Traces of familiar tales

@SL_body_copy_ragged:"Penelope" is a fairy tale that's not really for children and a bit silly for adults. Young female teens might find it of interest; they should like the love story. But because the conflict between the young lovers is based on the acceptance of a pig snout, I doubt they'll give it a thumbs up.

That's not to say the film isn't rather good. It's sweet and touching, and well acted -- except for Catherine O'Hara, who plays the mother. She is a bit over the top and reminiscent of a Second City sketch, which is at times rather awkward in the midst of the melodrama.

The fairy tale of "Penelope" is that once upon a time an English blue blood had an affair with a servant and got her pregnant. Before he could marry her, he came to his senses and cast her out of his life. The mother of this servant was a witch, wouldn't you know, and she put a curse on the Blue Blood's family. The curse was that the next female born to the family would have the face of a pig, and she would be burdened with this face until she would "have the love of her own kind."

Well, through luck -- and adultery -- many generations pass without a female born ... until Penelope. Even with this modern age of tabloids, the family manages to keep her hidden away for the first 20 or so years of her life, and is only just now allowing blue blood suitors to meet with Penelope. Offered a rather large dowry, and promised that once married the pig face curse will be lifted, they all run screaming for their lives once they get a glimpse of the ugly Penelope.

When a slimy tabloid editor looking to get a picture of Penelope offers hard cash to a down-and-out blue blood, the story moves into "Cyrano de Bergerac" territory. And though the pig face is a unique touch, the idea of inner beauty and personal acceptance, as opposed to outer beauty, gets lost in the shuffle.

Christina Ricci as Penelope and James McAvoy as Max, the down-and-out blue blood, do a fine job as they struggle against the rather thin script. I had a sense that while filming, the director many times offered words like "look forlorn" or "just stare," "stare at her more lovingly." And I have to say they did a fine job.