Annie 2014 (Movie Review)

Dir: Will Gluck
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne, Quvenzhane Wallis
Dur: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Musical-Drama
Rating: 4/5

Annie is a wonderful story told through song and dialogue. The story’s key concept is sharing and how it can make us more human. It’s set in the skyscraping city of New York and dramatizes the life of a poor orphan.
Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) and a few other girls, all orphans, live in the care of a snobbish lady, Colleen (Cameron Diaz). The hopeful candidate for Mayor, William Stacks (Jamie Foxx), on the advice of his publicity manager, first spends time and later semi-adopts Annie, to boost his chances of becoming Mayor. Here’s where the fun starts. Annie is a misfit in the luxurious world of Will. One who is used to cramped surroundings, scoldings and the streets will definitely find it hard to live in plush and spacious spaces. But it never takes very long to adjust and so very soon we hear Annie crooning “I think I’m gonna like it here”. She tries to fit into William’s systematic and disciplined lifestyle but all her attempts are met with incredulity and distrust. Her pillar of support is Grace (Rose Byrne), Will‘s secretary, who is also secretly in love with him.
The plot develops along expected lines but the manner of narrating and particularly the songs give it a whiff of difference. The acting is appealing for children with doses of humour, romance and even drama. Jamie really carries the film through. Cameron excellently portrays an eccentric and erratic care-taker and Rose is also good as the demure yet attractive secretary. 
This is a nice film to relax with on a Saturday night with the whole family.


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