"This story begins with an empty chair. If it were not empty, there would be no story."

Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) is unexpectedly left a widower with seven children ranging in age from the appearance of twelve to a little under a year. Now these are no ordinary children. They are exactly the type of monstrous brats to drive any parent to distraction. They torment the cook, destroy the kitchen, and drive nannies to distraction. Whatever is Mr. Brown to do? The seventeenth nanny in his employ has just fled and the agency refuses to send any more. So it seems the little darlings will be left alone in the house with only the servants while he continues his limited work in a mortuary with Mr. Wheen (Derek Jacobi) and Mr. Jowls (Patrick Barlow).

That is until the mysterious appearance of Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson). She comes only when needed, but not wanted, and stays until her job is completed. She has five lessons to teach, but also an overabundance of common sense. Rather hideous in appearance, the children dislike her instantly, but find that they have no choice in following her rules. And before the children realize it, they begin appreciating their new nanny’s efforts and their behavior begins altering. But not enough for Cedric to keep a second marriage out of the picture. He is practically penniless with only an allowance from his dearly departed wife’s Great Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) to keep them afloat. And she demands that he remarry because, as she puts it, "your children are out of control!" Enters the widowed Selma Quickly (Celia Imrie), the most disgusting creature in feminine frills to ever grace a theater screen. More of a seductress than a mother prospect, Cedric still has no choice in the matter. Or so it seems. Is true love still an option? Perhaps, and with the magic of Nanny McPhee, you never know what may happen.

From beginning to end, this movie is hilarious. I haven’t laughed this much in ages. Colin Firth is a master of comedy, as is witnessed in his films Relative Values and The Importance of Being Earnest. The edition of Derek Jacobi to the cast was unexpected, but welcomed. I will never recover from the shock of witnessing him getting struck with a glob of bright pink frosting. And Emma Thompson. What an angel. What a remarkable actress. As the writer of the script and star, she shone like nothing you’ve ever seen. And at the end, you see beyond Nanny McPhee’s false physical appearance to the true beauty lying hidden within. The children were amazing, in particular Thomas Sangster, who plays the eldest boy, Simon. Angela Lansbury, having been absent from the big screen for twenty years, makes a grand reappearance. Dressed to the nines with flowing gown and bulbous nose, Great Aunt Adelaide is a terror to be reckoned with.

Not to say Nanny McPhee doesn’t possess irksome little problems. Pretend cannibalism drives the seventeenth nanny from the Brown home. The children, of course, weren’t eating the baby, but that doesn’t change the reference. When introducing themselves to Nanny McPhee for the first time, the kids go down a list of pretend names, all somewhat gross from "bum" to "pooh." There is constant rebellion amongst the ranks and the children even go so far as to completely ruin the kitchen. The baby is nearly flung into a pot of boiling water through one of Nanny McPhee’s spells because of the children’s actions. Through a misunderstanding, Cedric wrestles Mrs. Quickly to the floor. She assumes he has "other" intentions, but in reality, he’s attempting to keep spiders, worms, and various other objects from being dropped or flung at her by his children. Mrs. Quickly wears low-cut gowns that do not suit her full figure and her language is quite common at times.

The children struggle mightily with the death of their mother and rebel against their father who possesses a rather weak follow-through on punishment. But you’ll also find that the children need their father to understand them and love them as he always has. And he needs to stand upon his own two feet in deciding what is best for his family and not allow it to be dictated by distant relations. Punishment for these children is necessary, and when it does happen, miracles are worked. All parties come out the better for having encountered Nanny McPhee. If anything, she is the one who loses for she must move on when a family wants her but no longer needs her. But than, that is her magic, her purpose for being. Nanny McPhee blesses lives and is blessed in return. The cinematography is brilliant and beautiful with a vibrancy of color that is pure magic. The house itself has eccentricity written into every line. The wedding at the end, for yes, there is a wedding, sparkles with that special touch only Nanny McPhee brings.

Every shot of every scene was perfectly plotted and schemed. Every bit of humor comes off without a hitch. The magic is not overwhelming, which I appreciated, but you never doubt where some of the antics stem. The entire movie is energized from beginning to end. You never get a moment’s rest between one adventure and the next and really, that is what makes a comedy successful. Probably not appropriate for really young children, your youngsters over eight will undoubtedly appreciate the antics of their counterparts. And perhaps, they may bring away a lesson or two themselves.