Her hair is like a nest beneath a bonnet. And her nose makes the one Nicole Kidman wore in “The Hours” a thing of exquisite refinement.
She’s got warts – two of ’em – with hair. And then there’s that tooth, that one that stands out against her drawn mouth, like a confusing, frightening mistake.
And yet Nanny McPhee is a thing of beauty. Rather, the movie that bears her name, directed with deft timing by Kirk Jones and written with loving brilliance by star Emma Thompson, is a winning tale of naughty children in need of love and the mysterious governess who comes to their aid.
“Nanny McPhee” begins with the image of a comfy but empty armchair. Were not the chair abandoned there would be no story, we’re told by the narrator. The occupant of that chair has died and left her widower with seven children. As soon as you get a look at this rebellious brood, you’ll feel it’s obvious why the lady of the house took a much deserved rest.
Since his dear’s departure, Mr. Brown (Colin Firth) has made ends meet as the makeup man at the nearby funeral parlor.
Under the impressive leadership of eldest Simon (Thomas Sangter), the children have just managed to send their 17th nanny running. And she was considered a tough bird. But they played a creatively ghastly gag on her, and off she went. Good help is hard to keep in the Brown household. If it had not been written into her contract that the children were not allowed in the kitchen, Mrs. Blatherwick would have been long gone.
But Evangeline (Kelly MacDonald), her assistant, never would have. She has a soft spot for the children. Though one of them replies with painful awareness when she says she’s fond of them, “Yes but you’re servant, you’re paid to like us.”
When the single father goes to the agency for No. 18 he’s rebuffed. Closed. Not here. There are no more nannies. But a nanny by the name of McPhee is available for hard cases.
“The person you need is Nanny McPhee” advises a strange voice.
Brown doesn’t find her. She finds him.
By the way, the part about the making ends meet above was something of an exaggeration. Mr. Brown, played by Firth with the sort of hysterical male hysteria Cary Grant used to humorous advantage in screwball comedies, has relied on the financial aid of his dead wife’s Aunt Adelaide. Angela Lansbury has wicked fun delivering Adelaide’s unkind observations and crueler ultimatums. Her latest has forced him into seeking a wife. His only prospect, Mrs. Quickly, is unsuitable, of course.
Jones and company have made tasty eye candy of this tale, based on Christianna Brand’s Nurse Matilda books. Fun wordplay meets its match in physical comedy. And none of it relies, as so many children’s films do, on pop cultural references.
I can’t vouch for the novels, but what Thompson has done in adapting them is a marvel. Not a surprise though: We knew from her fine version of “Sense and Sensibility” that she’s got a gift. Or two.
In another lifetime, Nanny McPhee might have been played by Julie Andrews. But Thompson comes with her own exquisite magic. She’s got an odd walk, an amusing way of tilting her head. And Thompson and Firth know how to keep a good gag running throughout the children’s journey from naughty to nicer.
Certain outcomes aren’t obvious so much as they are hoped for. What will become of sweet, self-improving Evangeline, who sacrifices herself when the children make a tactical error? Hmmm, as McPhee would say.
When she arrives, McPhee has five lessons to impart to the children: To go to sleep when they’re told. Get up when they’re told. And a few more seemingly simple tasks.
“When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay,” she cautions when they first meet. “When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go.”
You know in the end, they will miss her. But you may be caught by surprise at your own sweet sadness.
Film critic Lisa Kennedy can be reached at 303-820-1567 or lkennedy@denverpost.com.
*** 1/2 | “Nanny McPhee”
PG for mild thematic elements, some rude humor and brief language|1 hour, 38 minutes|FAMILY FUN| Directed by Kirk Jones; written by Emma Thompson based on Christianna Brand’s “Nurse Matilda” books; photography by Henry Braham; starring Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly MacDonald, Thomas Sangster, Eliza Bennett, Jennifer Rae Daykin, Raphael Coleman, Samuel Honywood, Angela Lansbury, Celia Imrie, Imelda Staunton |Opens today at area theaters.
