Young actress Sofia Vassilieva appears in her first movie as Eloise, a six-year-old girl who lives at the plaza with her nanny while her mother works, which is often. Every employee at the plaza knows her, fears her, and some of them even love her, but not so Mr. Salomone, the concierge (Jeffrey Tambor). Charged with keeping peace at the hotel and maintaining its five star status, Mr. Salomone cringes every time he sees Eloise in the lobby, which is often. Too exuberant to stay in her hotel room, Eloise makes daily rounds of all the floors, visiting the guests, chatting with the employees, and also pulling her share of practical jokes, like changing the clocks. Her nanny, (Julie Andrews) although a caring woman, is distracted and can’t seem to keep tabs on everything the little girl is up to.
On this particular day, a prince is scheduled to arrive, and a debutante ball is taking place at the same time. It’s a busy day at the plaza, and Mr. Salomone is determined to maintain peace and order. He swears every employee to secrecy – no one is to tell Eloise the prince is arriving – but she finds out anyway. When he comes, she manages to lose him, sending the entire hotel into uproar.
I have mixed feelings about this film. Eloise did create some humorous situations, but overall, I found her to be a spoiled brat. Her mother sees to it that she has absolutely everything she wants, except for actual parents, and Eloise manipulates the situation to her every advantage. She’s never been appropriately punished and I think the girl has heard the word “no” probably fewer times than she has fingers. In addition, she takes the Lord’s name in vain repeatedly throughout the film, although only six years old.
I think this is one of those films you just have to see for yourself in order to decide. I didn’t personally care for it, but you may find it enjoyable.
This film is rated G.
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