Director: Will Gluck

Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale

Running time: 118 mins

Certificate: PG

Release date: 26th December

The 1982 screen adaptation of the Broadway musical ANNIE, may not be on everyone’s top must-see list, but it may prove more favourable to watch than the latest version. Many may remember Annie as a young flame-haired girl, but in the 2014 adaptation, we meet a new Annie, an adorable young African-American, who proves to be the best thing about film.

This movie tries to add an a new, modern take to the original, from the casting through to the scripting, but the plot stays the same: Annie is an orphan and is desperate for her parents to find her.

Quvenzhané Wallis, who was Oscar-nominated for her debut in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD last year, is the girl who has taken on the challenge of rejuvenating the role of Annie and she certainly does a fine job of it.

Not too dissimilar to the 1982 version, we meet an enthusiastic, happy girl, who despite not knowing who her parents are and being left as a baby outside of a restaurant with nothing but a necklace and letter, she has remained positive that one day they will return for her.

Whilst she is living in desperate hope of their return, she remains in the care of a very drunk Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), who is in charge of not only Annie, but several other orphans, not in the name of love, but for the money she receives for ‘looking after them’. The wayward Hannigan was once a pop star, but she lives her days now as nothing more than a carer for the children, leaving a lot to be desired for her foster mother skills.

The film is based in New York and Annie’s life sees her more fortuitous than some orphans who spend their days in an orphanage, however, aside from putting up with Miss Hannigan’s drunken temper tantrums, she has a bedroom, roof over her head with her friends and attends the local school. Despite her close relationship with her companions, she still longs for her parents and a chance meeting with Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), who ends up saving her life, sees them accidentally entwined in each others lives and she ends up with a very different parent than she first predicted.

Stacks is a bit of a dim-witted politician with a serious case of OCD with hygiene and cleanliness. Having a family is something which had never crossed the mind of the workaholic until campaign manager, Guy (Bobby Cannavale), comes up with the idea of having Annie live with him to boost his votes after a dreadful propaganda scheme went wrong and ended up on Youtube (with another nod to the modern day world of Annie). Hoping to score some crucial support in the run-up to an election, Stacks suddenly finds himself as the reluctant, new carer of Annie.

Working alongside him in his election team is PR guru, Grace, played by Rose Byrne. She is the moral compass as Stacks’s advisor and develops a bond with the young orphan and befriends her.

Amidst all of the developing relationships, as expected, the plot is moved along by song. Many of the popular tracks remain in the film, as we see producer Jay- Z‘s Hard-Knock Life feature in the film, again given a more modern treatment. Other favourites include Wallis’s rendition of Tomorrow, which is moving as well as beautifully executed and will no doubt draw a tear to the eye of the audience. 

Foxx, as we know, can certainly sing and his great vocal efforts, particularly in the new track The City’s Yours, unfortunately do little to salvage the lacklustre scripting of the film, which leaves much to be desired. The popular songs may carry viewers and musical lovers through, but the storyline itself leaves you angling for more.

Director Will Gluck‘s film is well-shot with a good use of close-ups and editing, but it just leaves a lack of feel for the material, failing to be as humorous as the first movie outing. It certainly doesn’t help when it appears that some of the stars cast in the movie are not confident singers and perform key songs with a monotone, flat delivery.

Overall, ANNIE is a fairly entertaining remake with an added modern twist, but it may prove to be a big hit or a big miss for musical fans who love the Broadway version or the original movie.

Verdict

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