★★½
Miss Congeniality is proof that a single actor can salvage a movie from total failure. There is really nothing about this movie that hasn’t been done before. It's about a beauty pageant under possible attack from a mad bomber, and someone has to go in undercover. Comic mayhem ensues when the agent doesn't fit in well with the other competitors. It's a run-of-the-mill plot, yet it's enjoyable because of the humor Sandra Bullock brings to the role. I would have preferred something with more substance and originality, but sometimes you just have to make do with what you're given. This isn't a movie with staying power, but it'll entertain while it lasts.
Bullock plays FBI agent Gracie Hart, an ugly duckling tomboy who can beat up guys and snort when she laughs. Her field office is searching for the Citizen, who often leaves cryptic notes before he blows up his targets. After examining his latest note, Gracie determines that he will strike next at a beauty pageant in San Antonio. Her bureau believes that it should send someone in as a contestant and get into the top rounds, when the Citizen will likely show up. Much to her chagrin, Gracie is selected as the undercover agant. This assignment involves getting the cooperation of the pageant coordinator (Candice Bergen) to ensure that Gracie advances past the other hopefuls.
Gracie needs some training so that she's believable. The FBI hires Victor Melling (Michael Caine), a former beauty pageant coach, to provide instruction in the ways of a contestant. This includes new eating habits, a makeover and changing her whole attitude. Gracie doesn't take too well to the training, since she's always believed that pageants cater to men's fantasies. Nevertheless, she adjusts as best she can, and the movie uses the opportunity to toss in some reliable fish-out-of-water humor to make up much of her experiences.
Sandra Bullock and Michael Caine play well off each other, due to their conflicting attitudes. Caine's Victor Melling is a snobby sophisticate with the tough job of converting the ugly duckling into a swan. Elements of My Fair Lady creep into the picture, an aspect that's fully acknowledged when Gracie compares Victor to Henry Higgins. Not that the movie even comes close to matching George Cukor's classic, but the reference is still a nice touch.
The good parts aren't that plentiful, but they come in sufficient enough doses to make for a watchable whole. This is a story of good guys vs. the bad guy, so a little bit of conflict is expected, but the script keeps the villain out of sight for nearly the entire running time. As such, Bullock's plucky nature and Caine's suave demeanor give the film its only real conflict. Without a dependable adversary, Miss Congeniality has to resort to light comedy for its raison d'être. At least Bullock excels in that department.
© 2005 Silver Screen Reviews
Bullock plays FBI agent Gracie Hart, an ugly duckling tomboy who can beat up guys and snort when she laughs. Her field office is searching for the Citizen, who often leaves cryptic notes before he blows up his targets. After examining his latest note, Gracie determines that he will strike next at a beauty pageant in San Antonio. Her bureau believes that it should send someone in as a contestant and get into the top rounds, when the Citizen will likely show up. Much to her chagrin, Gracie is selected as the undercover agant. This assignment involves getting the cooperation of the pageant coordinator (Candice Bergen) to ensure that Gracie advances past the other hopefuls.
Gracie needs some training so that she's believable. The FBI hires Victor Melling (Michael Caine), a former beauty pageant coach, to provide instruction in the ways of a contestant. This includes new eating habits, a makeover and changing her whole attitude. Gracie doesn't take too well to the training, since she's always believed that pageants cater to men's fantasies. Nevertheless, she adjusts as best she can, and the movie uses the opportunity to toss in some reliable fish-out-of-water humor to make up much of her experiences.
Sandra Bullock and Michael Caine play well off each other, due to their conflicting attitudes. Caine's Victor Melling is a snobby sophisticate with the tough job of converting the ugly duckling into a swan. Elements of My Fair Lady creep into the picture, an aspect that's fully acknowledged when Gracie compares Victor to Henry Higgins. Not that the movie even comes close to matching George Cukor's classic, but the reference is still a nice touch.
The good parts aren't that plentiful, but they come in sufficient enough doses to make for a watchable whole. This is a story of good guys vs. the bad guy, so a little bit of conflict is expected, but the script keeps the villain out of sight for nearly the entire running time. As such, Bullock's plucky nature and Caine's suave demeanor give the film its only real conflict. Without a dependable adversary, Miss Congeniality has to resort to light comedy for its raison d'être. At least Bullock excels in that department.
© 2005 Silver Screen Reviews
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