Emma Thompson once again uses her magic to bring order out of chaos with the inimitable "Nanny" she has created, this time as the "Army Nanny" during World War Two in England. Yes, this film is aimed at children, so adults may be put off by the over the top performances of some of the other actors. Plot is that the Soldier husband of Maggie Gyllenhal (playing with an English accent) is away at war, and Rhys Ifans his brother (hiss/boo) is trying to get her to sign off on selling the farm (of which he is half owner) so he can pay off gambling debt he owes to two obnoxious women who won't take no for an answer. The fighting and yelling and overall horrible behavior of the children (iincluding rich city cousins who've been sent to the country to avoid bombings in London) in the first part of the film (proof positive that we "need Nanny McPhee") is hard to take, but once Nanny McPhee takes over with her "five lesson" plan-- the real fun begins. You've got to love her in this role. Wonderful as always, Maggie Smith rounds out the cast, with Ralph Fiennes as a perfect unsmiling, undemonstrative, uptight War Department official - father of the cousins . (and the child actors are all excellent)
Watching five little pigs doing a choreographed water ballet is priceless (not to mention summersaults on tree branches!). Yes, I like this film. I'd go see a sequel. THREE STARS -but not for jaded critics, only for the very young in heart. SP
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