This was unbelievably billed on Sky Premiere as a lovable comedy. I found it a load of badly put together claptrap smattered with some laughs, one of which was the hairstyle bestowed on Jessica Alba. I can see how Mona would be unbalanced by her father (and the hairstyle), particularly in the opening scene where he tells the story of a family who each agreed to amputation of one part of their body so that no-one would be killed. Her behaviour throughout the film, including 'tapping out numbers' was verging on psychotic rather than nervous and shy.
Her mother came across as unbalanced too, when she told her to go because she couldn't help her dad, and allowed Mona to sleep in the street outside for three days with her possessions before having a cosy chat on the sofa together with her dad and saying that she had some savings that would get her a place. She couldn't have done that in the first place? She then lied to the headmistress of the local school saying that Mona had a degree, in order to secure a job for her. It seems that the headmistress didn't bother to check Mona's credentials (oo-er could that really happen these days?), then accused her of lying after the axe incident, when in fact it was her mother. The axe incident, where Mona ended up with an axe embedded in her leg, was the point at which my ever-patient husband finally conceded that it was a ridiculous film. Her mathematics teaching was run of the mill rather than inspired by a buff, and in fact I am sure that she was demonstrating maths too basic for the grade.
Then there was Mr Jones, former maths teacher and present neighbour whose car she bombarded every year with eggs, for a reason which wasn't properly explained at first. When a reason was finally given, to the effect that he hadn't cared when her father fell ill, it wasn't really borne out by the flashback. He knew it was Mona who had bombarded his car, and yet he let it go unpunished for years despite his annoyance and ignorance of the reason. Really? Though it might be down to the fact that he, too, was unbalanced enough to be taking refuge behind numbers, in the form of pendants which told Mona how he was feeling every day. Was there anyone normal? Only the audience, I think.
Her mother came across as unbalanced too, when she told her to go because she couldn't help her dad, and allowed Mona to sleep in the street outside for three days with her possessions before having a cosy chat on the sofa together with her dad and saying that she had some savings that would get her a place. She couldn't have done that in the first place? She then lied to the headmistress of the local school saying that Mona had a degree, in order to secure a job for her. It seems that the headmistress didn't bother to check Mona's credentials (oo-er could that really happen these days?), then accused her of lying after the axe incident, when in fact it was her mother. The axe incident, where Mona ended up with an axe embedded in her leg, was the point at which my ever-patient husband finally conceded that it was a ridiculous film. Her mathematics teaching was run of the mill rather than inspired by a buff, and in fact I am sure that she was demonstrating maths too basic for the grade.
Then there was Mr Jones, former maths teacher and present neighbour whose car she bombarded every year with eggs, for a reason which wasn't properly explained at first. When a reason was finally given, to the effect that he hadn't cared when her father fell ill, it wasn't really borne out by the flashback. He knew it was Mona who had bombarded his car, and yet he let it go unpunished for years despite his annoyance and ignorance of the reason. Really? Though it might be down to the fact that he, too, was unbalanced enough to be taking refuge behind numbers, in the form of pendants which told Mona how he was feeling every day. Was there anyone normal? Only the audience, I think.