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    Pretty Woman

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I’m a firm believer that for every genre, there’s a “best of”. Yes, elements of “Pretty Woman” are familiar, but I think it pulls it off. It may not feature pumpkin carriages or glass slippers, but this is without a doubt a Cinderella story. If that’s what you’re in the mood for and you want to mix things up by going with a film that isn’t a musical or animated, you might as well go with the best of the bunch, which is this 1990 romantic drama/comedy.

    Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) is a highly successful businessman. After a day at work, he takes a wrong turn and ends up on Hollywood Boulevard where he meets Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) She’s a prostitute who offers to give him directions back to his hotel for a price. After getting to his room, Lewis asks Ward to stay the night, partially because he feels bad for her (they drove together and she now has to bus back by herself) and because after a long day at work, he just doesn’t want to spend the night alone. He ends up hiring her to spend the week with him in order to appear more hospitable to James Morse (Ralph Bellamy), the owner of an underperforming company Edward is trying to buy.

    At a quick glance you would call “Pretty Woman” predictable, but thanks to the little details, the movie makes you forget that you know where it’s heading. There is no doubt in your mind that this man and this woman are attracted to each other, and not only physically. This is the key to the film’s success. “Pretty Woman” could have been a monument to creepy Johns and battered women’s fantasies of suddenly hitting the jackpot, and I suppose it is, but that’s the cynicism talking. You don’t think about that because of the chemistry between the leads; you’re wrapped up in the developing romance. While the movie runs at nearly two hours, every second is captivating.

    More than a fairytale, it’s also an underdog story. For Vivian, the situation is a dream come true but she quickly becomes disheartened when the hotel staff and store clerks she encounters see right through her and treat her like the prostitute that she is. For an already wounded woman who’s basically on the last length of her rope, it’s heartbreaking. When she gets some help from the hotel manager Barney (Hector Elizondo, nothing short of lovable), the transformation begins. Not a cheap one where the girl takes off her glasses and lets down her hair; I’m talking about someone who’s been beaten down and dragged through the dirt finally getting the chance to rise to their feet. A lot of her character’s appeal does come from the actresses’ undeniable charm but there are some nice subtle touches that make you fall for her. There’s her vulnerability as she explains to Edward how she ended up a prostitute (a nice scene that isn’t overplayed but tugs at your heartstrings), the “stickin’ it to those snobs” element as she emerges a beautiful swan, and the wonder in her eyes as she gets to basically take a paid vacation. It’s a fantasy you can relate to. She’s down-to-Earth, just like we are.

    As for the other half of the couple, Gere is also charming, but not immediately. For business reasons or not, he is hiring a prostitute and lying to everyone around him, but that gives him room to grow. He evolves as the film progresses, learning to set aside his strict business code and act like a real human being instead of a robot for once. Some nice subtle touches, like a moment where he is seen playing on the piano for no other reason than to blow off some steam and his willingness to go with this hare-brained scheme in order to get the deal also add to his appeal. These people are in a crazy situation, they may not resemble anyone you know due to their choices and actions, but the emotions they feel, the impression that you get from them, that’s real.

    Towards the end of the story, it does come off as a bit over-the-top, but as a modern fairy-tale, “Pretty Woman” delivers what you want to see. We have an attractive couple that gets along well but there is some serious uncertainty about how neatly it will resolve itself. I was unsure of where it was going. Honestly, I was. You want it to end the way it does so badly that you buy into it. It’s due to the fact that we have likable actors, a story that’s easy to grasp and a tangible attention to detail, but there’s more to it than that. If there’s a flaw with this film it’s if you’re cynical at all, you’ll dismiss it. I say those people be damned. Enjoy “Pretty Woman” for what it is. (On DVD, November 12, 2013)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  15.9.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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