Described as a modern day fairy tale, Penelope does blend a certain historic feel with the modern buzz of downtown New York. The title character is born with a pig’s snout and ears because of a 5-generation curse on her father’s family. Christina Ricci (Black Snake Moan, Cursed) plays Penelope, whose society-conscious and overprotective mother (Catherine O’Hara of For Your Consideration, Best in Show) faked Penelope’s death when her daughter was an infant and has kept her shuttered in their huge mansion ever since. She now works overtime to find Penelope a well-bred husband to break the curse.
The mix of modern and fairy tale doesn’t always work as well as it did in a movie like Enchanted. It occurs sometimes to the confusion of the reviewer, whose practical side spent time analyzing how poorly the two fit together here. It may be a modern fairy tale, but feels realistic enough some of the time to make it hard to allow the viewer to suspend disbelief. It almost feels like this movie might’ve worked better as a cartoon, because the pig-nose would’ve been easier for the viewer to accept, as would the reality/fantasy combo. The music in the film reflects both sides, in the whimsical score and the sometimes decent pop/folk tunes used.
Ricci is most likely one of the few recognizable actresses who would spend 95% of their on-screen time wearing a prosthetic pig nose. James McAvoy (Wanted, Atonement) carries the room alone, a feat not accomplished by many A-list actors. He was completely convincing as Max, the undercover-for-a-newspaper-scoop “blue-blood” who shows the most promise in helping Penelope end the curse. The movie also reflects the positive trend of romantic comedies over the past several years to include a strong self-esteem message for women, instead of leaving it at the notion that romantic love is enough to complete a female.
Penelope is only the second feature-length product of director Mark Palansky (Shutter), and his inexperience bringing the script to life shows through at times. The strength of this film lies in the relative believability of the lead characters, as Ricci and McAvoy naturally carry their respective “rooms.” Most of their relationship takes place on opposite sides of mirrored glass to hide Penelope’s deformity.
With the hidden cameras and the the inevitable drama that ensued, some of the movie was reminiscent of Never Been Kissed. Cameos and small parts included Jack Black and Reese Witherspoon, whose Type A Films produced the movie.
I didn’t realize just what a kids/family-friendly movie this was until I saw it categorized that way in a few places. The PG rating was a tip-off, too. This certainly helps to explain, if not to excuse, the neglect of a more serious approach to film making here.