Maid In Manhattan on DVD

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*by KEES BOER*	Next Film

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JLo is still "Jenny from the block!"
In Revolution Studios’ charming romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan, Jennifer Lopez stars as a hard-working, intelligent and determined single mother who dreams of a better life. While struggling as a housekeeper at Manhattan’s first-class Beresford Hotel, she falls for a rising politician, who mistakenly assumes she’s a socialite guest at the hotel.

Will a hotel worker from the Bronx and a well-heeled gentleman from midtown Manhattan risk it all for a chance at romance?

Marisa Ventura has made a good life for herself and her ten-year-old son, Ty (Tyler Garcia Posey), even if they don’t have a lot of money. One Saturday morning Marisa brings Ty to the Beresford. She asks a co-worker to keep an eye on him for her while she and another maid, Stephanie (Marissa Matrone), attend to their chores. One of the hotel guests, a spoiled socialite, Caroline Lane (Natasha Richardson), asks Marisa to return some designer clothes for her. After Caroline leaves, Stephanie coaxes Marisa into trying them on before taking them back to the store. In an uncharacteristically frivolous moment, Marisa slips into the chic, expensive outfits.

Ty appears at the door with the handsome Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), an aspiring U.S. Senator and one of Manhattan’s most eligible bachelors. Ty has come to ask Marisa’s permission to walk through Central Park with Christopher and his dog Rufus. Christopher is immediately attracted to Marisa. Assuming she is a hotel guest, he asks her to join them. She is about to refuse, but Stephanie intervenes and accepts for her.

Despite the obvious sparks between them, Marisa is reluctant to encourage Christopher, fearing she’ll lose all that she’s worked so hard to build. But he pursues her, even though it could compromise his political career.

As romance, mistaken identity and front-page gossip collide, Marisa and Christopher learn that the bigger your dreams, the better the chance they might come true.

This film is a typical Cinderella or rags-to-riches type story; a poor struggling woman becoming successful. During the film, I kept thinking that anytime, I would hear Donna Summer’s song “She works hard for the money.” This would have “maid” a great song for this film.

Maid in Manhattan makes a great date movie. If you don’t like feel-good stories though (you like feel-bad stories?), then this would not be the movie for you to see. It is the ultimate story of romance.

One aspect of the movie is a comment that Jennifer Lopez makes as the character of Marrisa. She said to her son that making a person think something else, even though you don’t say it, is still a form of lying. In a world, where it is too common that people pretend to be somebody they’re not, this was a great standard. I highly recommend this film. Jennifer Lopez’ performance shows that she is still “Jenny from the block!”

MPAA Rating: PG-13; profanity, sexual references. (1 hr., 45 min.)

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Caption Photograph: Photo by Barry Wetcher Ty (Posey) endures the affection of devoted mom Marisa (Lopez), in Revolution Studios\’ romantic comedy “Maid in Manhattan,” distributed by Columbia Pictures.