MONA LISA SMILE
Released: December 19, 2003
British director Mike Newell made it big with "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994) and successfully directed a film about American gangsters starring Al Pacino ("Donny Brasco", 1997). Now Newell tackles his inevitable Julia Roberts vehicle "Mona Lisa Smile", which is essentially a "Dead Poet's Society" for young women. Julia Roberts is great as per usual as is Julia Stiles, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marcia Gay Harden and Topher Grace. The movie gains a lot of points by not employing a broad stereotyping of characters. The movie runs a familiar course but it's enjoyable to watch as it goes, with a cast as great as this one...
117 Minutes
Columbia/Sony