Movie Review | Maid in Manhattan
Reviewed by: Brian Orndorf

Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is a struggling maid in one of New York City's top hotels. Juggling her work with the raising of her 10 year-old son (Tyler Posey), Marisa dreams of a better life, but is afraid of taking a risk to achieve it. Enter Chris Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), a senatorial candidate who has grown weary of the campaign trail. When an incident involving mistaken identity leads Chris to believe that Marisa is a guest of the hotel and not the help, he is instantly smitten with her. Soon enough, Marisa finds herself in over her head, unable to reveal her true vocation to her admirer, and, also in the process, trying not to jeopardize her co-workers' (including Bob Hoskins and Chris Eigeman) jobs with her tomfoolery. 

Trapped inside this decidedly traditional, "Cinderella" style romantic comedy is a charming little picture with an unusual filmmaking pedigree behind it. Director Wayne Wang, who made a more artistic choices in his earlier pictures with "The Joy Luck Club," and "Smoke," takes the reigns of this big time Hollywood film. Coming off his deliciously lurid stripper vs. internet geek fantasy "The Center Of The World," "Maid" feels like a sort of palate cleanser for the filmmaker. “Maid” is a rather unchallenging film, and Wang is just the man to flex some romantic comedy muscles that may have atrophied a little bit in recent years, and brings some freshness to the worn-thin genre. "Maid In Manhattan" isn't anything to scream about, but it's an appealing picture, made with care, and just light enough to fit perfectly with the holidays. While Wang attempts to stay within expected parameters, his filmmaking skills transform deathly predictable material into something enjoyable, and even a smidge touching.

The biggest working component in "Maid" is Jennifer Lopez, who for the first time in a long time, is able to squeeze out some actual onscreen appeal in a way her off-screen persona has been overshadowing in recent years. There is little to no "J-Lo" in Lopez's performance as Marisa, and she actually makes the leap into fusing a little reality into her blue-collar role. After all the years singing about how "real" she is, here's a role that actually showcases some honest-to-god sweetness underneath all the glam. It's revelatory, especially after what I thought would be her career-ender, last May's "Enough."

Ralph Fiennes is unexpected here as well. The normally uncompromising, chilly actor takes the opportunity within "Maid" to warm up, and drop his usual pretences. Initially, the sight of Fiennes smiling and being so jovial is disconcerting. After all, this is the same man after all who tore up the screen in "Red Dragon," playing the frequently naked, tattoo covered, human-lips-eating serial killer Francis Dollarhyde. Watching him kissing ladies, shaking hands, and being nice to children takes some time to get used to. Soon enough, it isn't so weird to see Fiennes court Lopez, and by the end of the film, I really appreciated the risk Fiennes took here by playing way outside his normal range of characters. I wouldn't say he has a future as a Cary Grant-type, but this is another interesting choice for the ferociously talented performer.

Being light and bubbly is in "Maid In Manhattan‘s" best interests, for when it steps outside of this, and tries to engage a not-too-subtle class conflict subplot, the effect drowns the picture instantly. Rich vs. poor is just fine for other features, but "Maid" doesn't need it. There are already enough conflicts (both comedic and dramatic) between Marisa and Chris to keep the film occupied, without Wang and screenwriter Kevin Wade ("Junior") trying to interject gold-digging suggestions into the plot. It doesn't make too much sense within the story, and it radically betrays the characters’ initial motivations. There are already too many "you go, girl!" moments and barely tolerable cutesy clichйs to fend off, the film doesn't need to get this absurd.

This was a surprise, I'll be perfectly honest. Until her raging celebrity wore off a bit, I had written off Jennifer Lopez's abilities and charisma, but here you go - honest proof that it still exists.

Grade: 7/10

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