Z/Web

Simple little Cinderella remake about a maid in a fancy New York hotel who’s mistaken for a guest by a wealthy senatorial candidate. A romance blossoms, but when the secret’s revealed, will the fantasy end? Yeah right. Completely predictable, but still done with charm. At least with this kind of movie you know exactly what you’re getting.

This is a terrific, fun, light-hearted comedy with a serious message at heart. It’s like a Happy Gilmore without the crudeness. The plot is a great fantasy: a down-on-his-luck TV reporter played appealingly by Jim Carrey curses God and so God gives him all His powers and takes a vacation. At first Carrey just has fun with his new abilities, taking revenge on co-workers and the gangsters that beat him up, but he eventually learns what a deep responsibility being God is, and eventually gives the powers back and is happy with his “ordinary” life. The film has a great message, and despite being a mainstream film about God, manages to not insult anyone and actually be theologically sound (similar to the George Burns classic, Oh God!). (Morgan Freeman is a great God in this movie, by the way.) At the same time, the movie doesn’t get so bogged down by seriousness it ruins the humor or pacing. It’s a perfect blend of comedy and drama, childhood and adulthood. Two thumbs up!