What Makes a Classic. Movie Review on Pretty Woman
Movie Review from Pan: Pretty Woman
It's weekend. Why is weekend worth the trouble mentioning is it's when we
don't have physcials. And the full-of-shit exam is over. Well, at least for the moment. That means it's time for some movie watching and reviewing.
One film that has long been on my must-see movie list is Pretty Woman. It's a
1990 movie so it's quite old already. But what discouraged me from immediately
watching it was because it's ranked a "classic", an adaptation from an English
novel authored by a great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, which somehow gives me an impression it's very Shakespeare. And I always hold classics at arm's distance; why, you know what classics are like, that they are books everybody would
like to announce he has read but nobody really wants to read. I guess it's Mark
Twain.
Why the difference then: The film was referred to in my favorite English program, Peter Lai's Advanced American English, which I have listened to for I don't
know how many times. It'd better be a nice one, I think.
The story could be fun. Why only could be fun - I mean if you haven't seen anything similar. Hollywood is expert in mixing different ends of extremes all together and conjuring up stories that are supposed to be fun, Hopkins romancing Nicole being a good example （in Huamn Stain, 2003), and this time we have a billionaire (Richard Gere) falling for a lady on the street (Julia Roberts).
Richard Gere plays a cynical billionaire who makes his fortunes by buying and
selling about-to-be bankrupt companies. By a quirk of fate though, he bumps into a prostitute when getting lost amidst the Hollywood blocks. At first he only
asks for direction, but he soon finds her charming and decides to pay to get her
to stay with him for a week. 3000 dollars for a week is nothing to be sniffed
at even by today's standards I guess. Expect no steamy scenes yet; they spend the night talking. Though by born femininely vivid and charming, the girl is far
from refinedness at first, making herself an exhibition now and then on high-brow occasions. But with the help from the rich and handsome master, she proves to be a quick learner, and shows great potential for the better. There are small
ups and downs, but by the time when the contract is due, our has-money-to-burn
heartthrob, who used to have difficulty handling women, has fallen head over heels for the girl. The movie has a rather predictable all-happy ending. Talk about Cinderella.
It's said that this is the signature movie by which Julia Roberts wins her spurs and from there goes on to reach the glorious stardom in Hollywood. I have to
agree with that. So well did she play the beautiful yet vulgar-turned-elegant
prostitute she nearly "materialized" the street lady and brought her out of the
screen. I was much amazed seeing her exactly the same in the much later hit, Notting Hill, the same beautiful, composed, but a bit reserved and a trace of loneliness and helplessness. Dubbed "big-mouthed beauty" here in China, Roberts is
sure one of the most well-known and most popular American movie stars.
Richard Gere, on the other hand, is one I have very ambivalent feelings with.
I like him in Pretty Woman and another movie, First Knight co-starring Sean Connery. He exudes composure and poise. But then he's also notorious for his anti
-Chinese rants here and there. I sure will like him better without, but I guess
he couldn't care less. Neither do I.
Ok, done talking. Classic. Hey, you know Pretty Woman, the adaptation of a George Bernard Shaw novel, and starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts? I have seen it...no, no kidding....
:D
Pan.
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