|
BROWSE REVIEWS Click on a letter to browse through the reviews on this site: |
MISS CONGENIALITY (2000) Starring: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine,
Candice Bergen, Benjamin Bratt, and William Shatner Directed by Donald Petrie A movie about the Miss United States Beauty
Pageant and an undercover FBI agent who goes in with the guise that she is in
the running for the crown. Why? A terrorist known only as the Citizen has
left clues to the feds that his next target is the pageant and will strike in
two days. Our undercover cop is Gracie Hart (Bullock), who isn't exactly a likely
choice to go in for the job. First off she's a slob and enjoys kicking her
male colleagues asses whenever they annoy her, she makes strange pig noises
when she laughs, and she's an all out brute. But she's the only gal for the
job, and with the help of washed up beauty pageant consultant Victor Melling
(Caine), she's getting the full make over and getting lessons in feminism
(how to walk, talk, chew, say yes instead of yeah). And that is
the premise for this would-be comedy, but none of it clicks and rarely does
its limited potential shine through. Where the film does succeed is in the
supporting players, with Caine doing a suitable but instantly forgettable
job, he still has acceptable comic timing and does hold more presence than
anyone else in the film. Candice Bergan, though her entire story line outside
of her being a former winner of the pageant is foolish, is also a delight
though there is nothing partially interesting about her character, a few of
her scenes are fun to watch. And William Shatner, who had loads of potential
here but is barely allowed to be truly noticed. But we do notice him when he
is permitted to do something more then stand around saying nothing. Benjamin
Bratt's character is the token love interest for Bullock, and goes absolutely
nowhere. When they share the screen together it is an incredibly boring
experience to watch them flirt endlessly with each other. My wife rented this last night and figured
there was no harm in watching it. But after it was over (where we then
watched WHAT WOMEN WANT), I wish it was something that I could have
avoided. There is nothing terrible about it, there really isn't anything
about it. It's a movie that exists purely for the hell of it. And really,
there is little more to say about it. Bullock's transformation is flat and
contrived, the laughs are non-existent and the action unbearable. My Grade: D+ |