PRETTY WOMAN

December 4, 2012

1990

7/10

 

 

DIRECTOR: Garry Marshall

May Contain Spoilers!

The smash hit of 1990, and the first collaboration between Richard Gere, an established romantic lead by this time and Julia Roberts, as she was to hit the big time. Roberts is the hooker with heart of gold, and Gere hires her for the week, Pampers her, parades her around all the bet events and the pair fall in love. It’s a simple Cinderella type story with enough heart to work. It’s far from perfect, but it not bad either. Gere is on his way out by 1990, with the days of Officer And A Gentleman falling behind him and it’s Robert’s film as she’s the spark that lights up the conservative world of 80’s businessman and the silver screen.

Fun, sexy and like Dirty Dancing three years earlier, featuring a killer soundtrack that was destined to keep the film in the public’s conciousness far longer than it rightfully deserved, this small romantic comedy was destined to become a classic. Is this warranted though? Personally, no. It’s no better than  an any good Rom-Com but it hit the right buttons at the time and like most phenomena, it’s earned its place in cinema history, right or wrong.

Hardly overrated as it certainly wasn’t critically acclaimed at the time, but if you only saw one rags to riches romantic comedy, I would recommend tons of films over this, especially My Fair Lady (1964), of which this bares a passing resemblance.