'Maid in Manhattan' [Blu-ray + DVD]
(Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Bob Hoskins, et al / Blu-ray + DVD / PG-13 / (2002) 2020 / Mill Creek Entertainment)
Overview: Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is a struggling single mom who works at a posh Manhattan hotel and dreams of a better life for her and her young son (Tyler Posey).
One fateful day, hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) meets Marisa and mistakes her for a wealthy socialite.
After an enchanting evening together, the two fall madly in love. But when Marisa's true identity is revealed, issues of class and social status threaten to separate them.
Blu ray Verdict: The surprising thing is that Wayne Wang directed this; the unsurprising thing is that it's from a John Hughes story.
Also unsurprising is pretty much everything in the movie, with the sole exception of Bob Hoskins.
It was impossible to miss the fact that J'Lo and Ralph Fiennes were the leads in this Cinderella-type romantic comedy, but none of the previews I saw indicated the involvement of Hoskins, an excellent actor, too often overlooked.
Lopez and Fiennes are attractive and competent and both are able to carry this off well enough. The supporting cast is spotty, though. Hoskins shines the brightest and it's a shame that he didn't get to lead more films before his untimely passing.
For me, his Iago in the BBC production of Othello, co-starring with Anthony Hopkins was simply phenomenal. Anyway, back on track and Stanley Tucci is very good, as always, but the rest of the cast varies from good to weak.
Simply put, J'Lo is just trying to make a decent living and a better life for herself and her son, and she is in the room of a socialite and trying on the lady's clothes when the Senator (Fiennes) walks in.
Of course he thinks she is the socialite, falls in love with her, and starts taking her out to a whole bunch of important parties and functions, while chaos ensues at her real job and life.
Ergo, for everything that it strives to me, 'Maid In Manhattan' is a very funny and refreshing movie that you will thoroughly enjoy. Lopez and Fiennes are perfectly cast and you will not regret seeing it once again (especially now in the wondrous Blu-ray + DVD set from Mill Creek Entertainment). This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.40:1) and enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
www.MillCreekEnt.com