Maid in Manhattan

Rating:
Summary: SAME TIRED PLOT!
Review: I am so sick of these plots, but who in their right mind would compare this to "Pretty Woman" is beyond me. There is zero chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Raplh Feines, zero. Once again J.Lo gives an okay performance, which leaves you with, what is she worse at, acting or singing? I wouldn't buy this without renting it first, maybe if your bored on a Saturday night and you watch this you'll be slightly entertained, but that's it.That's my two cents.

Rating:
Summary: MAID TO ORDER...
Review: This is a relatively pleasant, though eminently forgettable, once-upon- a-time romantic comedy. Not even its excellent supporting cast can make this tepid movie better than it should be. Ralph Fiennes, with his sometimes British, sometimes American accent, and Jennifer Lopez, with her beauty marred the minute she opens her mouth, are the would be mis-matched lovers.

Fiennes plays Chris Marshall, a wealthy, to the manor born, silver spoon, political candidate. Lopez plays Marissa Ventura, a working class woman and single parent with an adorable, precocious, ten year old son named Ty (Tyler Garcia Posey). Marissa works as a maid in the posh hotel in which Marshall is a guest. When her son accompanies her to work one day, he runs into Chris Marshall and recognizes him. They start up a conversation and before you know it they are going to go off for a walk together, only Ty has to ask his mom. They go to the suite in which she is cleaning, only thing is that she has tried one of the haute couture outfits belonging to a wealthy businesswoman named Caroline who is staying in the suite. Naturally, Marissa looks gorgeous in this outfit and is wearing it when Ty and Chris enter the suite. Chris is smitten, and all three go for a walk in the park. Chris does not know, and Marissa does not disclose, that she is one of the maids in the hotel. Don't ask. Don't tell.

When Chris, thinking that his dream woman's name is Caroline, forwards an invitation for lunch to her ostensible suite, the real Caroline (Natasha Richardson) responds. Let the games begin! Marissa spends quite a bit if time avoiding running into Chris in her work clothes. When she finally runs into him in the street, Chris instructs his aide to find her and invite her to a glittering soiree. She gets the invitation via the hotel butler (Bob Hoskins), along with some advice, and decides to go for the gold. With her fellow employees at the hotel acting as collective fairy godmothers, she gets the proverbial ball gown, diamonds, makeover, and emerges a princess, making a dramatic entrance at the ball, further entrancing Chris. When she runs off before the ball is over, he pursues her, and what then follows is a night to remember.

Of course, Natasha, who is also at the ball, sees Marissa and Chris together and realizes that she looks familiar. Consumed by the green eyed monster, she contacts the hotel authorities when the morning after the ball she sees Marissa, exiting the suite occupied by Chris and still wearing the diamond necklace she wore at the ball. A review of security tapes leads to her identification of Marissa and a host of other things. Chris is now faced with a choice, as is Marissa.

The film is pretty formulaic in that it is filmed as a fairy tale. Of course it has the proverbial happy ending. The film is saved by the very funny performance of Natasha Richardson and her pre-menopausal, obnoxious friend played with relish and delicious abandon by Amy Sedaris. Stanley Tucci is excellent as Jerry, Chris Marshall's campaign manager. Bob Hoskins is very good as the prim and proper hotel butler, though the film strikes a false note towards the end when he gives Marissa a final speech that is ridiculous. Tyler Garcia Posey is a totally adorable child actor who gives a very natural and engaging performance.

Ralph Fiennes gives a decent performance but has difficulty maintaining an American accent. Jennifer Lopez gives a better performance than she usually does but that is not saying a lot. It is unfortunate that to date she has been unable to replicate the level of performance that she gave in "Selena", the film that propelled her into stardom. She is, however, totally drop dead gorgeous when she is all gussied up, looking every inch the princess.

Still, if one's expectations are not too high, one should find this to be a mildly entertaining, romantic comedy. Rent it rather than buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Could have been worse...
Review: This is a cute story and not really a stretch for anyone--since all the actors play themselves. But its barely funny (and even less believable) and it just goes flat.

I saw this on a plane, along with Two Weeks Notice. I probably wouldn't have seen either of these chick flicks but it was interesting to see how Two Weeks Notice took a much less interesting premise and, with a good script, made it truly funny and charming. Whereas Maid In Manhattan is really a vehicle for Jennifer Lopez and the story is secondary.

Rating:
Summary: A horrible movie
Review: This is a horrible movie. Jennifer Lopez has always produced great comedies, like The Wedding Planner, but this one was a huge flop. When I first saw it, I didn't get the impression that the cast felt their characters. Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes don't play their roles convincingly enough. This is a horrible movie and I strongly discourage you see it.

Rating:
Summary: "Maid in Manhattan"
Review: I like this movie, but not as much as "Two Weeks Notice". I like Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Feines. They were good together. The movie gets surious at points but was edited and directed really nicely. Wayne Wang (director) did a nice job. Overall I liked the movie but girls will like it better. My sister really liked it. She just got the DVD for her 12th birthday. When I watched it with her it liked it more. But nothing was as funny as Sandra Bullock in "Two Weeks Notice"! J.Lo is no Sandra Bullock!

