Review of Uptown Girls

Introduction

It would be easy to dismiss this movie as yet another in a long trail of formulaic, ditzy films choc-o-bloc full of sugary schmaltz. But, despite the fact that it certainly is ditzy (I`ve yet to see Brittany Murphy play it any other way) and it`s over-flowing with schmaltz, there are some sassy performances here as well as some neat dialogue that combine to make this a mildly enjoyable romp.

The real star of the show here is the child-wonder Dakota Fanning (`The Cat in the Hat`) who is given free reign here to play the part of an uptight grown-up in the body of an eight year old child. She does it splendidly and it`s these performances that give the movie a sparkle and freshness that`s generally lacking in all other departments.

Brittany Murphy does her `thing` - husky voiced, devilish, ditzy and slightly on the edge, she`s a twenty first century Goldie Hawn and she does this particular turn with some aplomb.

The tale itself is simple enough. It kicks off with all the signs of a comedy romance and yet turns itself into a `buddy movie` before the end credits roll. In `Disney trailer talk`, it`s a heart warming tale of two individuals, seemingly polar opposites in terms of personalities, uniting to help each other through some dark times and emerging as true friends.

Wealthy daughter of (deceased) rock star Tommy Gunn, Molly (Brittany Murphy) is a 22 year old who has never needed for anything. Life is one long party, bills are paid on her behalf by a lawyer who has been entrusted with her small fortune, and she shows no signs of having any understanding of `real life`. And then the money disappears, along with the lawyer and she suddenly finds herself penniless, homeless and pretty much hopeless. (The US seem to love these riches to rags escapades). Enter precocious 8 year old Ray who is in need of a nanny. Her Father is in an endless coma and music mogul mother Roma (Heather Locklear) hardly ever sees her. She needs a Nanny - and Molly needs a job. The scene is set for Ray to teach Molly a trick or two about responsibility and commitment, whilst Molly teaches Ray to lighten up and enjoy life wherever possible. There`s a red herring sub-plot where Molly falls for a vacuous English musician who eventually falls for her but this is real second rung stuff.

The movie moves along at a satisfying pace though the end was something of an anti-climax leaving me feeling like there was some unfinished business, though I couldn`t for the life of me figure out what that might be.

Video

A fine reproduction, probably from Digital rushes. Flawless.

Audio

The soundtrack here is a lot of fun and music features throughout. It`s well mastered and mixed and the balance is superb - from the teary and husky whispers in sensitive moments, to the full blown party workout in the movies high moments. Mastered with care so you won`t have to do any compensation mixing with the remote.

Features

There is a fair selection of extras here, though none are particularly sensational. Well, what do you expect? There`s a `Lowdown of Uptown` which is a self-congratulatory appraisal by cast and crew. Then there`s `Rockin` Style` which has Sarah Edwards, Costume Designer, bore the pants of us all by taking us through the thinking behind the clothes. If you still want more there are a whole host of deleted scenes in no particular order which were deleted from the main narrative and make even less sense here. (Who watches all this so called `Extra Feature` stuff?!). Then there`s a music video (Chatel Kerivia Zuk`s `Time`) of the track that accompanies the credits. There are some video stills and a theatrical trailer. Overall - nothing here to excite anyone other than cast and crew.

Conclusion

A surprisingly enjoyable movie despite it`s formulaic structure and plot, principally due to the sparky dialogue between ditzy Brittany Murphy (as Molly Gunn) and Dakota Fanning (Rae), the precocious 8 year old who turns out to have a heart of gold. Heather Lockyear walks through her role as Rae`s neglectful mother and the remainder of the cast are instantly forgettable, with the exception perhaps of `Mu`, Molly`s pet pig. Not recommended as a purchase, but acceptable as a safe family rental for a wet Sunday afternoon.