Maid in Manhattan (2002) User Reviews

Fantasy for a single mom ?

[ebiros2 · 5/10 · 25 April 2011]

Nice fantasy romance starring Jennifer Lopez that seems to rank high amongst her fans.

Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is a single parent maid working at a high end hotel in Manhattan. She meets Chris (Ralph Finnes) a wealthy politician who finds her son cute and also falls for her head over heels, but he thinks she's also from a privileged background. Soon he finds out her true identity. Will her romance survive ?

This is a modern day Cinderella story. By no effort of her own, she goes from a maid to becoming affiliated with the highest echelon of the society. Coveted, desired and protected by a strong man who also likes her son and is very nice to him as well. It's an escapism, but it works.

The opinions may be divided on this movie. Some may find the story too convenient. Other's may find the story a transporting experience for 100 minutes. One thing is for sure. If someone else played the lead, this movie would have been just a soap opera, but credit goes to Jennifer Lopez for turning a flop into a box office success. She brings quality to the movie that wouldn't deserve the class if she wasn't in it.

Surprisingly OK

[Mis_Behavin · 6/10 · 6 November 2007]

I actually thought this film wasn't bad. It wasn't a masterpiece, but then again I don't think it ever had aspirations to be.

J-Lo does a good job to pull off her role nicely - although in the beginning I couldn't help but think 'Oh look - it's Jennifer Lopez, prime diva, pretending to be poor'.

Even more amazingly is that Mr Pretentious - step forward Ralph 'it's pronounced Rafe' Fiennes - does a good job in making his role believable.

With a good supporting cast this film trundles along nicely. It's never going to change your life but not bad for whiling away a boring afternoon if you've nothing better to do.

I liked it

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 5/10 · 2 August 2007]

I rented Maid in Manhattan the other day and watched it last night, but before I had watched it, I looked at the rating on IMDb and I saw the low rating and I was like "Oh, no, I've picked another bad movie". I don't know why I wanted to see this movie, just I figured I needed a romantic comedy in my selection, so I just grabbed it and even after that rating I thought this was going to be a bad movie. But as it turns out this really wasn't a bad movie at all. Yeah, it has minor flaws here and there, this isn't movie of the year, but over all I would say that it was pretty cute.

Marisa is a single mom in Manhattan who is a working maid in one of the top hotels. She is also up for a big promotion as a manager and is hoping to help her fellow employees. When she and a co-worker are just fooling around and wondering what it's like to try on over 5,000 dollars worth of clothes, Marisa gets caught by a politician who her son is excited to meet. She has to convince him that nothing can happen between them without letting him know what she did and who she really is, but it might be too strong of a connection for both of them to let go so easily.

Maid in Manhattan is predictable and I think Marisa's character wasn't really as developed as I would like her to be because she came off as kinda rude and judgmental. But over all, I wouldn't say this is a 4.5 rated movie, I think people were probably just jumping on the movie because it is Jennifer Lopez, I would agree, I'm not into her either, but I can't resist if I do like a movie or not and I wanna be honest if I like a movie. So please just give the movie a shot if you're looking for a sweet romantic comedy.

5/10

great movie

[flOorKilla · 7 January 2004]

this movie is great!I just seen it, and I almost cry at the end........ this guy uphere is total idiot, its not true that movie sucks. of course, you can't compare it with movie hits ... like.... I don't know... it's maybe not must see movie but I recommend you to

greetings from Croatia, Zagreb!

Totally Unmaid

[marcosaguado · 1/10 · 19 May 2005]

