Mr. Brown, a funeral home director and widowed father of seven, needs all the help he can get. His brood has managed to get rid of 17 nannies -- the last nanny bursting out of the front door in a fit of screams. Mr. Brown is in utter distress over this situation until a voice says: "The person you need is Nanny McPhee."
Just to set the record straight, Nanny McPhee is nothing like Mary Poppins. Though both are nannies in charge of a lot of children, their approaches to childcare initially appear to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Nanny McPhee foregoes spoonfuls of sugar for sickening measles medicine in this dark family comedy.
In fact, despite its vividly colored cinematography, Nanny McPhee initially seems too dark a film for small children. Frequent references to death and a child with early manifestations of a serial killer -- he owns a toy-sized guillotine -- makes one uncomfortable. Audience members who stay in their seats, however, will find that the film's tone brightens as the story develops. Nanny McPhee is filled with enough unexpected twists and magical displays on the part of its namesake to be entertaining.
From her first appearance at the Brown residence as "a government nanny," McPhee's homely appearance and icy demeanor signal that she is a far cry from the sweet, doting nannies one usually associates with childcare. Emma Thompson exudes the perfect blend of ominous power and compassionate wisdom in her portrayal of the title character. Through Thompson, the cane-toting Nanny McPhee becomes both a woman to fear and to love.
Thompson is joined in this production by Colin Firth, who steps out of his usual serious roles to portray Mr. Brown. Angela Lansbury fills out the cast as the rich Great Aunt Adelaide, the uppity and nearly-blind relative who threatens to separate the children. Firth easily gains audience sympathy as Mr. Brown while Lansbury's Adelaide is snobby yet hilarious.
The child actors do an exceptional job in making the audience believe they are frightful brats, capable of expelling nannies from their home. Thomas Sangster, of Love Actually fame, plays eldest Brown sibling Simon to full rebellious splendor, while Raphael Coleman is a scene-stealer as the mischievous and sadistic sibling, Eric.
Thompson's wonderful screenplay is a large part of the film's successful audience connection. Clearly, Thompson takes the knowledge she gained from her Oscar-winning screenplay for Sense and Sensibility and applied it to this story, based on the Nurse Matilda books. The plot unfolds without a hitch and each line is filled with meaning.
Early on, Nanny McPhee says to the children, "When you need me, but do not want me, then I will stay. When you want me, but do not need me, then I have to go."
Though this line holds importance for the Brown children, audience members should be glad that the same rule does not apply to them. Nanny McPhee will be around as long as they want to go see the film.
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