Nurse Betty 2000
I knew nothing at all about this movie when I went in except that the paper gave it an A- and what little the ad tells you. It was a pleasant surprise and entertaining throughout. Already from reviews I’ve read since I wonder if I would have enjoyed it as much if I had known more so I recommend you don’t read much about it.
The cast is solid: Renee Zellweger, Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, and Greg Kinnear. They’re a mixed bag to be sure. Fortunately (or not) the movie is a mixed bag too and requires such a diverse cast. Morgan Freeman plays a reflective lifelong hit man at the end of his career. Chris Rock is his brash apprentice. Greg Kinnear is in a role similar to the corporate sponsored superhero of Mystery Men: he’s a soap opera star playing a doctor and the object of Zellweger’s affections. He too has been in his career a little too long. Renee Zellweger’s character is a modern-day Dorothy, a victim of odd circumstances that take her far away from Kansas.
Though there are many very good elements here, it never mixes harmoniously. Much of this could almost be an episode of Gilligan’s Island with the mistaken identities, amnesia, crazy coincidences, and a neat ending that brings everyone together for a big finale. I kept thinking there should be just a little more to it. Chris Rock never gets a chance to really let go. Morgan Freeman is a little too reflective for a guy that kills people.
Still, I found it quite enjoyable. It never really drags and there are a lot of good (though small) laughs. A warning: though in many ways this is a lite movie, it still has at least one very graphically violent scene and there is always a level of violent menace.
B+