Somebody brought the DVD. After the movie was over, nobody would own up as to who had the brilliant idea. Well Wayne Wang, remember "Smoke"? Ralph Finnes for heaven's sake, a very particular actor, very choosy or so I hear and Jennifer Lopez in the hands of a good director can deliver, remember "Out of Sight"? No. The movie seems written by people who've never seen a Preston Sturges or a Billy Wilder movie. It is a sub TV movie of the week. Even Bob Hoskins playing the Hector Elizondo part of "Pretty Woman" can't save the day. Only Natasha Richardson in an all out performance managed to make me smile. There was a time in Hollywood, not so long ago, when you could get a film made if you had Steve Guttenberg in it. Jennifer Lopez is the Steve Guttenberg of the new millennium. I don't understand how something so thoughtless, tasteless and utterly un-redeeming could get made in Manhattan, Hollywood or anywhere else. Somebody should tell Jennifer Lopez that she's not Audrey Hepburn or Jean Arthur. There is a sort of hardness about her that makes her anti-romantic. Her wardrobe as the Maid of the title is utterly insane. As is every attempt at sincerity. I'm sure Jennifer Lopez has talent but not certainly for romantic comedies. She keeps making them though. I bet she would be great in steamy melodramas. I would cast Miss. Lopez in the Bette Davis part in a remake of "Beyond the Forest"

Defining Moments

[writestuff-793-816916 · 7/10 · 17 July 2010]

This is a warm-heated story with a predictable plot. It may not be a great film, but but it is good entertainment. And the highlight of the movie may be hidden in a soliloquy, rather than revealed at the end. Every good story offers hope and this film delivers that. Its characters also experience transformation thanks to several easily-overlooked defining moments. So watch and enjoy the film for entertainment. Then watch it again, and again, for the pleasure of discovering the tapestry of truths it contains.

This is every bit as good a film as "The Wedding Planner" and Fiennes portrays a politico who learns the world doesn't revolve around himself. To some that might seem like fantasy, but it doesn't detract from the story. The supporting cast is a delightful menagerie. And perhaps the best role is that of Lionel Bloch, played by Bob Hoskins, who portrayed Smee in "Hook."

This isn't just another chick flick. And guys may need a few Kleenex. They will definitely be glad that Jennifer Lopez didn't wear another dress.

Don't waste your time - watch "Sabrina" once again instead!

[debblyst · 2/10 · 29 December 2004]

The story? Cliché, cliché, cliché, the umpteenth remake of Cinderella with not a single interesting addition. The script? Formula (and lame at that). The cast? Jennifer Lopez's turn as Cinderella/Sabrina proves she does not remotely belong to "rags-to-Princess" roles; she is galaxies away from Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly (or even "Pretty Woman" Julia Roberts), no matter how expensive the jewelry or costumes she wears. Ralph Fiennes seems to be on an O.D. of Prozac, with a perennial foolish smile on his face, wishing he were Cary (or even Hugh!) Grant -- shame to see a talented actor in such a puffy role. Natasha Richardson is wasted in the obligatory dumb blonde part, Stanley Tucci hams it up irritatingly, Bob Hoskins knows and shows his role is an embarrassment. On a less negative note, kid Tyler Posey is a real charmer, and manages to survive his "cutie" part. The direction? Well, no doubt Wayne Wang is a professional and I hope he was paid a LOT of money to lend his prestigious name to this fluffy cake - I only wish the word "professionalism" were taken more seriously, as in "professional integrity"...Where is the Wayne Wang that directed the surrealistic "Life is Cheap...But Toilet Paper is Expensive" and the cool "Smoke"?

Sit through this only if you are in a hypoglycemic fit; otherwise watch "Sabrina" once again and marvel at real star power, witty dialog and charm to spare!

Well, I liked it!

[MusicalMagpie · 7/10 · 9 October 2007]

So many people have already written reviews of this movie, which has been out for five years now, that I am not going to go into detail about the plot, or the acting, or whether the storyline is predictable, or how cute Ty Posey was. I am merely going to say that I watched it tonight for the first time with my 13-year old daughter and we both enjoyed it immensely. I found Jennifer Lopez a bit stiff in places, but overall she handled the role well. I do not understand why so many people had problems with Ralph Finnes in this movie, I found him not only believable but incredibly sexy, and I hope he gets the opportunity to do more romantic comedies! Bob Hoskins stole every scene he was in. Stanley Tucci chewed scenery. Natasha Richardson was suitably selfish and blonde. New York was lovely. The dog overacted shamelessly. The movie was not perfect, but it was delightful. The only wrong note was the series of magazine covers at the end, showing what happened to the characters; it was much too "cute" and rather unbelievable (all three of her maid friends become hotel managers?) And I was rather disappointed that - for all the film's brave talk of crossing social barriers - the movie ends with nothing more than a magazine cover with the headline "A year later, they are still together". I felt cheated.

