With little or no effort one can successfully argue the fact that the romantic comedy is a predictable, formulaic genre of film. The rehashing of ages old fairy stories with one-dimensional characters has been done over and over again and will continue to be done. Is it any wonder that the critics are merciless in the reviewing of these films? Take the latest offering, Penelope, for example. With its Ugly Duckling theme and the fact that the film itself has reportedly been delayed for two years, not to mention that it is being released during the month where film dreams go to die, February, it wouldn’t be surprising to be able to uphold Penelope as an example of all that is wrong with this genre of film.

What is truly surprising, however, is that Penelope defies the odds and instead represents just what is and can be right about romantic comedies.

Director Mark Palansky took a script by Leslie Caveny and created a film that is both slightly askew and visually stunning enough to cause it to shine amongst those films which have gone before. The story is certainly that of the ugly duckling, but the film makers twist it ever so slightly so that it becomes a Fractured Fairytale retelling of the story. And that is what makes this movie a gem.

Penelope is the innocent victim of a curse placed on her father’s side of the family many, many generations ago. The result of that curse is that Penelope is born deformed, in this case with the nose of a pig. The curse is thorough and binding in a way that makes today’s ease of plastic surgery makeovers an impossibility. As is the way of curses, this one can be broken–Penelope merely needs to be loved for who she is by one of her own kind (a wealthy blue blood). Things are hampered somewhat by the family’s decision to declare Penelope dead in her infancy and raise her in secret. It is this solitude upon which much of the humor and pathos of the movie hinges.

Penelope rates an all star cast with Christina Ricci in the titular role. I have long been a Ricci fan and I told my wife afterwards that the only place I really had to suspend my disbelief in this fairy tale film was with the idea that men would find her ugly because of a mere pig nose. Christina Ricci has such an interesting look (I’ve always thought she reminded me a bit of an anime character) that she actually looks quite attractive with her ‘disability’. It certainly would not have sent me running in terror. Ricci is delightful in the role as is James McAvoy as a rogue turned potential suitor. Because of Ricci spending much of the film wearing a scarf or hiding her face, much of the communication of emotion in this movie is done with the eyes. Both actors use their expressive eyes to great effect in Penelope. Rounding out the cast are Simon Woods (recently of Mr. Bingley fame in Pride and Prejudice) as the skewed Prince Charming, Catherine O’Hara as Penelope’s well meaning but ultimately hurtful mother, and Richard E. Grant as Penelope’s father. Peter Dinklage, of The Station Agent and Elf fame, plays an embittered reporter seeking revenge for an injury suffered during his paparazzi stint when Penelope was an infant and as he does in so many films reaffirms why he is quickly becoming one of my favorite character actors.

I mentioned predictability during the opening of this review and Penelope, like its counterparts, does have some of that. However, Mark Palansky works to make this film stand out by taking those familiar story elements and giving them a bit of a tweak just to make them off center. By doing this the film moves away from being a story about finding true love and instead focuses on the need for the acceptance and love of self. It is a set up that leads to a particularly heart-breaking moment towards the end of the movie that I did not see coming and was surprising in a romantic comedy. In addition Penelope stands out because it is a visual feast.

Penelope‘s look and set design shares a great deal of kinship with another favorite of mine, Pushing Daisies. In fact the opening scenes reminded me so much of Pushing Daisies that I instantly fell in love with the film. Penelope’s room, which is in fact her world, is an eclectic, magical space that will no doubt reward repeated viewing. Rich color, overflowing book cases, Mark Ryden paintings, and a variety of interesting plants are just a few of the things inhabiting Penelope’s space. You can see just a bit of what her room looks like in the above image and also in this one below:

You can click on that image to view a larger version. You can also see examples of the richness of the art/set design on the official Penelope website. These sets are a delight to behold and I cannot wait to see the movie on DVD just so that I can pause the frames and drink in the wonder of the set design. Very good stuff.

Penelope is a warm-hearted, engaging film that succeeds in delivering a very nice message with characters that you cannot help but enjoy. With only a 12 million dollar budget Palansky proves that it does not take piles of money to produce a worthwhile film. Although younger children would probably find the film a bit slow, its PG rating and sense of fun makes it a film that you can feel safe viewing with your entire family. With Enchanted coming out on DVD later this month and Penelope surely quick to follow (despite my loving it I predict it will rapidly vacate theatres), there is proof that the fairy tale genre can be both skewed and skewered and still produce a delightful viewing experience.

I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Enchanting!