The Nanny Diaries

This wasn't well liked by the critics but I watched it on TV and thought it was pretty good, that's mostly down to the cast though. Laura Linney is fantastic as Mrs. X, a snooty neurotic upper east side socialite and Paul Giomatti is perfect as her nasty adulterous husband. Just a pig of a man.

I always enjoy Scarlett Johansson and she does a good job with the material here, her role isn't much of a stretch, even cheesy at times but she was enjoyable. The romance aspect with Chris Evans kinda took a back seat and was lost.

Described as "a hilarious adaption of the bestselling novel" (I wouldn't go that far) it is however entertaining. Johansson plays 'Annie', a recent college grad who takes a job as a live in nanny for the very wealthy X's, looking after their troubled son -who I suppose was meant to be cute and precocious but for the most part I just found bratty and annoying.

The story itself was okay, it didn't blow me away or anything, but it was enjoyable enough. 'Nanny' is such a nice, sympathetic character that you want to see how it all plays out for her. Watching this did make me want to read the book. 8/24/15

Many seem to be disappointed with 'The Nanny Dairies' because of its failure to properly deliver the social commentary about New York women of different class. However, I agree to an extent that it does not go into the depth of the theme in order to be a good satire but it remained nonetheless an entertaining flick. The film seems to mainly focus on Annie's view of the upper class (as she works as a nanny for such a family) and therein lies a danger, where she pretty much (as we are shown), in her own assessment generalizes her conclusion from one experience and in the other cases, with one encounter.

Now regarding the family she works for, Mr.X is a complete caricature of the businessman jerk who constantly cheats on his wife by shagging anything wearing short skirts or hotpants and he is bitter towards his family (including wife, son and even own mother). Mrs. X is portrayed under a more humane light. She is definitely in denial about a marriage that has already been long dead and she copes with it by avoiding herself from her own son and giving more focus to trivial away-from-home activities while believing that her husband still loves her. Amidst all this, it is the son who suffers.

Scarlett Johanssen is a miscast. She does not seem comfortable with comedy (as has been evident as well in Woody Allen's 'Scoop') and her outburst scene in the end looks theatrical. However, she is quite good in the scenes that display Annie's stress and fatigue while taking care of Grayer and overall, Johanssen does try to deliver. The child actor does not convince. Alicia Keys is forgettable and Chris Evans plays the clichéd rich white guy boyfriend. Ravishing Laura Linney is fabulous. Her character is technically a bitch but there is a vulnerability and depth that she draws which allows the audience to somewhat sympathize for Mrs. X. Paul Giamatti suffers from bad writing.

Despite the flaws, 'The Nannie Diaries' was quite enjoyable. I was not bored. I laughed at a few scenes and was interested to know what Scarlett's Annie would do to finally confront Mrs. X. The sets, though typical New York, was nice to look at. The Mary Poppins reference with the Umbrella was a bit pointless. In my opinion, this film is much better than the likes of pretentious movies like 'The Devil Wears Prada'.

This is better than you'd expect. Do watch it. It is fascinating to watch as it shows a surprisingly not exaggerated view of New York domestic life. It's funny and touching.

Scarlett does a good job - this is the first movie I really liked her in. She is not afraid of looking unglamorous if the role requires it.

Comparing this with Devil Wears Prada - I think this is more realistic, funny and moving. Linney is good as always - doesn't overact. Paul Giamatti is a bit unlikely as a successful finance person. Should have chosen someone a bit more executive like. Alicia Keyes is a bit out of place as the friend - too pretty.

As another reviewer pointed out-> "Better than expected". So if your expectations are low, you will be positively surprised. I watched it a sneak preview with some friends. I guess Scarlett Johansson haters won't like the movie from the start, but everyone else can give it a shot.

Yes it is predictable, yes it has it's awkward moments, but it's also likable. The cast is stellar throughout, most of the jokes work and the kid performer walks a fine line, but always stays/plays it straight. The movie keeps a light tone overall, but has it's dark(er) moments too. They might not work for everyone (and some might hate the ending), but overall it's a decent movie (effort)

"The Nanny Diaries" did not get very good reviews but I liked the previews so I decided to see it instead of another movie that got much better reviews and I'm glad I did.

"The Nanny Diaries" is entertaining the entire time. It might not have you rolling in the aisles like "Superbad," but it is not that kind of movie.

The main reason to see this film is because of Scarlett Johansson. She makes Annie the Nanny such a sympathetic character, that we stay interested in the film and we care about what happens to her. Scarlett Johansson made a name for herself doing a lot of independent film but this is probably her best performance in a mainstream film. Not only is her acting phenomenal, she is the world's most beautiful nanny.

A lot of the professional reviews seem to have been disappointed by "The Nanny Diaries" because it was written and directed by the same people who did "American Splendor." They were expecting something more like that film. "The Nanny Diaries" is not that kind of film. It is not particularly quirky and it will probably appeal to a wide audience. I thought it was better than "The Devil Wears Prada," which it often gets compared to.

"The Nanny Diaries" is absolutely mandatory viewing for Scarlett Johansson fans. For anyone else, this film might win you over.