Penelope

[KLAXXON]

The tale of Penelope did not start well, her beauty transformed by an evil spell. To the world outside the news was big, a poor little girl with the nose of a pig! How to break the curse? Well, nobody knows unless a handsome prince can be made to a propose.

In this wonderful modern-day fairy-tale, Christina Ricci stars as Penelope, a beautiful young girl with an extraordinary curse. Hidden away from the world in her family's majestic home, Penelope dreams of breaking free of the enchantment - but true love is hard to find when young men run away screaming. That is, until she meets Max (James McAvoy), a down-on-his-luck musician and Anne (Reese Witherspoon), a free-spirited rock-chick, who encourage her to come out of hiding and find her true self. Penelope soon discovers that sometimes what you're looking for can be right under your nose...

After floundering in distribution hell since its debut at the Toronto film fest in 2006, Penelope, an offbeat romantic fairytale is
finally coming to theatres. I’m delighted for director Mark Polansky, the film’s director, who is finally seeing his charming debut
feature come to light. This must also be a relief for Reese Witherspoon, who makes her executive producing debut with the film
(and also has a very funny cameo) and the movie’s star, Christina Ricci, who gives a charming performance in the title role.
Together, this trio, along with a cute script by Leslie Caveny (also making her feature debut), sumptuous production design (on an
indie budget), and a topflight cast (Ricci’s co-star is James McAvoy and she’s supported by a crack group of comedic supporting
actors including Catherine O’Hara, Peter Dinklage, Richard E. Grant, etc.) deliver a Tim Burton-esque comedy that offers audiences a
modern day update of the classic Ugly Duckling story.

The movie, which literally begins with a “Once upon a time…” screen crawl focuses on little Penelope who is under a curse placed on a
male ancestor who angered a witch. Unlike all the male heirs in the old money Wilhern family line, Penelope as the first female, is
born with a pig snout. Removing the snout will kill her so her mother Jessica (O’Hara) and father Franklin (Grant) reluctantly fake
her death and raise her within the walls of their mansion. Only a suitor with blue blood who loves Penelope, nose and all, can end
the curse. But when a tenacious reporter (Dinklage) learns from one such prospect that Penelope is still alive he hatches a plan to
get a photo of the pig girl. The reporter finds McAvoy, a blue blood with a gambling problem in need of cash, to become her
reluctant suitor. But soon Penelope, stifled by her mother’s overbearing love and protective instincts and other emotional setbacks,
determines to get out into the Big Bad World and sniff things out for herself.

Once Penelope ventures beyond the walls of home into the Big Bad World the story kicks into high gear and after finding herself a
tabloid princess and a new best friend, the tough, no-nonsense, Vespa riding Annie (Witherspoon), Penelope’s story becomes as
much a tale of Girl Empowerment (fans of “Wicked” will recognize Penelope as one of their own) as a quest for romance.

Ricci, who has played misfits stretching back to little Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family pictures has a sure feel for her poor
little rich girl role. O’Hara, who somehow manages to be shrill and funny at once, is bliss as always in a large part. McAvoy, who has
risen to become a heartthrob with the recent Atonement, brings the requisite leading man good looks and charm (especially in a
scene in which he tries to get Penelope to guess which musical instrument he plays)

Penelope is a sweet trifle, a great kid’s movie, and not surprising, given its subject matter a film gay audiences will find familiar and
comforting. That’s because, more than anything, Penelope is a story of acceptance of one’s true self – in other words, it’s a coming
out story.

Christina Ricci ... Penelope
James McAvoy ... Max
Catherine O'Hara ... Jessica Wilhern
Reese Witherspoon ... Annie
Peter Dinklage ... Lemon
Richard E. Grant ... Franklin Wilhern
Simon Woods ... Edward Humphrey Vanderman III
Ronni Ancona ... Wanda
Jason Thornton ... Shane
Russell Brand ... Sam
Martin Nigel Davey ... Street Vendor
Tallulah Evans ... Little Girl - Photo Booth
Michael Feast ... Jake
Nick Frost ... Max Campion
Burn Gorman ... Larry
Christina Greatrex ... Mrs. Vanderman
Nigel Havers ... Edward Vanderman Jr.
Jillian Henry ... Young Penelope (voice)
Lenny Henry ... Krull
Paul Herbert ... Leonard Wilhern
Richard James ... Card Dealer
Richard Leaf ... Jack the Barman
Rubria Marcheens Negrao ... Hotel Clerk
Nick Shafer ... (voice)
John Voce ... Duty Cop


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