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Woman Wannabe
Review: Where Julia Roberts has great success in her box office Cinderella story, 'Pretty Woman', Jennifer Lopez is less than successful. I'm not saying that this is a bad movie---its cute, but its similarity to 'Pretty Woman' is almost text book and too convenient.
J-lo is Marisa, a maid in a distinguished Manhattan hotel---she aspires to a management position and is motivated by her colleagues, and her son, Ty a young boy with a penchant for politics. She's got two thorns in her side: a mother who thinks management dreams are a waste of time and an ex-husband (who we don't see) who constantly disappoints Ty with his lack of involvement. Enter Chris, young Anglo assemblyman played wonderfully and optimistically by Ralph Fiennes who when seeing Marisa dressed in a socialite's $5000 outfit assumes she is a guest at the hotel and becomes immediately interested. J-lo keeps the facade going with some disastrous results and some funny moments with Natashia Richardson, as an over eager society woman, Bob Hoskins as the hotel's butler, and Stanely Tucci as Chris' PR man.

What's really wrong the movie is that unlike Gere and Robert's unmistakable likeability and chemistry, Lopez and Fiennes do not seem to match. Fiennes is charming; he plays his part with the same boyish charisma seen in 'Quiz Show'--the audience cannot help but respond. Lopez, on the other hand, is too harried, Fiennes good looks and pleasant mannerisms simply do not seem to effect her---why I can't imagine---perhaps she was too intent on playing Marisa as too burdened by her life as a single mother to actually enjoy the intentions of a fabulously good looking man. Her actions don't match the lack of emotions she fails to convey. She comes across as flat (except for the obvious), Chris's dog has more soul peeking through out of its brown eyes than she does. The young actor who plays Ty is far more engaging but his attachment to Chris seems stretched as does Tucci's desire to utterly control Chris's personal life---in these two cases, the fault lies with the script and not the actors. Sadly, Fiennes is wasted in this film, but kudos to him on a perfect performance with little or no help from the script or his leading lady.

Recommended to those who simply love J-lo (?) AND to all women who love Ralph Fiennes.

Rating:
Summary: An unobjective Lopez fan ...
Review: Maid in Manhattan is no Pretty Woman. The relationship doesn't have much depth, and we never really find out very much about the characters.

On the other hand, there's pretty good chemistry between Fiennes and Lopez, and, well ... I could watch Jennifer go grocery shopping and give it at least 3 stars. She's just stunning.

Bottom line: if you love J.Lo (or Ralph Fiennes, I guess), or if you never saw a romantic comedy you didn't like, give it a watch. Otherwise, there's not much substance in Maid in Manhattan.

Rating:
Summary: Cinderella For The Umpteenth Time!
Review: Somewhere about a year ago, a studio exec. and an agent decided to make a deal. Christmas was coming and it was time to expel an uninspired formula retread from the womb of mediocrity to satfisfy the lowest common denominator of cinema goers.

The result is Maid In Manhattan.

All the standard, tired plot elements, set pieces, and cliche scenes are present. It has the smart alec kid who's wisdom surpasses the years of the adults around him, the pushy sidekick maid, the hooker (maid) with a heart of gold, the non-conformist prince charming; the obligitory makeover scene where the heroine is trying on different evening gowns, getting her make-up and hair done, and being loaned expensive jewelry all set up as a montage playing to a contemporary pop song a-la Pretty Woman, Heavenly Kid, Princess Diaries, and Doris Day, etc. etc.

It's a shame that dumbing down a story can have such rewarding results.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies of J.Lo.
Review: I've seen almost all J.Lo movies and I think that the only good ones are: "Selena", "Enough" and this one because "The cell" and "Angel eyes" were simply terrible. Her performance in the movie is very good, she's funny and lovely.
Her role is of a divorce woman with a son. She works in a luxury hotel in New York and one day she's cleaning a room and her son arrives with a candidate to the Congress (Ralph Finnes) because he wants to go out with the candidate's dog. Jennifer was wearing an elegant suit from one of the guests (Natasha Richardson-who happends to be the best influence of the movie with her very good and funny character as a millionaire who is desesperate to get married). So Ralph Finnes thinks of Jennifer as an important business woman and he want's to see her again and there starts the chain of problems that makes this movie so funny.
Once again I must say that the performances of J.Lo, Ralph Finnes and Natasha Richardson are very good.
You' ll love this movie which it's considerate as the new Pretty Woman.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Woman with an honest profession...
Review: This movie is such a reflection of Pretty Woman, that I almost found myself singing the song. Instead of Julia Roberts as a prostitute, we get Jennifer Lopez as a hotel maid. However, besides the obvious similarities, the movie stands alone with the honest reflection of two people from different worlds, who quickly discover they need each other. The politician who finds himself in awe of the intelligent woman, who reminds him that he doesn't really have a clue what those in receipt of his charity functions truly need, or what their lives are like. And the maid with dreams of her own, but with a little more fear of success than failure. This is a wonderful romantic film, and if I had to make a complaint I would have liked to see the politician step into the shoes of the poor for a day or two - as suggested to him. This is the only place the film ran short, as Marisa did step into the lifestyle of his. It would have made for a much more interesting, and maybe a little more humorous film. All in all, this is a highly recommended film, and if you haven't seen Pretty Woman... I'd get them both and sit back for an evening of pure romance and fun!

Oh and how can I forget the character that plays Jennifer Lopez' 10 year old son!! He's spectacular... now this is a young actor to watch!!