What might have been a slightly cutesy and female-focussed rendition of Good Will Hunting now evolves into a slender echo of Kramer Vs Kramer (or ‘ Insert-Courtroom-Drama-Here’) as a largely predictable custody battle takes centre stage. It is here things start to go awry, for Frank and his niece, and for the film itself. She plans on whisking Mary away to a life of insular tutelage in Boston. Once alerted to her granddaughter’s potential, she immediately decides she wants Mary to continue in the family business: maths. A stiff patrician with an English accent (tsk!), she’s such a one-dimensional ice queen she could probably reign in Narnia. Eventually, though, Frank’s harridan mother (Lindsay Duncan) arrives. Frank, Mary and their monocular cat live a spirited and lovely life in the sun. To begin with, everything goes swimmingly. There is also a strong supporting turn from the somewhat underused Octavia Spencer, as their neighbour and Mary’s mother figure, and from Jenny Slate, playing Mary’s grade school teacher and Frank’s love interest. Delicately handled and precise, she is the soulful centre of this movie. You believe Grace can solve any of the six outstanding Millennium Prize Problems. As does Mckenna Grace, cracking equations and cracking wise with a naturalness that quite belies the fact it’s just the script that is priming her with MIT-standard algebra. Still, Evans plays his part with conviction. What might have been a cutesy *Good Will Hunting* evolves into a slender echo of *Kramer Vs Kramer*.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |