Most often, we prefer what others have than our own. We think others live a better life than what we’re going through. Meet Penelope (Christina Ricci). A sweet girl born to a super rich family. She has everything any girl wants, but freedom. Her family was cursed. The first daughter born from the Wilhern family will have the look of a pig!

She’s locked in her house all of her life while Mom (Catherine O’Hara) is trying to find a ‘ pure blue blood’ to marry Penelope so that the spell can be broken. Every rich boy who saw her face ran away in agony. Who wants to marry a girl with a snout? Penelope suffers because she doesn’t have the ‘normal’ look, but her Mom makes it worse with her marriage arrangement, possessiveness and constant whines!

After more than a decade, this is the first time again I saw Ricci on a film. The last one was “Now and Then” in 1995. Surprisingly, her look doesn’t change much. She plays very well in this modern fairy tale, not too pretty and not overly ugly. Her snout makes her just unusual and we don’t pity her at all because she has stronger personality inside. James McAvoy also plays very well. Casual, charming and down to earth. The kind of guy next door that we want to meet. I wonder if the chemistry between them is real? It’s too believable!

With or without curse, love will find its way. And Penelope is not always an obedient girl, her spirit finally breaks free after she ran away from home (from Mom to be exact). She learns to love herself the way she is (mmm… and this kinda reminds me of “Ella Enchanted”).

My rating: 4/6