Scarlett Johansson in <I>The Nanny Diaries</i>.
Herald Rating: * *
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Chris Evans, Donna Murphy
Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Running time: 109 mins
Rating: M, low level offensive language
Screening: SkyCity, Hoyts, Berkeley
Verdict: The Devil Wears Prada but with nannies.
There were rumours that Scarlett Johansson's
performance in this light satire based on the novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus is Oscar-worthy. Like many rumours it adds to the hype, but turns out to be a wild exaggeration.
Johansson's performance as 21-year-old anthropology and finance undergrad Annie Braddock is fun, adorable and easily watchable, but certainly not remarkable. If there is one performance of note in this disappointing comedy it would have to be Laura Linney's portrayal of a New York Upper East side millionaire mummy. Known in the film just as Mrs X, she spends most of her time trying to secure Mr X's (Giamatti) attention, validating her life by holding benefits and shopping, rather than caring for her only son Grayer.
And that is why she needs Annie, the nanny. When Annie and Mrs X accidentally meet in Central Park, Annie is suffering from an identity crisis.
Desperate to get away from her mother's relentless pressure for her to get a real job in finance, she accepts a job offer from Mrs X to be their nanny.
Under the illusion that being a nanny will give her time to clear her head, work out who she is and what to do with her life, Annie is shocked to discover that her new job entails being treated like a slave 24/7, having to witness a marriage breakdown, care for a precocious child who is nanny savvy, and unexpectedly fall for the hottie on the 12th floor known as the "Harvard Hottie" (Evans).
Annie's story is presented to us as an anthropologist's case study, whereby everyone is classified depending on job and income, marital status and address, which is a clever way of the film trying to distract us from the fact that it's basically stereotyping society.
It lacks any insightful comments on the wealthy elite it is supposedly studying, and even Annie's search for herself turns up very little.
It is at least fun watching Giamatti (Sideways) relishing this unusual role for him as a wealthy, powerful, adulterous husband, but at the end of the day this film feels like a terrible waste of talent.
