The Nanny Diaries DVD

Advantages: Enjoyable story, Scarlett Johansson
Disadvantages: Not funny, Laura Linney, Ending

The film starts with Annie (Scarlett Johansson), our main character, analysing the people of north-east section of New York as family groups in contrast with tribal groups. Sections of a museum are shown and clips of day to day life are turned into dioramas in the museum explained by Annie. The odd thing is that a intrinsic ingredient to these North-East people is that all their families have nannies. She then goes onto tell us the story that leads ...
...looking at various people in the city and analysing them as specimens in an anthropology museum she finally settles on being nothing more than a woman who feeds birds in the park (this is one of several nods to Mary Poppins in the film). However, whilst in the park she sees a boy about to be knocked down and quickly saves him. When introducing herself to the kids typical North-East district mother (Laura Linney) called Mrs. X for the purposes of ... Read review

Advantages: The end of the movie
Disadvantages: Bad storyline, old story highlights, poor delivery

...direction is clear from the offset, bad parents are shown to be good (or at least an attempt is made) by their Nanny. The final moments of painfully delivered morality make you want to throw up in the corner of your room (even knowing that you'll need to clean it up). What The Nanny Diaries really needed was something new, something out of the ordinary to pull it from the doldrums. The DVD is due for release on the 18th of February, and is feature packed with special features and interviews. But for me this was a line I opted not to pursue, having hated the film with a passion it's unlikely that the features will sway my mind. One final death nail that's rationality completely baffles me is that the movie is shown in fullscreen, rather than the standard widescreen we are all familiar with. This is something that makes little sense to me... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Laura Linney's performance
Disadvantages: Script, Scarlett Johansson

...Whilst I was on holiday in Sydney, my boyfriend and I decided one evening to go to the cinema. There wasn't a lot on that we hadn't already seen, so I chose 'The Nanny Diaries'. I had heard of the book but had never read it, and thought that as it was probably in the same vein as 'The Devil Wears Prada' it would probably suit me fine. (I neglected to tell my boyfriend that it would probably be similar to that until we were already seated - as a boy, he hates that film.) 'The Nanny Diaries' is the story of Annie Braddock. She has recently graduated after studying finance and anthropology. She heads off for an interview in New York City with a financial company to be faced with the question 'Who is Annie Braddock?' In a rather clichéd way she finds she has no idea, starts to stutter, and leaves the interview. We next see Annie wandering... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A half-decent performance from Laura Linney.
Disadvantages: It's a cheap knock-off of "The Devil Wears Prada"

...Annie Braddock is a new college graduate from working-class New Jersey, unsure what to do with her life. When the opportunity to take a job as a nanny presents itself, she grabs it with both hands. She ends up working for the Xs, an affluent family on Manhattan's Upper East Side. But it's not as much fun as she thought thanks to the neurotic and controlling Mrs X, the absent Mr X and their needy and demanding little boy Grayer. Things are further complicated when Annie meets a cute guy that lives in the same building, but whose social background means they are worlds apart. It seems strange that the team behind "American Splendour" should choose to adapt the enjoyable if inconsequential chick lit "The Nanny Diaries". I would have expected their take to be sharper and more satirical than the end product is. It's a bad sign that much... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful