Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
2010 · Directed by Susanna White
Original language: English
- comedy
- fantasy
- family
The story
Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny discovers that the children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in. Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant, Nanny uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.
What it’s like
Warm, storybook English countryside in the sunlit wash of a rural summer: wide green fields, sprawling farmhouse rooms lit by soft window light, and a gently cluttered domestic world of muddy boots, bunting and hand-me-down furniture. The camera stays fairly composed and unhurried, with broad establishing shots of the farm alternating with tidy medium shots of family meals and bedtime scenes. Its fantasy touches are bright and handmade in feel: a hovering motorcycle, a statue that stirs to life, a piglet scrambling up a tree, a baby elephant lumbering through the yard, all rendered with slightly storybook digital polish rather than grit. The score is light and bouncy, leaning on whimsical strings and playful woodwind, with the occasional wistful swell when the family's wartime absence surfaces. Vibe: cosy, cheerful and nostalgic, a mild and affectionate comedy. It suits a rainy Sunday, a family viewing, or a comfort watch with a cup of cocoa. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with the children's squabbles resolving into warmth, and the adult arc is a stern, overwhelmed mother slowly softening and a prickly city cousin gradually opening up. Intensity is very low: slapstick mishaps, cheeky sibling pranks and mild peril, with no real violence, gore, sexual content or real fear. For families and anyone wanting something gentle, funny and quietly sentimental.
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