Results tagged “reesewitherspoon”

I often catch heat for disliking the whole inbred cluster of Apatow-related films, but I assure you that my dislike has nothing to do with snobbishness against broad, no-brainer comedies. I do own a copy of Joe Dirt. Sometimes, ridiculous comedy can be good, as in Four Christmases. At times, this holiday comedy is rude and cringe-inducing, but for this film, it works. Being over-blitzed by promos for the movie before viewing it, I was afraid that all the funny bits were wasted in the trailer. (How many times can seeing Vince Vaughn gagging at baby puke remain humorous?) But the comedy was fresh and plentiful, with the audience laughing audibly at many of the scenes. The film clearly had an overabundance of comedic scenes—a funny scene that had been in the trailer was removed from the theatrical cut. In it, Vince Vaughn's trashy sister-in-law is slapping together a spam and mayo salad because they are "trying to eat healthy." Even without that brief laugh, the movie still had plenty to offer.

Penelope is explicitly a modern fairy tale—even to the point of opening with "Once upon a time..." and ending with "...and they lived happily ever after"—about a young woman named Penelope (Christina Ricci), who is cursed. Her family is very old and very rich, and many years ago, a male of their number thought he'd fallen in love with a washerwoman, but ultimately broke his promise to marry her. When the woman subsequently committed suicide, her mother, a witch, put a spell on the family so that the next daughter of their line would be born with the face of a pig. Penelope is that daughter, and the only way she can break the curse is to find true love with one of her own kind. Her mother, Jessica (Catherine O'Hara), is determined to achieve this for her, and so fakes her daughter's death and then locks her away in the family mansion and brings handsome blue-blooded males in one by one, always hoping the next one will be the first to look upon Penelope's face and not run away screaming in terror.

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.