The ugly duckling shines

Film: Miss Congeniality Stars: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt Director: Donald Petrie Screenplay: Mare Lawrence Running time: 110 mins. Rating: PG-13 Screening: Next Friday at Cineplex Previewed by: Kalungi Kabuye Sandra Bullock has struggled to find a film that truly showcases her talent. Since Speed (1994), and maybe While You Were Sleeping (1995), many of the movies she has acted in have not truly represented what this extremely talented actress can do. As one critic put it, "...Bullock is willing but most of the material is weak." The jury is still out whether her latest effort, Miss Congeniality which starts at Cineplex next week (due to delayed arrival) will be any different. Bullock plays Grace Hart, a girl who grew up in New Jersey as a tomboy. Driven by an obligation to protect and serve those who cannot help themselves, she eventually ends up as an FBI special agent. She has as a boss, McDonald (Ernie Hudson) who is not very impressed with her gung-ho attitude and tendency to go it alone. Matters get to a head when she disobeys orders and ends up risking the lives of her fellow agents, including Eric Matthews (Benjamin Bratt, who is Julia Roberts' real-life beau). Fed up with her, McDonald puts Grace on a desk job, where hopefully she will not do any harm. Then Matthews gets assigned to lead an operation to track down the terrorist known as 'The Citizen.' When he learns that the next target is the Miss America beauty (sorry, scholarship) pageant, he asks McDonald to assign Grace as bait. So Grace goes undercover as Miss Jersey, waiting for the terrorist to show himself. Along with her goes Victor Melling (Michael Caine) as a consulant of sorts who is supposed to teach her how to behave like a beauty queen, not a cop taking down a suspect. In this comedy, which Bullock produced herself, Grace is supposed to be a sort of 'ugly duckling' who turns into an elegant swan at the end of the story. Initially, Grace is more comfortable handling a gun than spending time with a guy or in front of a make-up mirror. In this take of the Pretty Woman theme, can Grace discover there is something good in evening dress, high heels and make up? And will Matthews find at the end that the ugly, irritating duckling is actually a swan? Do not go looking for a serious plot here, or a thriller as the FBI chases down the terrorist. No: this is a comedy, and the real McCoy is in the play between Bullock and Caine. Or is it supposed to be? It is up to the jury to decide on that.