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Maid In Manhattan on DVD (2002)

Maid In Manhattan cover art
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Average rating: (61%)
132772091015
3.0
 
Starring: Jennifer Lopez | Ralph Fiennes | Natasha Richardson | Stanley Tucci | Tyler Garcia Posey | Bob Hoskins
Director: Wayne Wang
Studio: SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 101 mins
Certificate: PG
Collections: 100 Rom-Coms
User collections: Libations to Erato | THE BEST CHICK FLICKS
Genres: Comedy | Romance
Languages: English
Released: 15/09/2003
Also Available on: Also Available on: BLU-RAY Also Available on: DIGITAL

Brief synopsis of Maid In Manhattan

Director Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB, SMOKE) updates the familiar Cinderella story in this charming romantic comedy. Jennifer Lopez stars as Marissa Ventura, a beautiful young woman who divides her time between her precocious son Ty (Tyler Posey) and her housekeeping duties at The Beresford, an upscale Manhattan hotel. When the boyish and affluent politician Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) shares an amusing elevator ride with Ty, he subsequently meets Marissa. As luck would have it, Marissa is mischievously sporting an exotic Dolce & Gabbana gown belonging to another Beresford tenant, and is mistaken by Christopher as a guest of the hotel. The two undeniably hit it off, but Marissa is unable to reveal her working-class secret, afraid of losing her job. Christopher is completely smitten and makes numerous attempts to locate her, despite the comedic fact she is often right under his nose. While the film is always lighthearted and fun, it does not shy away from foregrounding race and class issues, devoting much screen time to Marissa's coworkers and their struggles to survive. As a rags-to-riches fairy tale, MAID IN MANHATTAN hits all the right notes.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 2 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Smoke director Wayne Wang swaps originality and sophistication for feel-good froth in this undemanding and predictable Cinderella story. Based on a story by John Hughes (writing as Edmond Dantes) — with more than a passing nod to Pretty Woman — this sugary fairy tale is as simplistic as it is traditional. Ralph Fiennes piles on the charm as a would-be senatorial candidate who falls for Manhattan hotel maid and single parent Jennifer Lopez in the mistaken belief she's a socialite. Comic mishaps and schmaltzy soul-searching ensue, as Lopez tries to hide her humble roots and Fiennes doggedly pursues the opportunity for true love. It's join-the-dots entertainment at its most calculating — with Lopez and Fiennes unconvincing in their respective roles — but there's still enough warmth and high Hollywood gloss to give it wide appeal.

Halliwell's Film Guide

Trite, sickly, Cinderella romance with a miscast Fiennes, who, like his co-star, shows little talent for comedy.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 3 starsWhere was the chemistry?

A customer from Northamptonshire , 28/02/2005

I liked this film. It was comfortable, a little predictable maybe but in theory good viewing for all of that. The only dischord seemed to be that the two main charachers ( Lopez and Fiennes ) just didn't create an ounce of sexual chemistry.

This film looked good on paper, two actors that are arguable very good at their craft, but they just didn't click on film.

I have seen both of these actors in other films (with different co-stars) and you could feel the heat coming off the TV or pulsing through an audience in a cinema.

I am afraid that with light weight films in the RomCom genre casting is EVERYTHING, and I just don't feel that they got it quite right.

Still a good film to while away an evening, but definately did not fulfill it's potential!!!!!

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsLoved it

ally from Hull , 15/12/2003

I realy loved this movie but im a sucker for a romance story, if you liked pretty women then you'll like this. Predictable but worth a watch.

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 2 starsTrying and failing to be Cinderella

Helen from North of England , 27/02/2004

I usually enjoy the occasional rom-com, but I found this film totally ridiculous.

The basic plot revolves around Marissa, a maid in a posh hotel in New York. While trying on a guest's designer clothes, she encounters Chris, a local politician who mistakes her for a guest.

The film is briefly amusing when Marissa is trying to avoid Chris at work. Bob Hoskins is great playing it straight and dignified as a butler, and Miranda Richardson and Stanley Tucci are good supporting actors, but that's about it for good points.

The situations the characters get themselves into are stupid and quite frankly unbelieveable. No normal person would make the decisions that they do - there's a difference between suspending your disbelief, and throwing it out the window completely.

Jennifer Lopez's performance isn't awful, but I found the character quite difficult to like. At the beginning of the film she is quite likeable, but every time she comes into contact with Ralph Fiennes' character, she turns into a simpering, mindless girl, despite the obligatory attempts at confrontation-before-true-love. And Ralph Fiennes... I don't know whether it was a bad script, or his inability to act, but I found Chris Marshall to be very abrasive and difficult to like. What was obviously meant to be him falling in love with her, came off as him trying to get a one night stand. His continued attempts at flirting felt close to stalking on a couple of occasions (although Marissa seemed to be a willing - or at least apathetic - accomplice some of the time) and made him rather unpleasant.

Extras seemed to be non existent.

All-in-all, this film was a good idea, poorly executed. There are plenty of better films out there if you're looking for a romantic comedy.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 1 starsCHICK FLICK? RUBBISH

A customer from England , 30/11/2004

Please do not insult the intelligence of women. This movie is crass Hollywood junk, it is exceptionally boring and has no merit whatsoever. I write that with the proviso that I could only tolerate half an hour of it. Better entertainment is to be had by sitting in front of the washing machine!

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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