Maid in Manhattan — in which Jennifer Lopez plays the titular role as a housekeeper at a fancy New York hotel who is mistaken by a constantly startled-looking Ralph Fiennes for a fancy socialite because he sees her trying on fancy socialite Natasha Richardson’s outfit; they of course fall in love and also he wins a Senate seat — is not, strictly speaking, a good movie? But it’s very entertaining! Tyler Posey is in it as a tiny tiny child. J.Lo looks FANTASTIC the entire time, and turns in the best performance, while Ralph’s face never stops being confused as to why he is in something that doesn’t involve profound emotional agony. Bob Hoskins is there, as is Stanley Tucci (which I believe is required by law for any movie set in a hotel). The John Hughes wrote it but made them credit him as “Edmond Dantes.” It made ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE MILLIONS DOLLARS at the box office. It’s a fun hang if it comes on USA while you’re home with norovirus or whatever. (I feel sad for people who don’t have cable anymore and cannot stumble on Maid in Manhattan at 3:45pm on a Tuesday, this is one of the great pleasures of life.) And its premiere brought us a very famous once and future couple, among other A listers.
