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Mona Lisa Smile Story: Julia Roberts is a 1950s art history teacher in a successful Massachusetts girls' school, struggling to express her modern independent views on a resisting academic community. Running Time: 117 minutes. Certificate: 12
I enjoyed this film: I think the average moviegoer will enjoy it: Testosterone Satisfaction Rating: Not a hint. To enjoy this film you should be: Prepared to think about the story. Or female. To buy Mona Lisa Smile from Amazon.co.uk, click on the picture below. |
This film has taken a lot of stick and so it was with some resignation that
I sat down to watch Mona Lisa Smile. True to form, the opening scenes had
all the hallmarks of a light-hearted pointless chick-flick and I was
starting to predict the remainder of the movie in my head. However, without
shouting or pointing, the movie turned up surprise after surprise in its
story, deliberately side-stepping the easy preach and instead letting the
characters go their own way. This approach has been criticised by reviewers
for lacking clarity and "a point", but that's what made it different and
interesting to me. All the characters were observed for their personalities
and how that affected their decisions, without placing judgement on any
character or lifestyle - a sentiment cleverly reflected in the art history
lessons of Julia Roberts' classes. While gently poking fun at the 1950s
Massachusetts expectation that women exist solely to create homes and
families, it was inoffensive and supportive in a way rarely seen in
mainstream cinema, offering inspiration and opportunity to the entire cast,
regardless of their outlook on life. I found that refreshing and very
un-Hollywood and I think it deserves to be praised for that.
Unfortunately though, its strengths to me will be its weaknesses to others,
and many viewers will struggle to find the depth and provocation that I did
(I've always been a bit funny). Julia Roberts never looks or sounds like
she's in the 1950s and that lends a somewhat confused feel to the
proceedings - and there is the occasional Grease-esque moment that could
have used a little ironing - but look past its flaws and enjoy the story and
there is much to appreciate. It does work as a chick-flick as well, if the
satisfied murmurs from the 80%-female audience were anything to go on, but
for me that is underselling it. It's a modest, unassuming, original and
charming tale - and the girlfriend will like it too.
