Uptown Girls

Review by: Alysa Salzberg

(AlysaSalzberg@TheCinemaSource.com)

We need fairytales, always have, and always will. Sometimes, these stories are told and retold in their traditional form. But sometimes, elements of the old stories are blended with issues and details that belong to our own contemporary world. Uptown Girls, directed by Boaz Yakin, is a delightful example of a hybrid fairytale.

Now, first off, this isn't some idea that came to me all on my own. The story opens with a voiceover by Dakota Fanning telling us that it's a fairytale. And the details of the plot certainly back that up. In modern-day Manhattan, Molly Gunn (a fairy-like, sometimes inexplicably weepy Brittany Murphy) lives a life of luxury. Her father was a famous rocker, now deceased, and Molly has inherited his fortune. For years she's had a gorgeous apartment, wonderful clothes, she's travelled all over the world, and goes to fantastic parties every night. Money is nothing for Molly. Like frozen vegetables (another important, yet forgettable, building block of life) Molly's money is kept in her freezer. Well, a bit of it is, at least. The majority of her immense fortune is kept in a fund managed by one "Bob". When Bob cuts out with the money, Molly is forced to deal with things most of us deal with every day "” getting a job, cutting corners, being responsible "” in short, this little princess has to "grow up". Growing up doesn't seem to be a problem for Ray (Dakota Fanning), daughter of a neglectful record producer (Heather Locklear). Ray leads a life of self-imposed discipline and structure. She's a neat freak, a germophobe, and has the exasperated air of a middle-aged woman. Of course, just as Molly's childishness is due to the absence of parental figures, so is Ray's need for regulations and organisation. When Molly takes a job as Ray's nanny, their natures collide and arguments ensue. Yet soon enough this common thread ties them together.

The plot may seem a bit trite or cutesy. It's certainly something that could be easily bungled or made less interesting than it is. Most viewers will probably go into Uptown Girls expecting what they've seen in the trailers "” laughs, girly dresses, and pratfalls galore. They will indeed find these things. But what's also here is something deeper and far more serious than the previews would suggest. So many fairytales are about what's seen and unseen. In Uptown Girls, we have a young woman whose age suggests she's a grown up, and a young girl whose age suggests she's a child. Yet their attitudes are the opposite of what they would seem to be. A magical switch, we're sometimes made to think. Can the girls' relationship

remedy it? This issue, and this question, are treated, surprisingly, with slightly more seriousness than comedy. Both Molly and Ray are afraid to take on the roles they should have, and, though they seem to be handling things fine the way they are, they both feel somewhat out of control (for a neat symbolic interpretation of this, observe how teacups are used throughout the movie).

On the other side of things, such a plot could be completely maudlin, and syrupy sweet. Yet speaking as someone sensitive to that sort of thing, I'll say that, while the movie does work to bring those glittery tears to your eyes, it never feels inappropriate, tacky, or dull. I think a large reason for this is our two main characters. There are other elements in Uptown Girls, but, as the title suggests, it's the relationship between Ray and Molly that's the most important. Luckily, Murphy and Fanning have great chemistry, and really seem to enjoy each other's company (when it finally comes time for them to in the film). Both girls are committed to their roles, and fit them well.

The supporting cast does a good job as well, and each character complements and reflects something about Ray or Molly. Yet the biggest problem I had with this film is that, while much about it was a splendid surprise, the story had to fall back on the old hard to get boyfriend routine. This might have been okay, if not for the fact that, though charming, earnest, and handsome as a prince, Neal (Jesse Spencer ), ends up being so full of faults and annoying points, and so unsupportive and derogatory towards Molly (not to mention the fact that his tryst with another character is problematic, both because of his own seeming standards, as well as because of Molly's relationship with the character), that we hope he's more of a cautionary point, the guy who turns out to be a real jerk "” a reverse Frog Prince. But though for a moment the movie seems to be leading us in that direction, it soon veers away, maybe just as afraid of being a mainstream "girlie" movie without a hot guy love interest, as Molly and Ray are about acting their respective ages.

Regardless of characters, plot, emotions, etc., Uptown Girls is a movie worth seeing simply for Molly's clothes. Costume designer Sarah Edwards has created flowing, diaphanous skirts and dresses that at once suggest Molly's rocker roots, and the delicate, gossamer beauty of fairy wings. In fact, the film's whole visual style is a beautiful, glittering, stardust picture of New York. For you Manhattanites reading this, it reminded me of strolling through the holiday fair in Union Square Park, surrounded by stands full of items made of exotic fabrics,

decked with glimmering ornaments, radiating warm, rich colors. For the rest of you, you could say it's like being inside a satin-lined jewelry box full of diamonds and semiprecious stones. This makes Uptown Girls a movie for the eyes as well as for the heart.

The DVD's extras show that the filmmakers were aware of this fact. In addition to a making-of featurette in which the actors and director speak sincerely (but, at times, maybe a bit too seriously, thus losing the magic spell of the movie's tone) about making the flick, there's a very interesting interview with costume designer Edwards, who shows us some of the outfits that especially stand out in the film, and explains the inspiration for them, and how they were made. There's also a gallery of photo stills, and a music video showcasing images from the film. Even the deleted scenes, some of them in their rawest state, show the gorgeous textures, colors, and touches used to bring Uptown Girls to life.

So, treat yourself "” rent Uptown Girls, and while your other parts enjoy a fun, interesting fairytale, your pupils will be pampered like guests at an exclusive spa. And that is a happy ending indeed.

Movie Grade: B+

DVD Grade: B

Overall Grade: B+

Synopsis:

Molly Gunn is the freewheeling daughter of a late rock legend and the toast of the Manhattan social scene, but when her inheritance is stolen, Molly is forced to do something she’s never done before – get a job. She becomes nanny to and “eight-year-old going on forty” who is emotionally distant from her mother and has grown up with a revolving door of nannies and too little stability. As they try to make their new arrangement work, each discovers in the other a true friend.