Entirely Unoriginal Retelling Of The Cinderella Story

[sddavis63 · 2/10 · 23 June 2003]

So, let's see. A hotel maid meets a candidate for the Senate, except that she's all fancied up when she meets him so he doesn't know she's a maid - he thinks she's some rich socialite - and they fall in love until reality comes crashing in. Sounds like Cinderella. There's even some folk cast in the wicked stepmother role, except in this case it's the wicked hotel guest (Natasha Richardson) whose identity Marisa the maid (Jennifer Lopez) steals.

This really was a sad case for a movie, filled with completely unbelievable scenes: Marisa is really going to be allowed to borrow a fabulously valuable necklace from the hotel jewelry shop? 10 year old Ty (Tyler Posey) is really going to be able to get into a news conference with a Senate candidate - and ask questions?! And Ralph Fiennes as a serious Senate candidate?

Believe me, this is not worth the effort of watching.

2/10

Cinderella without fragile shoes

[vanvanhorn · 7/10 · 14 September 2010]

So it's Cinderella. It's hard to imagine why that would bother anyone who'd seen the trailer, by the time you sit down to watch the movie you know the plot.

I may be the last person on earth to see Jennifer Lopez outside the checkout line. She's not bad looking but didn't impress me all that greatly as an actress, but she did tell the story. This may be a light- weight role for Fiennes (duh!) but I thought he carried it off well. The kid (Ty) was great, and Bob Hoskins was wonderful.

I think Pygmalian (Pretty Woman) is a better story, and Julia Roberts is obviously head and shoulders above Jennifer Lopez, but I certainly don't regret adding it to my Netflix queue!

Van

Jinitera Lopez

[nafps · 1/10 · 18 January 2022]

If this is a Cinderella story, then guess who the other maids in the story are? That's right, they are the rats, the cute little helper funny animals.

Lopez in this story is not just a maid, but a jinitera. That's a hustler.

The story has her posing as well off, then having sex with the rich white guy so she can marry up. Yes, that's a hustler all right.

That's not Cinderella. That's a horrible message.

Wonderful "Feel Good" Movie

[sarahbelle77 · 10/10 · 11 May 2003]

So you'll know where I'm coming from, some of my favorite movies are "Parent Trap," "Father of the Bride," "Kate & Leopold." If you like these kinds of movies that leave you feeling good and happy about life, then you'll enjoy this tastefully done movie as well. I could have done without a certain scene between the two, but this movie has a lot to offer, and has a moral to teach as well. It has strong characters of positive principles, and there's even an "older man mentor," like from "Pretty Women," that adds that wholesome touch to the film.

Sincerely charming

[jooyoonchung · 7/10 · 18 September 2005]

There's something refreshingly sincere about this movie. The lead actors seem to have a genuine connection. The lack of awkwardness Lopez's character displays as she tries to fit into high-society perhaps is not quite realistic; she seems to be able to transition back and forth a bit too easily. But realism, which seems to be the stylistic fad these days, especially among snobby "high-art" movie ... ahem ... FILM goers, is not really the point here. To criticize the movie on those aspects would be silly (just as silly as it would be criticize Cinderella on those grounds ... and it isn't pumpkin carriages that I'm talking about).

While the story has been told many times before, it's not alone in that respect. If anything, that only goes to affirm the universality of the rags-to-riches love story. If you're looking for a charming, funny, and sincere update to Cinderella, you could do worse than to watch Maid in Manhattan. 7/10.

Save your time and money

[Buff2001 · 1/10 · 24 December 2002]

I am almost a person who never saw a romantic comedy I did not like but Maid in Manhattan is pure garbage. I find it impossible to match the Ralph Finnes of "The End of the Affair", etc. to his feeble effort in this debacle.

As far a Jennifer Lopez is concerned she is obviously the result of 100% hype. Her acting talent level is near zero.

The plot is beyond absurd!!

Not particularly bad...

[x111b3825 · 22 February 2004]

This will win no awards, probably incite no significant discussions on content and is cliched and what not, but...

It's not poorly done. While it is not as fleshed out as it may have been, and it will never (as I already noted) be compared to the works of Chaplin and D.W. Griffith, it's just another one of those formulaic little Saturday afternoon, feel-good love stories with beautiful characters saying and doing all we expect to conclude in a happy ending. If you like this, you will like Lopez' other work the wedding planner which is just about the same thing with a changed storyline and different, handsome male lead.

Suck is life in pumping out simple stories to appeal to the masses who don't spend their afternoons critiquing works here!

Different movie but the same Jennifer Lopez

[LT56Simms11 · 1/10 · 8 June 2005]

It is really not necessary to see this Lopez flick if you have seen any one of her other movies! She doesn't play characters similar to one another, she plays the SAME character in all of her films. Poor struggling girl meets handsome rich guy while she pretends to be someone she is not. Rich guy finds out the truth but doesn't care that he was deceived because of course HE LOVES HER(YAWN)! Ralph Fiennes is believable as the rich handsome politician because unlike Lopez, he can actually ACT! The only people I would recommend this movie to are Jennifer Lopez fans only because of the fact that they obviously don't mind that she can't sing, so they will not care that she can't act either!

I thought it was ok

[thisizaustin · 6/10 · 26 April 2004]

This wasn't one of my favorite movies, but I wouldn't mind watching it again. I am glad I didn't pay for it!! I thought JLo wasn't as bad in this as she has been in others. She actually did a great job of portraying "real" emotion as a single mother. (which wouldn't be too easy for her considering she doesn't have any kids) But she didn't seem to even like Ralph in the movie let alone "love" him.

As for Ralph, come on!! He plays a GREAT scary/creepy guy but I don't think he should ever do a romantic comedy again. Yes he had some really sweet lines, but they would have been so much sweeter if delivered from a heart breaker like Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Jackman, or Johnny Dep. Everytime he smiled I thought he looked like he was about to slash her thoat (not saying that would have been a bad thing) The sweetest part of the movie was the stuffed penguin.

They didn't have a drop of chemistry. But all in all it wasn't TOO bad. It was still a sweet story.

I did like Stanley Tucci in this and the maid that put in JLo's application (not sure what her name is) I thought they were at least believable.

I gave it a 6/10 for enjoyment value.

One more time, without feeling.

[lambiepie-2 · 1/10 · 31 December 2002]

I saw this film on a sneak preview and although I was understanding that this them had been done over and over and over again, I still went to see it? Why? I like Ralph Finnes, and I was hoping that Jennifer Lopez had a film that was good enough for her. Well, I still like Ralph Finnes, and I am still waiting for a film that is worthy of Jennifer Lopez's talents. If film makers are going to take a "Cinderella" story and remake it, redo it, reshow it for the upmteenth time, at least be somewhat creative.

Ralph and Jennifer had about as much chemistry as oil and water. And I don't wish to get into the numerous sterotypes sprinkled throughout this story. Everyone connected should hang their head in shame just for that. This is one of those films that when it arrives on tv and you have absolutely nothing to watch, your Prozac prescription ran out, it's raining balls of fire outside and you're just stuck and bored lifeless and Disney has locked all of its versions of "Cinderella" away for 25 years, then you'll watch this film. Under those circumstances, you may find it entertaining, but even then I don't think it'll hold up for another viewing.

no masterpiece but worth a look

[kwenz · 7/10 · 26 October 2004]

I think this movie is underrated. This one is no masterpiece in film making, but if like romantic movies in general you'll like it. It is a new Cinderella story, if you like: The Maid meets the Politician who fells in love with her - because he's mistaking her for a hotel guest. The Maid thinks he only likes her because she's rich - not for herself. Will they come together? Happy End Guaranteed... Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes are good headliners for this movie. All other Actors - including Bob Hoskins in a supporting role - do a good job. In its Genre I'll give this movie 7 out of 10.

You're getting sleepy, very sleepy....

[thehardyboyz2043 · 4/10 · 17 December 2002]

(Spoilers) that is what I felt was being said to me throughout this very typical and very obvious romantic comedy. That being said I was awake enough to notice the on-screen chemistry between Fiennes and Lopez was considerably better than in most standard issue romantic flicks. The plot involves Lopez working as a hotel maid, who through a series of events is mistaken for a hotel guest by New York Senatorial candidate Chris Marshall and sparks fly between them almost instantly. It's obvious these two will end up together by the time the film ends, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, unless of course you've been living under a rock and have never seen a romantic comedy before. Of course the big scene pops up towards the end where the guy finds out the girl has lied to him, but not to worry (I pity you if you have up to this point) for the guy will forgive her as is obvious from the first 20 mins. of the film. I have seen far worse movies of this genre than "Maid" but that doesn't mean this is a great or even a good movie. It's decent, though sleep inducing for anyone who has seen this stuff before. ** stars.

All the way back to "Cinderella" and beyond.

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 18 February 2009]

Was Jennifer Lopez going through an "I want to be Julia Roberts" phase in 2002? That was the year in which she made "Enough", a shameless rip-off of "Sleeping with the Enemy" and followed it up with "Maid in Manhattan", which bears a certain resemblance to another Roberts film, "Pretty Woman".

Like "Pretty Woman", this is a romantic comedy based upon a "poor girl loves rich man" storyline. The poor girl is Marisa Ventura, a divorcée with a ten-year-old son working as a maid in a smart Manhattan hotel. The rich man is Christopher Marshall, scion of a wealthy family and senatorial candidate staying as a guest in the hotel. Chris is, unexpectedly, a Republican, a detail presumably inserted in a bid to dispel those persistent rumours that Hollywood's main function is to act as the Democratic Party's amen corner. The two meet and are attracted to one another, but, owing to a misunderstanding, Chris believes that Marisa is Caroline Lane, a wealthy British socialite who is another guest at the hotel. Chris invites "Caroline Lane" to lunch, but he is confused when the real Caroline shows up instead of Marisa. Further complications ensue, including the real Caroline taking a fancy to Chris and Marisa losing her job, but this being a rom-com we know that true love will prevail in the end.

Jennifer Lopez has some dreadful films on her CV, especially the badly-written, badly-acted and thoroughly nasty "Enough", and the hilariously bad "Anaconda", a sort of fifties monster movie resurrected for the nineties. (I must admit I have never seen "Gigli", widely quoted as being the nadir of her career; if it is worse than either of those films it must be bad indeed). "Maid in Manhattan", however, is one of her better performances, not least because she enunciates all her lines clearly, something which is not always the case with her, and makes Marisa- hard-working, determined and caring- a very likable heroine.

Rather surprisingly, Ralph Fiennes, who is often at his best playing villainous characters as in "Schindler's List" or "The Duchess", makes an equally likable hero. The rather reserved Chris seems more like an English gentleman than an American politician; there is perhaps a hint that his desire for a seat in the Senate owes more to family tradition than to ideological commitment; both his father and grandfather were Senators before him. The real political animal is his frantically hyperactive spin doctor Jerry (played by Stanley Tucci, who had played a rather similar role the previous year in "America's Sweethearts"). There is an amusing, if somewhat one-dimensional, contribution from Natasha Richardson as the spoilt, bitchy Caroline. The acting honours were stolen, however, by young Tyler Posey, utterly delightful as Marisa's son Ty who plays a key role in bringing his mother and Chris together. Ty is a budding intellectual who has become something of an expert on the 1970s, especially the presidency of Richard Nixon.

