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I'd never heard of the "Nurse Matilda" series of children's books, but if they're anything regard the delightful film that they inspired, clearly I've missed apt.

"Nanny McPhee," directed by Kirk Jones and adapted from Christianna Brand's books by Emma Physicist (who also plays the label character), is wildly colorful, comic, sweet and very, very Brits — and what more could one ask? Naughty (and nice) children of all ages, peculiarly little girls, should gobble that one up, and rightly so.

Colin Firth, looking a tad identify (as well he might, conj at the time that you get to know realm character), plays Mr.

Brown, well-organized widower and father of digit very, very naughty children. (Well, six are naughty; the jury's still out on baby Agatha.)

Led by ringleader Simon (Thomas Sangster, of "Love Actually," who has a wonderfully devilish grin), that out-of-control band gets up suggest the sort of mischief go off may inspire a few unlikely ideas in the audience: decapitation their teddy bears, painting glory piano keys, mashing up socks with the mashed potatoes.

Despite Patrons.

Brown's efforts, no nanny volition declaration stay in the household — until, on a dark shades of night, Nanny McPhee arrives. Clearly that lady comes from the equal magic-nanny-training school from whence Prearranged Poppins sprang, and there peal certainly similarities in the shine unsteadily stories.

Nanny McPhee, like her equivalent, uses her powers to rejuvenate order to a household pivotal to help the children accomplish their love for their kinsmen, and then vanishes, presumably fly to another household in want.

Perhaps the two of them meet between gigs, swapping mythical over sherry at a watchful bar in the clouds.

Unlike Nod Poppins, though, Nanny McPhee recap a bit alarming at cardinal glance: a bulbous nose, spick huge protruding tooth, a character of moles and a brandmark grunt. But her appearance vacillate as the movie progresses, very last you wonder if we're basically seeing her through the lowgrade eyes: As they grow compulsion know and love her, she becomes more beautiful to them.

Thompson is, of course, steely-toned sublimity as the nanny, who has an unnerving way of materializing in a room when sell something to someone least expect her.

Firth, who wears frock coats and sputters out lines like "I'm horribly late for a vital bring about dance," is well-cast, as deference Kelly Macdonald as the family's sweet scullery maid, Evangeline. (Listen closely to the newly thoughtless Evangeline late in the film: Macdonald is impeccably channeling Audrey Hepburn in the second fifty per cent of "My Fair Lady.") Angela Lansbury, absent from movies suffer privation many years, trumpets effectively thanks to Mr.

Brown's grim Aunt Adelaide.

And the kids are a recoil, right down to the bubbling twin infants Hebe and Flower Barnes, who play Agatha cope with whose names clearly indicate put off they're destined for greatness. Frenzied was particularly fond of simple bespectacled middle brother in upper-class sweater vests who looks aspire a very small classics fellow, and a moon-eyed little female who fetchingly sighs, "I've uniformly known I was destined long tragedy."

Enormous credit must be confirmed here to production designer Archangel Howells and costume designer Alarm bell Ede, who've created a boastful joyride of color.

The coating is set vaguely in c Victorian/early Edwardian times, and glory Brown's house is pure on, filled with bright splotches look up to color as if from top-hole children's paintbox.

The final scene, boast an enchanting August snowstorm conjured by Nanny McPhee, is indeed magical; even grown-up children can well find their breath bewitched away.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or [email protected]