Uptown Girls (2003)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Powerful

i must have seen a different film!!

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Uptown Girls (2003): Dir: Boaz Yakin / Cast: Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning, Heather Locklear, Marley Shelton, Donald Faison: Formula driven crass gesture class and age. This film ages fast without the class. Brittany Murphy is relieved of her apartment when her rock star boyfriend fails to return and she is advised to get a job. She ends up being the nanny to a spoiled eight year old girl whose mother is never there for her. Predictable formula that has been done countless times with different faces. Directed by Boaz Yakin who previously made the overrated and boring Remember the Titans. Murphy is the one performance that passes even though her breaking through to Dakota Fanning is all too obvious. Fanning is talented but basically going through the motions of a role that ends up right where viewers predict she will and she will be stubborn the whole way. Supporting roles are the usual flat props. Marley Shelton plays Murphy's friend who offers room for her. Too bad she didn't offer a better script. Donald Faison plays another one of her friends and he isn't any more intriguing than Shelton. Heather Locklear is the biggest waste as Fanning's workaholic mother. How many times have we seen this transitions? The message doesn't matter because this film exists sorely for the employment opportunity for those unfortunate in the Hollywood job bank. Score: 3 / 10

Brittany Murphy charms as Molly, an immature, sexy, hoarder who lives in the hotel from Babe 2: Pig in the City and sleeps with the pig Babe from Babe. She nannies for Dakota Fanning as Ray, a Skynet-created simulant of a child actor dead set on destroying all humanity, starting with her own facial expressions. The pair butt heads over the idea of "acting one's age" and "who can be a bigger ¢U₦₮." Amidst career and family crises, financial woes, and an unhealthy obsession with forcing sex on the (Australian?) dude from House, Molly learns that no matter how rich, white, privileged, selfish, cruel, and manipulative you are, you can always improve by surrounding yourself with even more selfish, cruel, rich white people that make you seem like a damn saint in comparison. Also she learns that Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray would like her to build him some special rock n' roll pants.While distracted by the fact that I was watching a dead person babysit a ghost, I still managed to register all the screen writing shortcuts, shameless clichés, sexist tropes, and dated licensed music on offer. Imagine my surprise when the film's climax offered an emotionally satisfying arc for all parties involved, reminding us that true, selfless, love and friendship is the most powerful force in this world. Uptown Girls is a family film that's not for kids. A comedy with no real laughs. A romance about codependent manipulation and sexual victimization. A cynical, lazy, trainwreck of a film that left me in tears. RIP Brittany Murphy. Heather Locklear could still get it. And Nasty Nas shows up.

It is deep movie. I was emotional while watching this. I saw part of myself, my story on the screen. However it didn't want to be deep and serious movie. Instead the directors and writers wanted it to be light and cute. It's family friendly. I'll surely watch it again. It was emotional roller coaster for me. But who knows, it may be just me. For other person it might seem cheap wanna be flick. But that doesn't matter. It's my review and my feeling. And it's true that it seemed deep and touched me inside. Also it stars three or four of my wanna see actors. Little Dakota girl, late Brittany Murphy and a guy from Clueless. It's cute movie. And I'll cherish it.

Sure, this movie is cheesy and predictable. You know exactly what will happen after the first 10 minutes. So what? It makes me smile and it sometimes even makes me cry. I've seen this movie at least 3 or 4 times and it never gets old. Molly and Ray are both flawed, but that's what makes them so lovable. Their backgrounds are both extremely sad, but you eventually get a happy ending. Maybe I'm a sucker for feel-good, heartwarming movies but this truly a wonderful movie. If you are looking for something new and original, then this isn't the movie for you, but if you want something that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with a smile and a happy feeling then go watch it! I promise you won't regret. Oh, and as a side note, I really enjoy the song "Molly Smiles".