The original roman a clef about the pampered lifestyles of the Upper East Side was a chick lit publishing sensation. As written by bitter former nannies, “The Nanny Diaries” supposedly ripped the lid off the way spoiled wealthy Manhattan parents — mothers in particular — abandon their childrearing responsibilities to hired strangers.
But despite the promising talent behind today’s movie adaptation of the fertile material, it turns out to be just an overly broad farce with little bite, few out-loud laughs and no real insight into its target arena.
The usually more charismatic Scarlett Johansson tries her hand at light comedy as Annie Braddock, a new college graduate in a quarter-life crisis who decides to try nanny-dom. She finds herself in the employ of the outrageously selfish, demanding and emotionally detached matron Mrs. X, played by a usually more nuanced Laura Linney.
Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the previously edgy writing-directing team behind “American Splendor” — that brilliant 2003 indie biopic about lowlife cartoonist Harvey Pekar — helm the production
Their version of “Nanny Diaries” is meant to be a revealing, juicy cinematic satire in which the help takes its revenge on the elite, not unlike last year’s “The Devil Wears Prada.” Unfortunately, Linney as an exaggerated caricature of a mommy villain here doesn’t hold a candle to the seething, passive-aggressive Meryl Streep who killed in the equivalent role in “Prada.”
The filmmakers try to make this funny by framing the story through the protagonist’s voiceover narration as an anthropological study of the customs of a strange subculture of couture-wearing, spa-addicted natives. They also add in a few references to the false idealism of Mary Poppins as a counterpoint to the postmodern, urban nanny life. But without hilarious and yet still believable characters to anchor the story in some kind of truth, this “Diaries” becomes a minor ode to class warfare or at least inter-class misunderstanding.
A standard romantic comedy subplot, with “Fantastic Four” cutie ChrisEvans as Johansson’s love interest, provides little oomph. Alicia Keys is a grounding big-screen presence as the heroine’s best friend. But it is a secondary featured part by the great character actor Paul Giamatti that steals this show. The under-appreciated “American Splendor” and “Sideways” star portrays the smarmy workaholic dad Mr. X. The derisive creep cheats on his wife, ignores his little son and hits on the nanny with delicious relish.
And he may be the only thing in these “Diaries” worth writing about.
‘The Nanny Diaries’
**
» Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti
» Directors: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
» Rated PG-13 for language
» Running Time: 105 minutes
