"In an old house in Paris covered with vines Twelve little girls were learning their lives."
So, begins this muddled children's yarn. The title character (Hatty Jones), one of "twelve little girls who live in a line," is a feisty, redhead orphan, who attends a posh girls' school in Paris. Her teacher and mentor is a nun, Miss Clavel (The Coen Brothers' favourite actress Frances McDormand), and her contemporaries are a bunch of spoilt young girls, who come out with such debatable witticisms as, "It is better to be super everything, than super nothing!"
Plainly a pain in the rectum, Madeline causes all kinds of "jolly" and "super" havoc throughout the film. This includes plummeting from a bridge into the Seine, releasing a scourge of mice and having her appendix out. By attempting to blend together too many elements from Ludwig Bemelmans's classic children's book series, Madeline only serves to nonplus and alienate its audience.
Essentially there are three plots. Firstly, when the benefactor of the school Lady Covington passes away, her husband (Nigel Hawthorne) resolves to close the school. Secondly, there is the loneliness and mischievous antics of Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador who has just moved in next door. Lastly, there is some vague, poorly explained abduction scheme involving Pepito's tutor (Ben Daniels) and a bunch of clowns, Les Idiots.
For a children's film of this sort to work, the bad guys have to be truly wicked. However, Ben Daniels isn't remotely scary and only comes into play with the obligatory car chase finale. Madeline lacks the sinister sense of say a Roald Dahl creation and also falls flat as a charming piece of entertainment. Lacking in suspense and quite simply arduous in places, the kids aren't even that endearing. An irritating and uneven film, suited to ages 3 to 6.
Ben Walsh
So, begins this muddled children's yarn. The title character (Hatty Jones), one of "twelve little girls who live in a line," is a feisty, redhead orphan, who attends a posh girls' school in Paris. Her teacher and mentor is a nun, Miss Clavel (The Coen Brothers' favourite actress Frances McDormand), and her contemporaries are a bunch of spoilt young girls, who come out with such debatable witticisms as, "It is better to be super everything, than super nothing!"
Plainly a pain in the rectum, Madeline causes all kinds of "jolly" and "super" havoc throughout the film. This includes plummeting from a bridge into the Seine, releasing a scourge of mice and having her appendix out. By attempting to blend together too many elements from Ludwig Bemelmans's classic children's book series, Madeline only serves to nonplus and alienate its audience.
Essentially there are three plots. Firstly, when the benefactor of the school Lady Covington passes away, her husband (Nigel Hawthorne) resolves to close the school. Secondly, there is the loneliness and mischievous antics of Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador who has just moved in next door. Lastly, there is some vague, poorly explained abduction scheme involving Pepito's tutor (Ben Daniels) and a bunch of clowns, Les Idiots.
For a children's film of this sort to work, the bad guys have to be truly wicked. However, Ben Daniels isn't remotely scary and only comes into play with the obligatory car chase finale. Madeline lacks the sinister sense of say a Roald Dahl creation and also falls flat as a charming piece of entertainment. Lacking in suspense and quite simply arduous in places, the kids aren't even that endearing. An irritating and uneven film, suited to ages 3 to 6.
Ben Walsh