The Nanny Diaries (2007): Dir: Shari Springer Berman / Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Chris Evans, Alicia Keys: Recycled story about progression and accomplishment. Scarlett Johansson trudges through familiar territory as someone trying to find herself and lands a job as a nanny for a spoiled brat. Setup is paced well otherwise it is formula heading to a gushy ending. Director Shari Springer Berman does an inspiring job with visual images but that is about the height of creativity here. Johansson is a fine talent undergoing the lead in a film that does her absolutely no justice and could hinder her chances at superior projects as a lead. She is traveling a road so many others have traveled to similar avail. We know the outcome and it hardly matters. Laura Linney is the too busy doing nothing mother who will get told by Johansson to get her act together. Again, another actress traveling material done before. Paul Giamatti plays the horny pig-headed workaholic father who has no time for family. Too bad he wasn't too busy for this dreaded film. Chris Evans is wasted as a potential boyfriend. He is basically a romantic prop with all the personality of floor cleaner. And how Alicia Keys taking a moment to star in this bullshit formula driven garbage? All that's left is a tired retread and an entry in the diary that should read, "Johansson, fire your agent!" Score: 3 / 10

This wasn't well liked by the critics but I watched it on TV and thought it was pretty good, that's mostly down to the cast though. Laura Linney is fantastic as Mrs. X, a snooty neurotic upper east side socialite and Paul Giomatti is perfect as her nasty adulterous husband. Just a pig of a man.I always enjoy Scarlett Johansson and she does a good job with the material here, her role isn't much of a stretch, even cheesy at times but she was enjoyable. The romance aspect with Chris Evans kinda took a back seat and was lost.Described as "a hilarious adaption of the bestselling novel" (I wouldn't go that far) it is however entertaining. Johansson plays 'Annie', a recent college grad who takes a job as a live in nanny for the very wealthy X's, looking after their troubled son -who I suppose was meant to be cute and precocious but for the most part I just found bratty and annoying.The story itself was okay, it didn't blow me away or anything, but it was enjoyable enough. 'Nanny' is such a nice, sympathetic character that you want to see how it all plays out for her. Watching this did make me want to read the book. 8/24/15

So many brilliant reviewers have sliced up this appalling mess of a movie that I don't even want to pile on, but I would like to say a few words about Laura Linney.She is so beautiful, so brilliant, so wasted in this movie. The bored, neglected, stunningly beautiful and achingly lonely woman she portrays is a tiresome caricature of a type that is at least 100 years out of date. Edith Wharton wrote about this kind of woman really well, and it's no accident that Laura Linney was a superbly cruel, lovely and convincing Bertha Dorsett in an otherwise forgettable film of THE HOUSE OF MIRTH.So don't watch THE NANNY DIARIES. Go watch Laura Linney in THE HOUSE OF MIRTH instead. Oh, and watch Scarlett Johannsen in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA. Because that's the movie where she really proves she can look beautiful all the time, even with a wine glass in her hand.

I happened to catch this on TV and, having enjoyed the books, decided to watch it.Overall, I found it enjoyable, but it did have a few rather, um, awkward moments I could have done without.I do think it's worth mentioning that it deviated significantly, in several places, from the book on which it is based. Some of the changes I rather enjoyed, others less so. In particular, I thought that the set-up for the story was a cute addition. However, I can't say I loved the massive change to the ending.The take home? As long as your expectations aren't too high, it's an entertaining way to spend a couple hours.