Miss Congeniality (2000)

Written by CinemaSerf on August 28, 2023

Sandra Bullock is clearly having some fun here as the accident-prone FBI agent who is roped into a scheme to prevent an atrocity happening at the upcoming "Miss America" pageant. Helped by the camply debonaire Sir Michael Caine as her fixer who manages to pull something of the silk purse from the sows ear, she heads off into this lions den of vacuousness, sexism and silliness led by a wonderfully two-faced Candice Bergen and her amiable sidekick William Shatner. It takes well aimed swipes at just about every stupid, stereotypical and misogynist attitude that surrounds these types of events - but it also demonstrates that many of the participants aren't quite as daft as one might expect. Bullock is on good form, the soundtrack helps a lot too - and as light hearted comedy films go; she and cutie Benjamin Bratt just about pull it off. Don't expect a Pulitzer prize and you might just enjoy it...