The Nanny Diaries

With a moral applied with the force of a hydraulic jackhammer, this mediocre movie is practically screaming that money doesn’t buy happiness. (This is true, but it buys everything else) While much about the film is predictable, it does have a certain charm. Framed as an anthropology-style field guide to life in Manhattan, it focuses on the foibles and idiosyncrasies of the highly polished echelon of “ladies who lunch”. Scarlett Johansson beautifully portrays Annie, a recent college graduate who radiates a Girl Next Door vibe. She’s the narrator, introducing us to the sometimes bizarre world of the Upper East Side as she somewhat accidentally becomes a nanny to a little boy named Grayer.

Paul Giamatti does an excellent job playing sleazeball Mr. X and Laura Linney as Mrs. X is appropriately self-absorbed and inconsiderate. Replete with many obligatory references to Mary Poppins, the story is not particularly original. Not even the devilishly handsome Chris Evans, playing the quasi-off limits Harvard Hottie, can elevate the rather pedantic tone of the film as it spools out to its inevitable and certainly not unanticipated ending. Hey, not every movie is going to be spectacular and while this one is fairly run-of-the-mill, it’s not horrible by any means. It certainly indulges in many clichés but still manages to make a few valid points. – BETHANY

To see the actors’ other films, plus anything else you might want to know about this movie, visit: The Nanny Diaries on IMDB

Annie (Scarlett Johansson) introduces Grayer to kid friendly food.