Opinions of a Wolf

Summary:
The Wilhern family was cursed by a witch that the first daughter born to the family would look like a pig.  It took hundreds of years for a daughter to be born, though, so Penelope’s appearance was quite the surprise to her family, and they reacted by ensconcing her in the house to protect her from paparazzi.  Gaining love by someone of the blue bloods is the only way to break the curse, and Penelope’s parents are determined to find it via a matchmaker.  Penelope, though, just wants to live and love like regular people.

Review:
I was expecting Penelope to be your average, predictable romantic comedy, probably because that’s how the previews presented it back when it came out.  I don’t mind a romcom every once in a while, particularly if I’m having a girl’s night with one of my friends.  However, I would not describe Penelope as a romantic comedy.  It is a fairy tale in the classic sense of the word.  It teaches a lesson, a beautiful one, and manages to completely surprise you at the moment it is unveiled.

The acting is pretty good all around.  I had only seen Christina Ricci in Prozac Nation, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to forget her as the mentally unstable Elizabeth.  However, all thoughts of that movie quickly left my head, which is a credit to Ricci’s acting ability.  Also of note is the fact that there is a little person in the movie, and the fact that he is a little person is of no relevance at all.  He’s just a reporter who happens to be little, and I really enjoyed that.

The costumes and sets are stunning.  I wanted to live in the Wilhern’s house and own their books.  I want a library whose door is camouflaged by bookshelves!  I want the dresses Penelope wears.  *sigh*

There is a little something that held me back from totally loving the movie, though.  I really liked it, but I didn’t love it, and I’m not sure why that is.  I think maybe it has something to do with the special effects used for Penelope’s nose.  It just didn’t seem all that bad to me.  Also, I think there was some miscasting in the two male love interests.  Neither of them felt quite right for their roles.

However, it is still an enjoyable movie to watch, and I particularly recommend it for teenage girls or for women who want a chick flick with a good message.

4 out of 5 stars

Source: Netflix

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