Film Reviews

Nancy Drew

• Rating:
• Director: Andrew Fleming.
• Starring: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Rachel Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan.
• Details: US / 99mins (PG).

"I think the ability to sleuth is an attractive quality in a woman." Teenage detective Nancy Drew (Roberts) moves to Hollywood with her father (Donovan) on a promise: no more sleuthing. That promise doesn't last long as the pair move into a house straight out of Sunset Boulevard - spooky caretaker and all. The house was once owned by actress Dehlia Draycott, mysteriously murdered years before, and Nancy does her thing by getting to the bottom of the mystery. Although set today, Nancy Drew is in love with noir: the house, the cars, the jazzy soundtrack and Nancy's dress sense ("You looks so '50s") suggest a character and caper out of time. However, even though this kiddie thriller has fun giving noir 'the eyes' from across the room, they never actually meet - Nancy preferring to stay with her best friend Nickelodeon for the rest of the party. At 99 minutes, the plot is stretched to breaking point, and if it weren't for the new-girl-in-school subplot, things would have been over a lot quicker. Even Roberts herself knows it's just filler, ignoring the digs from the stylish high school girls until the main plot resurfaces again. A Sunday afternoon TV movie, Nancy Drew is one for the pre-teens and they should get a kick out of it.

Review by Gavin Burke