Miss Nobody

A very good looking movie that has a fluffy charm, considering its subject matter, that keeps it from becoming a real "black" comedy. It is more like a throwback to an earlier time of whimsical romps with a touch of more cynical modern sensibilities.

The casting is dead-on and the Miss Nobody is cute as punch and the actress does a great job in this entertaining and fun story. There is a nice twist and the only weakness is the ending that could be much more in tune with the style that preceded.

The film is a successful attempt and it is not very witty or deep, but can be enjoyed as a better than average entry into the now in vogue Premium Cable quirkiness that is always fun in its inoffensive and a bit edgy satire.

This movie has everything you would want in a great movie: spot on actor selections, great plot, excellent locations, funny narration and dialog. But, it winds up being just a so-so movie. It is a movie that found me reaching for the remote to fast-forward more than once due to it's tendency to drag along in places, only to leap to another situation. It is a movie that you WANT to cheer for, but can't. You WANT it to succeed, but it doesn't. Excitement builds at the end, with fairly good pacing, but it is almost too little, too late. Given the abilities of actors involved and the really funny plot, I feel that a different director would be able to tie this up into a neat package that would be on my list of movies to wear-out watching.

Leslie Bibb is so adorable, how could she possibly have done all the things we think she did? Surely they are all accidents. And yet eventually, even if she did do what she might have done (there is evidence she didn't in at least some of the cases), we want her to succeed, whatever it takes. She does really well with her narration, even breaking the fourth wall and narrating right there in front of everyone. And there's a really funny conversation with lots of brief replies that sort of reminds me of "Who's on First", but not nearly that funny. It's just so well done. I think she's talking with Det. Malloy.

Missy Pyle is the standout actress here. We know she's not squeaky clean and yet we don't mind her being a bad girl. Not that she actually does anything, but she offers quite a contrast to the sweet innocent Sarah Jane.

Kathy Baker also offers a contrast to her proper and obedient daughter. While she's not on much, we can see it's no wonder Sarah Jane turned out the way she did. If in fact Sarah Jane started actually causing these "accidents".

I'm not that familiar with Brandon Routh but I have seen him in crossover events involving his character in a recent TV series. I plan to start watching that series, as I have numerous episodes recorded. Here, he seems like such a nice guy and even if I haven't seen him in the role, he makes me think not only of Superman but also Christopher Reeve. Of course, he's not that nice and this is why he isn't around long.

Vivica Fox also has a brief role and does it really well, So nice, and yet so mean in the same scene.

Adam Goldberg seems to lack confidence, which is unusual for him. This may be beneficial as he is investigating what could be murders. And while he doesn't seem all that smart, he does keep noticing certain details.

There is plenty of physical humor with Mr. Ketchum, a senile old man who is the boarder at the house where Sarah Jane lives with her mother.

And there is even more physical comedy involving a dead body that has to be moved. You won't believe where! And so many obstacles getting that body there.

You really have to get over the idea of characters being morally upright here. Just enjoy watching all the bad guys (and girls) die one at a time. Don't even worry about whether any of these incidents are accidents or who is actually causing them if they aren't.

Is this family friendly? I suppose a movie like this could be. But aside from the bad words that I apparently didn't hear, Sarah Jane's mom wants her to dress sexy for work. A really short dress, which the mom calls an "automatic erection". That gives you some idea.

At one point things get really dark, and I don't mean dark in a funny way. But the ending may satisfy. Some people will want that ending, anyway.

I had a good time, mostly.

This film reminded me immediately of one of my favorite films - Amélie. It is delivered in the same quirky, cartoon-like style but without the mesmerizing charm and flowing story line. The acting by Leslie Bibb was fantastic and she did a wonderful job with what she was given. Everyone in the cast was outstanding and acted their hearts out. I can easily see why they all won awards for their performances in Boston. The main problem I found with this movie was that after the first half hour it was so repetitive and predictable, I found myself looking at my watch every 5 minutes. That being said, I appreciated the director's (Tim Cox) dedication to the style of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie), as I imagine that these kind of films are much more difficult to direct and produce than a straight forward, dark comedy. I was relieved when it all came to an end.

Leslie Bibb gives a wonderful performance in the lead combining a naive outlook with her own personal justification that carries the film. Everything works here, and all in all, this is a fun (and surprisingly non-violent) murderous trip into the corporate world that could well be a sleeper hit like Office Space was - it is a good little film, with loads of character actors that you'll recognize, a strong romance, and suspense, and is, all in all, a wry take on corporate life.

As a massive plus, it is beautifully shot, the use of grading and filters is superb and adds much. Throughout the film the color grading and shots are really really nice and the overall sense that this was lovingly made shines through.

Miss Nobody is one my favorite comedies about work since Office Space. Though much more like Amelie than an out and out satire, this tale of the secretary who almost innocently murders her way to the top of the corporate ladder is actually engaging and fun.