35 years of “Pretty Woman”
Legendary love films: How well are you aged?
Looking at older romantic comedies can be dangerous. They are not always well aged. What about “Pretty Woman” and six other Rome coms that were huge success years ago?
Sofa, chocolate and a romantic comedy – this is how an evening can be brought around. But be careful. The zeitgeist has mercyened some classics. A lot has changed, especially when it comes to love, when understanding romance as well as the role of women.
An example: “Pretty Woman”. When the film came to the cinema in Germany in July 1990, people were enthusiastic and Julia Roberts at the side of Richard Gere became the world star. But does the film still fit our time after 35 years? And how are other ROM coms aged?
The rich businessman Edward buys the accompaniment of the pretty prostitutes Vivian with a lot of money during a business trip in Beverly Hills. So that she does not embarrass him, she can go shopping in luxury boutiques at his expense and receives lessons from him in appropriate behavior.
“Don’t fiddle around,” he warns her again and again. 35 years ago, the romance with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts was highly romantic. But from today’s perspective, a lot is difficult to endure.
“Pretty Woman” shows the woman as a unrestricted being who has to be instructed by the wise, fatherly man and must also be brought up in a way. After all, he has a reputation to lose when he is publicly showing himself. And while he wants to get forward in the job, the fulfillment of the woman is in beautiful clothes and in finding great love.
Conclusion: Despite good activity, it has been poorly aged (to see at Disney+).
An iconic scene comes from the romance from 1989. Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) have been the best friends since student days. When real feelings come into play after many years, it gets complicated. In the said film sequence, they sit in a restaurant and Sally skillfully pretends an orgasm that leads a lady at the neighboring table for a special order from the waiter: “I want exactly what it had!”.
“Harry and Sally” is still a wonderful film that treats a difficult question with ease: Can men and women be friends at all – without sex? The dialogues are pointed and entertaining, as well as the excellent interaction between Ryan and Crystal, at that time the film dream couple Hollywood.
Conclusion: Ideal for an entertaining and romantic evening (Prime video with premium subscription, for a fee on YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV+).
“10 things I hate you”
A mixture of coming-of-age comedy, romance and high school drama is the film “10 things I hate” after William Shakespeare’s play “of unruly taming”. Bianca is the surrounded beauty at her school. But her father has a strict rule: she can only go at parties when her big sister Kat has a friend. So Bianca tries to couple her sister – a difficult task, because Kat doesn’t feel like romantic and reads Sylvia Plath.
More than 25 years after the theatrical release (1999), Rome-Com is amusing with Julia Stiles (“Hustlers”) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Glass Onion”). Heath Ledger plays the outsider Patrick Verona, who agreed to seduce Kat – against payment. Here is a flaw of the film. Although Kat makes it clear that she doesn’t want anything from him, Patrick keeps trying it.
It is positive, however, that he complies with the borders drawn by Kat and respects her wish not to bend for social expectations. Incidentally, for Ledger it was the first big cinema roll at the beginning of his short career, which culminated in the magnificent representation of the joker in “Batman: The Dark Knight”.
Conclusion: Suitable for everyone who is looking for witty and well -played entertainment – and want to experience the young Heath Ledger, who died surprisingly in 2008 (to see at Disney+).
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are the dream couple in the Rome Com “Sleepless in Seattle”. After the death of his mother, little Jonah was looking for a new woman for his father Sam in a radio show. So that it is no longer as sad as the little one justifies. Many listeners feel addressed by this – but none as much as the journalist Annie.
Although she is planning her wedding with Walter herself, she touches the fate of father and son in a special way. Couldn’t she hit Sam – for an interview?
“Sleepless in Seattle” from 1993 is a comedy that is keen on and that you can still look at well. Clichés are deliberately put on the grain – high emotional women who constantly cry. Or men who think they know everything better. You say Mansplainer today.
Conclusion: A nice story for the heart where there is a lot to laugh about and that shows a wonderful view of the Empire State Building in New York. And important: have handkerchiefs ready! (available at Magenta TV)
“How do I get rid of him – in 10 days?”
From the point of view of some filmmakers, women are very one -sided beings. Her biggest goal: find the man for life. As in the film “How do I get rid of him – in 10 days?”. Kate Hudson plays the journalist Andie, who gets a new order from her boss: she should fish a guy and scare back within 10 days. Your choice falls on Benjamin (Matthew McConaughey), who gets involved in her, but only to win a bet.
Already at the 2003 cinema, the comedy was considered rather flat. From today’s perspective, some things are really annoying. So the women are always blame for themselves when it doesn’t work with the men. Too affectionate, too soulful, too possessive, too available – it is a long list of things that women can do wrong in love and thus scare the adored one so that he takes flight. A partnership at eye level looks different.
Conclusion: Not necessarily worth seeing unless you want to study a picture of women that was actually dusted 20 years ago (to see at Disney+).
Today Hugh Grant is known as the Umpa-Lumpa in the fairytale film “Wonka” or as a committed ex-lover in “Bridget Jones”. But around 25 years ago, the actor was considered a crush of women. His specialty: a dog view with a cute frowned forehead. The Brit was to be admired in 1999 in the “Notting Hill” romance as the owner of a bookstore for travel literature in London. An unexcited life until one day superstar Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) appears in the shop and whirled out William’s life. Anna and William develop feelings for each other. But does love have a chance when one is a bookseller, the other a world -famous actress?
The comedy scores with funny dialogues, a rapid story and lovingly bizarre characters. Even a famous film quotation occurs when Anna William confesses her feelings: “Don’t forget, I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy and asks him to love it.”
Conclusion: Ideally suited to indulge in romantic feelings and dream of everyday life to the colorful district of Notting Hill (to see at Prime Video).
“Four weddings and a death”
“Four weddings and one death” is the epitome of a Rome com. Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie Macdowell) get to know each other at a wedding. After a night together, their paths separate. They meet again with three further weddings and a funeral. But while flirting, kissed and married all around, her love has no chance, it seems.
The film from 1994 is an adorable commitment to love in all its facets, with wit, situation comedy, romance and some melancholy. And with a wonderful ensemble like Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah and “Mr. Bean” Rowan Atkinson.
In the end, MacDowell and Grant kiss in the pouring rain and Carrie asks Charlie completely wet: “I still rain? I hadn’t even noticed it.” (Is it still raining? I hadn’t notized). For some, this is one of the most romantic scenes in film history, for others the worst dialogy line ever.
Conclusion: After many years, the best film pleasure (in the Prime Video program).
dpa
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
