally Blonde, but for its genre, I still think he did pretty well.
Technical bits
Classification: 12
Running time: 101 minutes
Conclusion
I have been quite critical of the actor's roles in this film, yet I still really liked the film as a whole. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than a fluffy, feelgood film, but once this has been ... ...the bad portrayal of mental health problems was funny, although as mentioned above, I did resent it a little - many people are already ignorant about the harm that mental illness can do and this film did not help to allay this in any way. There were some moments of good acting, mainly on the part of Jane Fonda, but also from Jennifer Lopez and Wanda Sykes. As I hadn't really been expecting good performances, this was a nice surprise. The plot develops ...
sunmeilan 25.07.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Monster-in-Law
Advantages: A spiky turn from Fonda Disadvantages: Confused scripting, awful costumes, uneven comedy and poor pacing
After years of dating unsuitable men, Charlie Cantilini finally thinks she's found Mr Right. Kevin seems perfect; he's handsome, thoughtful and a doctor to boot and after a whirlwind romance, he proposes. There's only one problem; his over-protective mother Viola who's convinced Charlie is a gold-digger and will go to any lengths to get rid of her. As the wedding grows nearer, relations between the two women deteriorate into a vicious war of one-upmanship ... ...dearest win the day or will true love triumph?
Director Robert Luketic previously had a hit with the Reese Witherspoon vehicle "Legally Blonde". In "Monster-in-Law" you can tell he's trying to up the ante by using big name stars and adding a vicious streak to the comedy aspect of this rom-com. But the shifts between romance and comedy are abrupt and seemingly random and it feels like Luketic can't decide if this is a romantic comedy or a comic romance. ...
afy9mab 26.06.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Monster-in-Law
Advantages: Funny, silly, good actors Disadvantages: Weak ending
It's all about a girl called Charlie Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) who's unlucky in love until she meets Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan), a handsome doctor. She can't believe her luck. He's handsome, nice, and funny and he loves her. But trouble is on its way in the form of Kevin's mother, Viola (Jane Fonda). Viola was famous news anchorwoman, chatshow host etc until she was fired and replaced by a young version of her. She loses the plot completely live ... ...guests to death.
When she comes out of rehab, Ruby (Wanda Sykes), her personal assistant comes to pick her up and takes her home. Viola is so excited that her Kevin is coming to see her but what she doesn't know is that the love of his life, Charlie, is coming with him to meet her. Charlie and Viola meet and they seem to get on like a house on fire but then Kevin proposes to Charlie and even though Viola pretends she's happy for them, she's not ...
galaxynicole 07.09.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Monster-in-Law
Advantages: some scenes really made me laugh Disadvantages: some were predictable.
...quite serious films....so i guess Monster-In-Law being a comedy was quite a change for her. Viola is a well known TV personality with friends in high places who finds herself getting the sack from her job because they want someone young....she has a Phycotic breakdown which was so funny to watch! 3 - Charly played by Jennifer Lopez. I absolutly love Jennifer Lopez as an actress and she was amazing in this film. She played a normal girl who had little ... ...artist and reception at the local doctors surgery. She and Kevin get engaged and she takes hell from her mother in law.
Ok now that I have introduced the characters I will try and give you a little bit about the film. As I have already said kevin and charly met move in together and go to meet kevins mother. To kevins suprise his mother and girlfriend are getting on great and just in the middle of everything he pops the question. Charly says yes ...
lorraine_lorraineuk 29.08.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Monster-in-Law
I originally went to the cinema to see the new Batman film, but being opening weekend I should have guessed that it would probably be sold out, and it was. So my friend and I opted for 'Monster-in-Law', the new romantic comedy from Legally Blonde director, Robert Luketic.
==== Cast ====
Jennifer Lopez - Charlotte 'Charlie' Cantilini Jane Fonda - Viola Fields
Michael Vartan - Dr. Kevin Fields Wanda Sykes - Ruby Adam Scott - Remy
Annie Parisse ... ...- Gertrude Will Arnett - Kitt Stephen Dunham - Dr. Chamberlain ==== The Story ====
Charlie is an artist, but to earn a living she holds down numerous temping jobs - dog walking being one of them. One day she is on the beach walking her regular dozen-or-so dogs when she locks eyes with Kevin. Several "accidental" meetings later, Charlie realises that Kevin is her dream man. The time has come to meet his mum, Viola Fields, a former news anchor. Viola ...
sar80 13.07.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Monster-in-Law
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to ...
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Monster-in-Law"
Advantages: comedy movie, good actors Disadvantages: the front cover
After seeing this movie at the cinema's, when it was released, and then seeing it a second time on DVD at the weekend, i realized it's a classic Jennifer Lopez Movie. Jennifer, who plays Charlie, is a single girl, who has different jobs, some including Dog walking and waitressing.One day Charlie meets Kevin, a doctor, and everything seems to be going fine with them, until Charlie meets his mother...
Jane Fonda plays "Monster-in-law", Viola. Viola does everything in her power to break the two up, by trying to make Charlie realize that she doesn't fit into her or her son's lifestyle. But nothing she can do or say, stops them being together, or getting married, so at the end of the movie we see a typical Jennifer Lopez ending... they get married, and everything's happily ever after.
Many have their own views on the movie, some think ...
I had wanted to see MonsterInLaw for a while and so when I saw this DVD sitting on my friend?s DVD shelf , I asked her if I could borrow it.
MonsterinLaw is an American Romantic Comedy movie released in the United Kingdom on 13th May 2005. This film was directed by Robert Luketic and stars Jennifer Lopez. Running time of this movie is one hundred and one minutes (on hour and forty one minutes). This movie is a 12A which means children under the age of twelve can watch this movie , as long as they have an adult with them.
Charlie meets a surgeon named Kevin. He is perfect in all the ways she imagined and she knows he is the one. However , what will happen when she meets his mother ? Watch MonsterInLaw to find out.
The main reason for me wanting to see this movie was because Jenifer Lopez is in it. I had already seen two ...
Advantages: Jane Fonda Disadvantages: Jennifer Lopez
I am not a big fan of Jennifer Lopez generally, especially as an actress. I have had the misfortune to sit through The Wedding Planner and I have tried to watch Maid in Manhattan, but can rarely get past the first 20 minutes. I saw the trailers for MonsterinLaw when it was first released in 2005, and thought it looked OK, but the fact Jennifer Lopez was in it, was reason enough for me not to spend any money on going to see it. However, when I noticed it was being shown on Film Four I decided to give it a chance.
~The Story~
Charlie Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) works as a temp doing several different jobs, from dog walker to caterer to receptionist. She hasn't had a relationship in a long time, but when she keeps bumping into a doctor, Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan) she thinks it must be fate. They eventually start dating ...
