Miss Congeniality (B+ or 3/4 stars)
When a famous terrorist threatens to bomb the Miss United States Pageant, the FBI finds a female agent to infiltrate the contest as an actual contestant in 'Miss Congeniality', directed by Donald Petrie. After a search uncovers no suitable candidate other than this ugly, bumbling agent, her captain and the pageant officials reluctantly agree to let her join the team that's working the case. This is not a very good 'film'. But what it is is a very entertaining one; a guilty pleasure. Having always enjoyed beauty pageants (the beautiful women, & getting a kick out of the absurdity of it all), I figured I'd enjoy this on some level, and I did.
Gracie Hart (good 'ole Sandra Bullock), a rough, tough, no-nonsense FBI agent is on the trail of a killer named 'The Citizen'. Clues lead Gracie (and her team) to believe that the killer will strike the Miss United States Pageant next. With news that the real Miss New Jersey had acted in a porno, a replacement would be in order. And after convincing Gracie & her partner (Benjamin Bratt) to get all Barbied-up, she enters the pageant as Miss New Jersey. Pageant director Kathy Morningside (a cheeky Candice Bergen) & pageant emcee Stan Fields (William Shatner) go along with it for the safety of their beloved competition.
Arrangements are made for a renowned beauty contest consultant, Vic Melling (Michael Caine), to give her a make-over. Seeing as this is Sandra Bullock we're talking about here, the transformation goes splendidly. He basically Eliza Doolittle's her; once garish & mousy, she is now elegant & beautiful. That said ... she still has a tendency to run-off her mouth. And although the killer is caught, Gracie keeps stumbling on clues that may prove the killer to NOT be the one they're looking for. While various pageant managers suddenly find themselves fired, Gracie starts to put 2 & 2 together.
As I mentioned, 'Miss Congeniality' is a guilty pleasure movie through & through. It is part comedy, part drama, part suspense, part action, etc. It's not particularly convincing in any of those genres, and yet, it works. The best segments of the film involve Gracie's transformation, her befriending the clueless contestants, practicing her bizarre talent portion of the pageant, the pageant itself, and the wacky one-liners and doings executed by the emcee of the event, played by endearingly wacky William Shatner. Also superb is Michael Caine's Vic Melling; who livens things up with his uppity "I know it all" bravado concerning beauty pageants, haha. Watching him & Bullock go at it with each other over etiquette/manners/beauty tips is hysterical.
The plot is obviously hokey. Some characterizations don't remain consistent. And any romantic chemistry btwn. Bullock & Benjamin Bratt falls flat. These mainstream Hollywood films need that requisite romantic subplot; so that's what it is ... merely requisite. But Bullock is the main reason to watch this film. She's charismatic, appealing, & very funny as the brute-ugly-duckling-turned-swan. 'Miss Congeniality' never aims to be more than what it is. And that's another aspect of its success. This is a slight, but utterly charming movie. And just try to get that 'One In A Million' song out of your head when it's over.
Gracie Hart (good 'ole Sandra Bullock), a rough, tough, no-nonsense FBI agent is on the trail of a killer named 'The Citizen'. Clues lead Gracie (and her team) to believe that the killer will strike the Miss United States Pageant next. With news that the real Miss New Jersey had acted in a porno, a replacement would be in order. And after convincing Gracie & her partner (Benjamin Bratt) to get all Barbied-up, she enters the pageant as Miss New Jersey. Pageant director Kathy Morningside (a cheeky Candice Bergen) & pageant emcee Stan Fields (William Shatner) go along with it for the safety of their beloved competition.
Arrangements are made for a renowned beauty contest consultant, Vic Melling (Michael Caine), to give her a make-over. Seeing as this is Sandra Bullock we're talking about here, the transformation goes splendidly. He basically Eliza Doolittle's her; once garish & mousy, she is now elegant & beautiful. That said ... she still has a tendency to run-off her mouth. And although the killer is caught, Gracie keeps stumbling on clues that may prove the killer to NOT be the one they're looking for. While various pageant managers suddenly find themselves fired, Gracie starts to put 2 & 2 together.
As I mentioned, 'Miss Congeniality' is a guilty pleasure movie through & through. It is part comedy, part drama, part suspense, part action, etc. It's not particularly convincing in any of those genres, and yet, it works. The best segments of the film involve Gracie's transformation, her befriending the clueless contestants, practicing her bizarre talent portion of the pageant, the pageant itself, and the wacky one-liners and doings executed by the emcee of the event, played by endearingly wacky William Shatner. Also superb is Michael Caine's Vic Melling; who livens things up with his uppity "I know it all" bravado concerning beauty pageants, haha. Watching him & Bullock go at it with each other over etiquette/manners/beauty tips is hysterical.
The plot is obviously hokey. Some characterizations don't remain consistent. And any romantic chemistry btwn. Bullock & Benjamin Bratt falls flat. These mainstream Hollywood films need that requisite romantic subplot; so that's what it is ... merely requisite. But Bullock is the main reason to watch this film. She's charismatic, appealing, & very funny as the brute-ugly-duckling-turned-swan. 'Miss Congeniality' never aims to be more than what it is. And that's another aspect of its success. This is a slight, but utterly charming movie. And just try to get that 'One In A Million' song out of your head when it's over.