Back To Index Mona Lisa Smile
 Barnes & Noble Barnes & NobleJulia Roberts, whose career choices havent always been smart, picked a winner in this neatly directed drama, which unfolds in the rarified setting of Wellesley College during the early years of the Cold War. Roberts plays a free-spirited art teacher who finds her new assignment stultifying: Her well-to-do students seem less interested in expanding their minds and pursuing fulfilling careers than in marrying promising young scions of comparably proper breeding. Kirsten Dunst, in her most complex role since The Virgin Suicides, plays the ringleader of one student clique; intellectually gifted but insufferably snobbish, she deliberately shuns the adventure of personal achievement in favor of a conventional union sanctioned by her parents. Julia Stiles gets the less demanding but equally important role of a similarly talented pupil who finds herself yearning for something more than marriage and motherhood but fears abandoning the role for which she has prepared all her life. Director Mike Newell opts for a light touch, letting Roberts and company keep it on track with their sharply observed characterizations and spirited interplay. The younger actresses -- including Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is delightfully tart as the cliques resident "bad girl" -- all get ample opportunities to shine, and for her part Roberts refrains from upstaging them. Ultimately, Mona Lisa Smile is not a star vehicle but a true ensemble piece, and that helps make it a highly enjoyable viewing experience. Ed Hulse Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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