You would think the name “Nanny Mcphee” would put fear in the hearts of naughty children everywhere. But, judging by the numbers on seats for the preview, it seems the endearing story of a repulsive looking childminder brought in on the wind to look after unruly families’ marks a resemblance to real life throughout the ages.
Easily identifiable characters and behaviour that all parents will be familiar with, Nanny Mcphee and the Big Bang offers a heart-warming tale set in the countryside during war time Britain. With a charming 1940’s lifestyle that most of us remember being told about, debt problems, an absent parent and a scheming uncle, played by Welshman Rhys Ifans, all add to the comforting sense that we have been there before.
And for me that is the one problem with the film. It wasn’t different enough. Admittedly Emma Thompson, of whom I am an enormous fan, did a great job with her character, as did Maggie Smith as the bumbling shopkeeper and who gained the biggest laughs throughout the film.
The full British cast, Ralph Fiennes, Ewan McGregor, Sam Kelly, Bill Bailey, Katie Brand to name but a few added credibility to the film as a whole and, with a well chosen soundtrack, brought out the sense of warmth memories of that era imply. But for me it was not until the end that the film came together. The sentiment was the same as the first film, cleverly tying the two together and ending on a “nice” note.
So there we have it. This was a nice film that the whole family can enjoy. No real surprises but exactly what you expect it to be. And as Easter is family time then this could be the perfect alternative to all that sickly chocolate.
