Bowl of Pablum ladled up from the series of children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans, about twelve orphan girls in Paris, especially the littlest of them (the name rhymes with "rain or shine"), and their vigilant Miss Clavel ("Something's not right!"). It raises serious questions for the fans of Frances McDormand. What kind of career lies ahead for this unglamorous Oscar winner if the Coen brothers make a movie only every couple of years and cannot always create a role for Joel's wife? And does Joel actually sit through the likes of Madeline in the interests of domestic harmony? Or is this simply something to enable Pedro Coen to see his mother on screen before he is ready for an "R" rating? Hatty Jones, Nigel Hawthorne; directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer. (1998) — Duncan Shepherd
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