Nanny McPhee

The series Supernanny features a childcare expert who helps parents tame wild (and I mean wild) children. This woman performs miracles as the children turn into angels, and mum and dad almost cry with relief that little Freddy and Annabel are no longer deep frying the cat. However Nanny McPhee, a woman possessing a unique physical appearance, doesn’t subscribe to Supernanny’s reward system. Should Freddy put the slightest foot wrong, Nanny McPhee would more likely curse the little blighter with a magical malady than take a star off his chart. And it’s this unique style of child-rearing that Nanny McPhee brings to the children of Mr Brown, a widower in deep debt and under pressure from Great Aunt Adelaide, a rich yet batty relative, to marry the formidable Mrs Quickly. In the midst of this drama have the uncontrollable Brown Children met their match in Nanny McPhee?

This film is a real gem. A fantastic script by Emma Thompson makes it a gloriously old-fashioned English film, with a warm heart and genuine wit. It is filled with great performances from all the cast; Thompson delivering a restrained, subtle performance in the lead role and Angela Lansbury and Celia Imrie taking pride in their overkill. The young actors also deserve mention as they give great performances. Cheeky, mischievous and over the top; exactly what the role of the Brown children called for. They obviously enjoy themselves a great deal, something that adds to the charm of the film. The art direction deserves an Oscar it’s that good. The Harry Potter films and Lemony Snicket set a high bar for design, but Nanny McPhee has some of the best I’ve seen in a long time.

Ideal for indulging your inner child, Nanny McPhee has so much charm and magic it deserves recognition. Not for the cynical you’ve got to engage with the innocence of the film and let the child you once were watch the film. Just make sure it behaves.

Alex Breeze