The ever-popular "rich-guy-poor-girl" gets a facelift for the newest romantic comedy on the block. Yes, it's been done before, and probably better. But this time of the year there's enough Christmas cheer going around to give it a break. While there are some minor problems with the script (namely it implies that our otherwise likable couple spend the night together after their first date), the charisma between the leading actors and the eventual climax is just too sweet and memorable to miss.

Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is among the working class of New York, a maid who does everything for everyone without being thanked, and never complains. Single and apparently divorced from a workaholic husband, she's left to raise her only son Ty (Doc's Tyler Posey), juggle the overly protective attentions of her man-hating mother, and deal with the daily strife of working in an upper class hotel. The snobby guests, the political figure whose mistress is always mad at him, the families with too many kids. In the past seven years of employment, Marisa has never had a complaint about her work ethics. Now a position has opened up in management and her best friend encourages her to apply for the job. Resistant to change, and her mother's belief that they'll never get anywhere in life, Marisa is furious when her friend submits her name behind her back.

Chris Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) is in town to promote his senatorial campaign. A very down to earth politician who merely wants to improve life in Manhattan, Chris is enthralled with a young woman he meets in the Grand Suite. Marisa, having been persuaded to try on a castoff $7,000 outfit before returning it to the boutique downstairs, makes quite an impression when her son Ty shows up unexpectedly with the most famous face in the city in tow. Through their walk in the park, Chris becomes convinced Marisa is the woman of his dreams. The only problem is that she vanishes before he has a chance to get her real name. It becomes a desperate attempt to locate her in time for the charity gala, while Marisa finds her job in jeopardy over her mistaken identity. While it's true that Maid in Manhattan offers very little in the way of completely original storytelling, the charm of the couple make the audience forgiving of its flaws.

Ralph is genuinely sweet in this film, and Jennifer's character is so likable both in her personal life and political ideas that we can't help empathizing with her. Bob Hoskins has a great role as the fatherly head butler at the hotel, and Natasha Richardson dons the dumb blonde persona for a truly teeth-grating upper class socialite who might have the lowest IQ on the planet. There are numerous moments when I found myself howling in laughter or sighing with the plain romantic aspect of the film. The flaws are notable and unfortunate, because otherwise it's just as sweet as an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. Language does occasionally intrude on the dialogue (including a couple references each of Jesus and GD, along with general profanity and mild abuse of deity), but it's innuendo which leaves a black stain on an otherwise white coat. The maids are warned about a guest on the upper floor who likes to walk around in the buff, but that doesn't stop them from running into him one morning (and apparently seeing everything, though the camera doesn't). They make a joke about his anatomy size as they leave.

Sexual references are spattered throughout, due to Marisa's sex-obsessed best friend. ("Is your mind always on that?" she demands.) Double entendres pop up when Marisa innocently remarks about sitting on a magazine with Chris' face on it. We see brief backside nudity on a security camera of a man whose wife locked him in the hallway. The sad thing about the film is that the sexual content itself isn't overly graphic, but does leave a sad feeling in our hearts after our price and princess sleep together after the first date. In a romantic montage, they kiss in his hotel room and the camera pans out to show them curled up beside each other the following morning. Because they show themselves to be above reproach in every other aspect of their lives, I found this very disappointing. It's a fly in the ointment and turns what might have been a great film into a less than admirable one, but a movie nevertheless with heart.