But for the rest of us, it's basically just another movie. The Nanny Diaries is a howler for older viewers who think its deconstruction of upper-crust society is biting, but irrelevant to them (never mind the nanny who's watching the kids while they see this movie), and a cautionary tale for recent graduates or those uncertain what their post-graduate future holds.
THE NANNY DIARIES CAST MOVIE
Overall, I would say that this movie should be seen by the very people whom it satirizes - the powerful and privileged who treat their employees and underlings with disdain or disregard - but the more likely audience will be twentysomething women who feel empowered sharing in Nanny's transgressive humiliation, not to mention her relationship with a rich, down-to-earth hunk. X, a woman whose cruelty to Nanny is a displaced product of her own frustration and hurt over being ignored by her husband. X, a workaholic whose callous attitude towards Nanny is but a thumbnail version of the disdain he has for his own wife and especially Laura Linney does an amazing job as Mrs.
THE NANNY DIARIES CAST HOW TO
Johansson is very good as Nanny, a young woman who only learns how to develop her identity when it's virtually erased without her permission Paul Giamatti is great as the intimidating Mr.
The acting, as mentioned above, is all top-notch. This, I think, is a far deeper and more significant problem - moms and dads who ignore their children or work too hard to pay attention to them, much less then delegate caregiving to nannies - and Nanny Diaries is truly only shocking in the way in which the Xs's son Grayer is perennially neglected by two people who have virtually unlimited resources to give him any- and everything he needs - including love. (Especially since it hasn't seemed to make bosses a whole lot nicer - except for mine, all of whom are awesome.) Meanwhile, what the film does well is deconstruct our rapidly-deteriorating parental abilities, which seem particularly deficient in the context of the affluence of New York's Upper East side. But as more and more writers and filmmakers chronicle these stories, it becomes less and less of a transgressive act to take these power-mad bosses to task for their behavior, and ultimately makes the final product a retread of complaints long since lodged in our cultural consciousness. That's not to simply say "things are hard all over, honey," and ignore the indignities that the character endures. Unfortunately, in a day and age where bottom-line corporate mentalities (much less general disinterest in the well-being of others) dictates employee responsibilities, no matter how demeaning, it's hard to feel much more than passing empathy for Annie/Nanny's plight after all, how many of us have spent an extra evening or weekend finishing work because of some last-minute deadline or added assignment? Following in the footsteps of last year's The Devil Wears Prada, former assistant tell-alls have become an increasingly popular genre for both literature and film. Putting her anthropology background to work, Nanny soon uncovers a fascinating world of detached relationships and half-hearted commitments that belie the privilege and opportunity the couple's wealth affords them. X (Paul Giamatti) is either absently tyrannical or tyrannically absent, and Nanny is left with the lion's share of the caregiving. X suffers through spa days and "me time" that seldom if ever includes her neglected son, her husband Mr.
Scarlett Johansson ( The Prestige) plays Annie, quickly renamed Nanny when she is mistaken for an out-of-work child-care provider and hired by Mrs.
The initial problem with the film is its lack of identity, which is somewhat intentional, especially given the decision to reduce the characters to their simplest essence. But the slim advantage of a terrific cast and crew helps the film none to become much more than yet another entry in the wasteland of post-summer, pre-Oscar season film releases. Is this because Diaries is being released in a season already overloaded with so many other films, many of which are themselves unmemorable? Perhaps. Adapted from a best-selling novel that chronicles the social universe of affluent New Yorkers, the film is professionally mounted, well-acted and generally entertaining, and yet it is ultimately almost completely forgettable. It's tough to get excited about a movie like The Nanny Diaries.