Nurse Betty

A film, which most people assume was intentionally genre-blurred from the very beginning, with the entire script being built as a subtle parody and the dialogues intentionally written in comic exaggeration. I get the feeling that at least some motifs, especially the relationship between Betty and the gangster Charlie, particularly their final scenes and dialogues, were meant by the screenwriter and director to be deadly serious, even though they sound like they were taken straight from a farce. What some critics and viewers considered from the start to be a sophisticated, albeit perhaps slightly uncontrollable, game on the part of the creators, is rather the magic of the unintended, supported by the charm and wit of the lead actress. For Renée Zellweger, the role of Betty, or rather the way she dealt with it, was her ticket to the major leagues and launched her stellar career. She is the only reason to watch this otherwise easily forgettable little film. Overall impression: 45% (26/11/2007)