Dir. Garry Marshall, 2004, USA, 115 mins
Cast:
Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo
A slight romantic comedy in which the goodies are relentlessly kind and the baddies are naughty as opposed to downright evil, sounds as if it could be an anodyne experience. However thanks to engaging performances and an old fashioned sensibility Princess Diaries 2 manages to be an utterly charming and wonderfully escapist fare.
Set in the fictional land of Genovia, the story reintroduces us to Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Andrews) and her granddaughter Princess Mia (Hathaway), whose path from gawky schoolgirl to next in line to the throne was chronicled in the original film. Through the political machinations of Viscount Mabrey (a moustache twirling performance from John Rhys-Davies), a plot unfolds in which his nephew is revealed to have a stake in the throne unless Mia quickly marries.
The film relishes, unashamedly, in its old fashioned charm. It's a predictable piece with the conclusion obvious virtually from the outset, yet this is part of the pleasure of watching. There are certainly moments that inspire groans of recognition yet the film manages to avoid banality thanks to an engaging, charming cast, and Garry Marshall's proven skill at directing films of this genre (Runaway Bride, Pretty Woman, and Beaches to name a few).
The narrative occasionally plods, with events dragging in the final act as various characters from the original are reunited with Mia before the denouement. Given that the film has such a flimsy premise, there is a sense of Marshall pushing his luck and coasting on the charm of his cast alone.
A number of scenes could be regarded by a cynical audience as cheesy, yet they contain a genuine sense of warmth. A scene in which, during a street parade, Mia stops and enlists a group of orphans to join her waving to the crowds is touching despite having the potential to veer towards the sickly.
Much has been made of Julie Andrews' return to vocal performance after recent illness. While she undoubtedly is in fine voice, it is a brief sequence in which she simply talks to music. Far more satisfying are her wonderfully understated romantic scenes with Hector Elizondo which convey subtle yet moving relationship often missing where similar things are attempted.
Anne Hathaway continues to show promise as a potentially huge star in the future. In a role that could easily be reduced to bland cipher, she manages to suggest both dignified monarch in waiting and gawky awkwardness often within the same scene.
Princess Diaries 2 is not a film that will change the world, nor is it designed to be. Instead it provides a rare opportunity to enjoy inoffensive escapist fantasy that is by no means unique but is certainly most welcome.
Director Garry Marshall, well known for creating Happy Days and launching Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, discussed at recent press conference the question of how important and relevant the Hollywood escapist film is: "They don't like to make films like this very often because so many of them don't do very well at the box office and they never get an award. So they don't know why to make them and they figure they can make them on television. It's such an international business now and we are seeing more and more things happening in the various types of movies. Not to blow my horn, but before Pretty Woman everybody said you can't make a romantic comedy that will play overseas. You have to have guns, action and car chases. They don't want romantic comedies. Pretty Woman broke that. Finding Nemo was big over the world and I think it is important that family movies are made but I don't think they'll make that many. I like that type of movie but I don't know how important it is that you should make them. I think it is very important that the family go to a movie together. That's my opinion. In last week's New York Times Arthur Miller said that the art now is in publicity and marketing. Maybe they'll come back and figure out how to sell a family movie? "
Julie Andrews agrees: "In March next year you will see a documentary I just did on the Broadway musical theatre and it is quite noticeable in that documentary that in the hardest of times - like The Depression or war - musicals became very bright and cheerful. I suspect that in these hard times something like these lovely movies are not a bad thing to have around, as pure escapism from a lot of pressure and worry and concern".
Jonathan Wilkins
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