Mona Lisa Smile

Mona Lisa Smile features the cream of Hollywood young female acting talent, or so it seems, and yet it struggles to match its predecessor Dead Poet’s Society for depth, emotion or class.

Ok, so maybe comparing it to Dead Poet’s is a bit mean… This was never a rip-off was it?? Progressive young teacher moves into an extremely traditional preparatory school in the 1950s, finds their ways a little backward, encourages the students to think for themselves, (with negative consequences), and then ends up leaving after one influential year they will never forget. Hmmm, what am I thinking? It’s the exact same film people! I know I’m not the first to say this, and shouldn’t be the last, but why not remake a classic, change the genders, and set it 5 years before its inspiration! That’ll trick them into thinking its a new and original idea. Why, oh why? There’s even an ‘Oh, Captain, my Captain!’ moment, ffs.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Julia Stiles are only passable, disappointing for actors of their class, and Roberts and Dunst – well, they try hard but fail to inspire. Roberts is not Robin Williams. Dunst is not Robert Sean Leonard, or Ethan Hawke. Maybe that’s the problem? I can only relate to male stories? Nah, my moment of self-doubt has passed, and I know the problem with this film was not its audience.

Whilst trotting out some cliches of boarding school life and trying to move us with the story of what one woman learns from her students when she thinks she’s actually the teacher may impress some people, I’m not one of them.