Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A Major Disappointment

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

I can't believe I didn't get to watch this until 2016, but there it is! So I am waaaay after the event, which is good, because I had no preconceptions and hype to go upon before viewing. As such, I started watching not expecting that much and was happily surprised. I initially only knew the leading lady was J Lo, so to find Ralph Fiennes as leading man, Natasha Richardson as the (beautiful) ugly sister and Bob Hoskins as the (male) fairy godmother, let alone Stanley Tucci running interference and a cute Tyler Posey acting their butts off was a great joy.So many viewers will watch this film, regard it superficially as a chick flick type of film and therefore will be unlikely to ever bother watching it a second time or appreciate the amazing talent that went into making it - it is there to see if you bother to look, but so many are blind to much... and just want a quick watch, in which case this film will get a lower rating from them which is undeserved.OK, the script could have been less predictable, but, as I said above, it IS Cinderella so you know what is coming anyway, whatever twists there are going to be... if any. As we all know the general plot so well and so many before me have already cited it ad nauseam, I'm going to pass right over that side of things and concentrate on what to me in this film really shines out - what to me makes it a very good film, rather than a nondescript one as with other cast choices would have so easily been the result... THE ACTING.J Lo doesn't do her best performance ever, but is fine. However, Ralph Fiennes brings loads of little nuances to a pretty straightforward and what could very easily be a boring and one-dimensional part. Keep your eagle eyes on his facial expressions and his eyes, oh those eyes, those eyes.... the sign of a truly great actor is to act with their eyes. Considering it is a genre in which we rarely see him perform, all I can say is, what a shame it doesn't happen more often. All those male actors out there wanting to be a romantic lead, you would do well to watch Ralph's subtle performance and learn! Natasha Richardson is brilliant, shamelessly hamming it up as the confused blonde. Heck, she reminds me in this film SO much of her mother. What a tragedy her loss is to all. And Bob Hoskins at his best - superb! Sadly, another huge loss.Stanley Tucci, where would we be without you? I adore your contribution to this film and so many others! That scene with Rufus (the dog) outside the hotel is priceless! LOL! Watch his face, too... Many films otherwise without Stanley Tucci would be like bread without enough salt - you can eat it, but there is something missing... And a tiny Tyler Posey! He must have been about ten when this was filmed and did a great job with some pretty difficult lines at times. Very engaging and a great cast choice.So, yes, if you just like straight up chick flicks, go and watch a chick flick. If you want to watch a (mostly) really well acted sweet romance and enjoy and want to watch it again, then watch Maid in Manhattan - I shall.

I avoided watching this film for the longest time. Long before it was even released I had dismissed it as an over-hyped, over-blown, overly romanticized piece of Hollywood schmaltz, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I never watched it in the theater. I shook my head in disbelief even though I had never seen it. Then I was asked to be a judge at a high school public speaking contest. One of the girls, little Rosalina, spoke about this movie. "It was so great," she said. "You really felt like you were a maid in NYC falling in love with this rich dude." "Nonsense," I thought. I shared my feelings with my fellow judges. One looked at me and said, "you might be right, but if she liked the movie that much maybe she'll want to learn more about really being a maid. The movie must have done something right to get Rosalina so interested." "Well, maybe," thought I. Then it finally appeared on Pay TV. "OK," I thought, "I'll give it a look see." I didn't want to like it - and I didn't. I loved it! What a great movie.Where to start? First - the directing. My high school public speaking contestant was right. Wayne Wang does a superb job of creating an almost "you are there" type of atmosphere. The gaiety of life inside the most elegant city in the world. The nonchalance of having to clean hotel rooms; then the rising sense of panic when she first meets Ralph Fiennes. You don't just watch it; you really do feel it. Then - the performances. The lead performances from Jennifer Lopez (as Marisa) and Ralph Fiennes (as the hot Christopher Marshall) are excellent - Lopez's being the superior, I thought, but both were good. They had their poor girl/rich boy characters down to a perfect "t" I thought. In my opinion, though, stealing the show was Jayne Howdyshell as Carmen. Problems. Well, the romance was perhaps too contrived, in the sense that I just don't accept that Marisa could have moved so effortlessly from steerage to first class by stealing the gentleman's heart. (I know she was invited the first time; but he seems to keep getting into first class without being stopped until he's been there for a while.) The realities of the separation of the social classes were much more realistically portrayed, I thought, when Marisa and Christopher kissed for the first time. A minor quibble, though. This is truly an excellent movie. My only regret is not seeing it in the theater, where I think it would have been so much more impressive.9/10

So it's Cinderella. It's hard to imagine why that would bother anyone who'd seen the trailer, by the time you sit down to watch the movie you know the plot.I may be the last person on earth to see Jennifer Lopez outside the checkout line. She's not bad looking but didn't impress me all that greatly as an actress, but she did tell the story. This may be a light- weight role for Fiennes (duh!) but I thought he carried it off well. The kid (Ty) was great, and Bob Hoskins was wonderful.I think Pygmalian (Pretty Woman) is a better story, and Julia Roberts is obviously head and shoulders above Jennifer Lopez, but I certainly don't regret adding it to my Netflix queue!Van

Here is a movie that had to happen - a modern day "Cinderella" story starring Jennifer Lopez (as Marisa Ventura). How much you like "Maid in Manhattan" will depend on your "like Lopez" level. The variations aren't very clever, and many of the comedy's jokes are stale. Check out, for example, how the giggling maids insist that catching the hotel exhibitionist naked is no big deal. Get it? No BIG deal! Bwhahahahahahaha!! Traditionalists may want to note that Ms. Lopez' evening with "Prince Charming" Ralph Fiennes (as Christopher Marshall), a Republican playboy, ends at dawn instead of midnight. Hmmm. Times change. Divorcée Lopez also has a cute 10-year-old son, Tyler Posey (as Ty), who plays a nice role in the romance. Nasty Natasha Richardson (as Caroline Lane), a "Wicked Stepsister"-type, heads up an appealing supporting cast.**** Maid in Manhattan (12/13/02) Wayne Wang ~ Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Tyler Posey, Natasha Richardson