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Maid in Manhattan
Stars:
Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Stanley Tucci, and Bob
Hoskins
Writer:
Kevin Wade
Based
On A Story By: Craig McKay
Director:
Wayne Wang
Feature
length: 105 minutes
Extras:
Trailers
Languages:
English and French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Jennifer
Lopez is a single mother who works as a maid at a five star New York City hotel
and has a son with an uncanny interest in politics and a fear of giving public
speeches. When her son meets a wealthy Senatorial candidate (Ralph Fiennes) he
catches his attention enough to introduce him to his mother, who at the time was
secretly trying on an expensive outfit belonging to one of the guests at the
behest of one of her co-workers. As a result he mistakes her for being a guest
and not a maid and what follows is essentially another modern retelling of
“Cinderella” along the lines of “Pretty Woman.”
Now
I remember seeing the TV spots and one-sheets while the film was playing
theatrically and the first thing that went through my mind was these two do not
have any onscreen chemistry. I still think they don’t, but I give them credit
for trying. Separately Lopez seems pretty down to Earth and it is refreshing to
see Fiennes in a role where he is not playing some maniac like character, but
together it is just two actors trying to look comfortable, but there’s just
nothing there between them except for the script. Natasha Richardson plays the
bitchy ex-girlfriend who’s still obsessed with Fiennes’ character and Bob
Hoskins adds a touch of class as the Butler who serves as both a model of
dignity and a guardian of sorts for Lopez’ character.
If
you were to take this paradigm and compare it to “Pretty Woman,” which
essentially is the same kind of story with a few elemental changes you, could
substitute Fiennes for Richard Gere, Lopez for Julia Roberts, Hoskins for Hector
Elizondo, and so on. Mind you both films are selling the same “Cinderella”
fantasy and this comparison is a general one. I suppose this would be a good
rental for a date night at home or for Jennifer Lopez fans. It does hold one’s
attention in spite of itself.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment presents “Maid In Manhattan” with a very nice if
not glossy anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1) aspect ratio as well as a pan and scan
(1.33:1) presentation on the same dual layered DVD.
Both transfers are sharp and free of color bleeding and any general video
anomalies. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is clear and
discrete with no dialogue distortion and whatnot. A French Language Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and Closed Captions for the
hearing impaired as well as Spanish Language Subtitles are encoded onto the dual
layered DVD as options.
The
only extra features included are a few widescreen (1.85:1) theatrical trailers
with full Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks that include “Maid In
Manhattan” (2:33), “The Wedding Planner” (2:33), “Anger Management”
(1:41), “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” (2:07), and “Daddy Daycare”
(1:46). The main menu is animated with scenes from the film while the subsequent
DVD menus are standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate.
“Maid
In Manhattan” will debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, March 25, 2003 from Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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Maid in Manhattan