_Nurse_Betty_ (R) **** (out of ****)
Neil LaBute, writer-director of the cynical (and brilliant) bile-fests _In_the_Company_of_Men_ and _Your_Friends_&_Neighbors_, would be the last person one would expect to bring a fairy tale story to the screen, but that's exactly what he has done with _Nurse_Betty_. But this being LaBute, this is an atypical fairy tale story made even more so through the filter of a decidedly dark lens--and the film would not be quite the subversively funny and all-around memorable entertainment that it is without him.
Given the lightness at the heart of _Nurse_Betty_, it's not surprising that this is the first LaBute film to not have a screenplay credited to him. The scribes responsible are John C. Richards and James Flamberg, and what a deliciously delirious story they weave in their Cannes Fest-winning screenplay. To give too much away would be criminal, so I'll leave the synopsis simple. When we first meet Betty Sizemore (Renée Zellweger), she is a waitress and loyal viewer of the soap opera _A_Reason_to_Love_. After witnessing a traumatic event, Betty, under the delusion that she is a nurse, hits the road toward Los Angeles to find her true love, Loma Vista Hospital's Dr. David Ravell--_A_Reason_to_Love_'s resident heartthrob doc, played by actor George McCord (Greg Kinnear). Did I also mention that in hot pursuit of Betty are hitmen Charlie (Morgan Freeman) and Wesley (Chris Rock)?
This just sets the stage for even wilder twists, which point up the irony of the film: as Betty actively pursues life in a soap, the real life she ignores becomes just as, if not more, outrageous than one. But even for a film as plot-heavy as _Nurse_Betty_, characters, not story points, are what's to be savored the most, and the actors effortlessly navigate their roles' often bizarre evolutions. Betty's transformation--which really isn't one so much as a shift from one side of her personality to another--is fluidly handled by Zellweger, and she is mirrored by the more subtle, gradual change that overcomes Freeman's Charlie the closer he gets to his prey.
With this fascinating pair at the center of the film, it would seem to follow that supporting players get the short shrift, but each role, regardless of how small, is nailed by their respective portrayer. Kinnear's usual smarmy charm bit gets a new freshness within the wildly creative context; Rock, while tossing off the expected profane one-liners, is rather shocking in his portrayal of his ferocious hothead character. Also lending most welcome flavor and zing to the picture are Tia Texada as Betty's bewildered L.A. roommate, Alison Janney as the producer of _A_Reason_to_Love_, and LaBute regular Aaron Eckhart as Betty's sleazy car salesman husband.
Lest you think that _Nurse_Betty_ is all wacky zaniness, don't think LaBute's naturally dark sensibilities never enter the picture--they do, and in the form of some graphic violence. Other critics have criticized the film because of it, but the bloodshed--and the sometimes excessive nature of it--provides a necessary contrast that keeps the audience off-kilter; one never knows when Betty's fantasy world could take a hairpin turn back into brutal reality. That unpredictability and tension, as further carried out by the top-notch performances and writing, give _Nurse_Betty_ the drive to carry the audience past any lingering disbelief and into some silly, smart, and strange cinematic heights.
Michael Dequina twotrey@juno.com | jordan_host@sportsmail.com | mrbrown@iname.com Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://www.moviereportsite.com CinemaReview Magazine: http://www.CinemaReview.com on ICQ: #25289934 | on AOL Instant Messenger: MrBrown23
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