Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

oOoBarracuda Everyone needs a free-thinking art teacher in their life. The 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile by Mike Newell introduced an art teacher refusing to play by the rules rocks the world of her 1950's conservative female students. Julia Roberts stars alongside Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles in a kind of coming of age story that's as transformative for the students as it is for their teacher.Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) has always wanted to teach at the prestigious Wellesley College. Once a position finally became available, Katherine applied and was awarded a position to teach art history. Issues arise when Wellesley proves far too rooted in tradition than Katherine ever could have imagined. Everything Katherine does that deviates from the lesson plan is met with resistance, up to and including the headmaster requesting more traditional coursework. It takes Katherine no time at all to realize that most of the young women she teaches will have no life outside of her classroom, other than being someone's wife. Challenging the deeply rooted Wellesley idea that women can be more than homemakers proves problematic in regards to Katherine keeping her position at the college.I've never been a huge fan of Julia Roberts. America's sweetheart never really struck me with the exception of a few of her roles. Her role as Katherine Watson was the most likable I've ever seen her. It was such a fun surprise to see John Slattery in this film. I adored him in Mad Men and had no idea he was a part of Mona Lisa Smile. Julia Stiles is always brilliant, isn't she? I have never seen Stiles in a role she didn't slay, no matter how lackluster the film may be. Mona Lisa Smile is not a film you'll remember long after its over, it's decent as a coming-of-age story, a sub-genre I happen to have a deep fondness for. The characters are good enough for what the film is, there's just not enough to take from it to make it an enduring title, except maybe for that score.

Filipe Neto This film tells the story of a young teacher of art history who teaches in an ultraconservative female private school. Through their ideas, she will discuss the school's rigid moral and the rules of the society of fifties, managing to earn the respect of his colleagues and the affection of the students. Directed by Mike Newell, this movie features Julia Roberts as the protagonist and Kirsten Dunst in the role of a conservative student, who will lead the opposition to the modern ideas concerning women.This film could be just another film about the private schools of American rich kids if it were three important factors that make the difference: the first is the good performance of Julia Roberts, even better than in other more acclaimed films; the second is the song "The Heart of Every Girl" composed by Sir Elton John purposely for the film and winner of a Golden Globe; the third is the screenplay, very well written and directed, focusing not only in the change of mind of the students but also in the drastic change of the role of women during the twentieth century.Despite the positive notes, this movie has two serious defects. The first is that it is too similar to the movie "Dead Poets Society". So similar that all those who watch this film without paying attention will think it is just a female version of the film starring Robin Williams. The second flaw in this movie is too much focus on the fights between girls, which only served to lighten the film and remove maturity to the plot. Maybe it was because of these small defects that the film never reached a higher level of recognition and reputation: contrary to "The Dead Poets Club" (comparisons are inevitable), this film didn't received major awards or nominations. Nevertheless, it's truly remarkable and deserves place in the living room of any lover of good cinema.

Svetlana Silina Not the worst movie out there, If you need to pleasantly kill a couple of hours of your life.This could be a good TV show for teaches. Decent cast, decent lines, decent visual, mostly summer. Little daily life at a decent college. The students are the girls from the decent /rich/ families.The only divination from the total decentness is Maggie's Gyllenhaal young character, however mild enough if to compare with her usual roles. Vintage fashion will be a bonus for those who fancy artichoke cuts, bouffant dress and the whole era of the first bikinis (no bikini in the movie).Shame that fashion will be pretty much all you'll learn about girls education of the time, as well as the time.

Desertman84 Mona Lisa Smile is a romantic drama starring Julia Roberts together with Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Julia Stiles. The title is a reference to the Mona Lisa, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, and the song of the same name, originally performed by Nat King Cole, which was covered by Seal for the movie.It was written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal; and directed by Mike Newell.Set in 1953,it tells the story of Katherine Watson, a new young art history professor at Wellesley College, an all-female campus with a prestigious reputation for academic excellence. Unfortunately for free- minded Berkeley grad Watson, her East Coast teaching stint comes during a less-progressive time that finds most of her students.Among them Betty Warren, Joan Brandwyn, and Giselle Levy.They are more interested in nabbing a good husband than achieving scholastic and intellectual growth. Watson challenges her students and the Wellesley faculty to think outside of the current mores of the community and redefine what it means to be a success.Meanwhile, she tries to come to terms with her own heart's desires.Co-stars Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal furnish well- observed performances that frequently outshine Julia Roberts's reflex characterization in this female variant of Dead Poets Society.But overall,the acting is just as fine.Also,the film is observed to be somewhat formulaic instead of being a fascinating exploration of a much more constrained time in our social history especially with the female teacher trying to dream a slightly bigger dream than his parents thought he or she was capable of achieving.It would have worked at all levels particularly costumes,set design, manners and acting if only it wasn't predictable.