Movie Review

Penelope (2008)

Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman | Feb 27, 2008

Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman is a film critic for EW

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EW's GRADE

Details Limited Release: Feb 29, 2008; Rated: PG; Length: 103 Minutes; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy; With: James McAvoy and Christina Ricci

$[SNORT] Reese Witherspoon can\'t believe she\'s in this horrid movie Penelope, Reese Witherspoon$

Image credit: Laurie Sparham

[SNORT] Reese Witherspoon can't believe she's in this horrid movie

Is there anything more dull than an ineptly cynical fairy tale? As Penelope, an aristocratic brat who's the victim of a family curse (and no, it's not the egregious overacting of Catherine O'Hara and Richard E. Grant as her parents), Christina Ricci plays a girl with the nose of a pig. Sadly, the actress is so charmless in Penelope that we can't look at her and see inner beauty. She's just a snouted cipher. Escaping the prison of her family mansion, Penelope becomes a tabloid superstar freak in a plot that grinds along with a camp garishness that leaves one not merely bored but disenchanted. F

Originally posted Feb 26, 2008 Published in issue #981 Mar 07, 2008 Order article reprints

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