Miss Congeniality (2000)
A funny plot full of clever hooks, and an amazing, charming, full on performance by Sandra Bullock make this movie really funny. And warm. And fun.
It would be a mistake and shame to expect more from it, and there are times where it gets a little too silly for its own good, including some of the last half hour. But what works, works, and the first hour of build up, and of Bullock's transformation (and her sparks of humor and authenticity through it all) are first rate. Michael Caine supports her as he supports everyone in the business, with class and finesse. Benjamin Bratt, playing a kind of distant love interest for Bullock's FBI agent cum beauty contestant, is a little to aware of his good looks and doesn't quite relax enough to make him a star.
He could learn a lot from Caine and Bullock, who are both consummate actors capable of saving, and even lifting up, a mostly routine production. For lightweight fare, it's a joy. By the way, the only "Miss United States" beauty pageant is an "on-line" contest, with a hefty entry fee, and seems to be a commercial and possibly exploitive tie-in to the movie. The famous (and infamous) national pageants are Miss America and Miss USA. This movie is meant to play off the stereotypes of what the contestants are often like, and it provides for some pretty good fodder.