I don't think that "Maid in Manhattan" is as good as "Pretty Woman", which had rather more in the way of character development and psychological depth. Garry Marshall's film gained a bit of extra edge by making its heroine a prostitute and its hero a businessman suffering a crisis of conscience about his less-than-ethical business methods. Marisa and Chris, by comparison, are just a bit too nice right from the beginning. Yet the film, as a whole, is an enjoyable one, if not a particularly original one. Besides "Pretty Woman" it also owes a debt to the Audrey Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart "Sabrina" and to countless other films, plays, novels and stories all the way back to "Cinderella" and beyond. Yet this lack of originality does not necessarily matter in a romantic comedy; the genre, after all, is a highly formulaic one which relies upon a few well-worn plots. What matters is the way in which the basic idea is developed, and "Maid in Manhattan" handles its theme with wit and humour. It's not exactly a realistic film either, but then rom-coms were never intended to be exercises in realism. It will provide enjoyable viewing for anyone looking for something romantic and escapist. 6/10

Time Capsule Movie

[dromasca · 4/10 · 26 May 2003]

Let me tell you what I think happened here. Somebody wrote a script in the 50s for a Christmas movie about a maid in Manhattan. The movie was supposed to star Audrey Hepburn and Carry Grant, but they must have been busy that year - or maybe somebody realized that the Cinderella-inspired script is not that good. Anyway, the film was never made in the 50s, and the script got forgotten in some hidden drawer, until one day it fell in the hands of the director, or producer of this flop.

Sorry, but this is how it looks. Story, music, directing are so fiftish, like the film has been made in some time capsule. JLo succeeds to be less attractive than in any of her other movies, not to speak of the video clips. Everything is damned boring and predictable. I rated this film 4/10 on my personal scale, and it would have been scored even worse, without the great performance of Bob Hoskins. Where did this fabulous actor hide lately? Why did he not become the great star everybody hoped he will be when he did 'Mona Lisa'? If anybody knows an answer, or has some educated guess, throw me an e-mail please!

A positive note about the movie.

[michielvanaerschot · 8/10 · 3 September 2004]

I just saw the movie and checked IMDb right away, where I found that this movie only had a score of 4.6 which I find to little. Why? There are some reasons. But first, when I watched this movie I knew always what was going to come, you can see in advance where the movie is going to. This is why I think the movie gets such low score. Unjust I feel, when you go to see this movie or rent it, I assume you know that it's a romantic movie? By the title of the movie you could very much assume that it's a feel good movie. So when you bring these 2 together you pretty much know what's gonna happen if you read the back of the movie box. Why rent it then? For it's purpose, it makes you feel good. Two people falling in love is always a nice thing and seeing how they cross boundary's for that love is even nicer. Thus I think that the movie succeeded in what he was made for. To give people the romance and the good feeling. Go see this movie with your girl/boyfriend if he or she doesn't dislike this kind of movies and sure you will feel happier about your own relationship as well. Because there is nothing heavy about this movie. That's what makes it so good in his genre. Do not watch this movie for super acting skills (although I do not dislike the acting). Do not go and see him for the directors special thricks to tell you things. Go see this movie for the romance and positive note and for sure you will not be disappointed.

Maid in Notting Hill

[Mattias · 7/10 · 7 May 2006]

Remember the romantic comedy Notting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts? This is very similar but moved across the pond: a famous person accidentally meeting and falling in love with a regular guy/girl. Keeping the romance secret, the breakup and the concluding press conference where all the pieces fall together.

Too bad Ralph Fiennes is stiff as a board compared with Hugh Grant and the romance between him and Marisa the maid is quite unconvincing. Jennifer Lopez fares pretty well but I wish she would broaden her range of roles and play something else than gorgeous but feisty Latino women.

The message that the high and mighty usually ignores maids, butlers, waiters or servants got lost somewhere and in the end the spunky maid wasn't a maid at all but management material. But what can you expect from a romantic comedy?

movie or pile of crap?

[Jar1239 · 1/10 · 12 January 2003]

The answer is pile o' crap! It's the tallest pile of crap to come along since Runaway Bride. J-Lo is the new Julia! Yes that's right. We have a new most annoying female in Hollywood. I am pretty sure this movie was written by Harry and Lloyd. I give it a negative nine out of positive ten.