John Chard

Jan 18, 2019

8.0

A street credibility Pygmallion! Edward Lewis is a very rich man, but money, as everyone knows, does not buy everything, and as yet another failed relationship falls by the wayside, Edward faces up to the prospect of a hectic social week on his own. Enter a meeting with ebullient hooker Vivian Ward, who upon impressing Edward with her happy go lucky values, gets herself hired to be his escort for the week ahead, it's a week that both of them are unlikely to ever forget. It almost became the in thing to stomp all over the respective work of both Richard Gere (Edward) and Julia Roberts (Vivian), adding fuel to the fire of those with an aversion to both actors is that the crowd pleasing Pretty Woman hails from that dreaded genre known as 1980s Rom-Com. Seemingly many can now not see just what made Pretty Woman so popular back in 1990. Gary Marshall's film was the fourth highest box office taker in 1990, grossing a domestic $178,406,268, and at the same time made the date movie hip again, so basically all you Pretty Woman haters can take both those facts to the bank! As the opening credits emerge, Peter Cox (lead singer of pop band Go West) starts warbling about "The King Of Wishful Thinking", and never was a more appropriate song used to open such a genre piece before or since, and this is the key issue with Pretty Woman. Yes, the whole structure and plot devices are all fanciful splendour, I mean does anyone seriously think that hookers look and act like Julia Roberts? But really if you are entering this picture expecting anything other than a modern "My Fair Lady" like fairytale then the blinkers need to be well and truly taken off. It's also a point of worth to say that Pretty Woman has something to say outside of the main intention to lift hearts and make one smile, Marshall, aided by his screenwriter J.F. Lawton, tie in smartly the fact that Edward is as much a hustler as Vivian is, only difference being that Edward is incredibly wealthy and has therefore grown in public stature. Both Roberts and Gere have brilliant chemistry, so it was no surprise to see they would work together again in 1999 on "Runaway Bride", and both actors are helped immeasurably by splendid support from Hector Elizondo as the hotel manager, Barney Thompson. The picture is laced with joyous moments that hark back to the golden days of screwy comedies laced with unlikely romances, and this was something that clearly struck a chord with cinema goers back on the film's original release. Yes it's a touch over sweet at times, and yes the ending is never really in doubt, but if you are prepared to invest some fluffy chilled out time with Pretty Woman then you can see and feel just why it was the big hit it was back at the start of the 90s. 8/10

John Chard

Jan 19, 2019

8.0

A street credible Pygmallion? Edward Lewis is a very rich man, but money, as everyone knows, does not buy everything, and as yet another failed relationship falls by the wayside, Edward faces up to the prospect of a hectic social week on his own. Enter a meeting with ebullient hooker Vivian Ward, who upon impressing Edward with her happy go lucky values, gets herself hired to be his escort for the week ahead, it's a week that both of them are unlikely to ever forget. It almost became the in thing to stomp all over the respective work of both Richard Gere (Edward) and Julia Roberts (Vivian), adding fuel to the fire of those with an aversion to both actors is that the crowd pleasing Pretty Woman hails from that dreaded genre known as 1980s Rom-Com. Seemingly many can now not see just what made Pretty Woman so popular back in 1990. Gary Marshall's film was the fourth highest box office taker in 1990, grossing a domestic $178,406,268, and at the same time made the date movie hip again, so basically all you Pretty Woman haters can take both those facts to the bank! As the opening credits emerge, Peter Cox (lead singer of pop band Go West) starts warbling about "The King Of Wishful Thinking", and never was a more appropriate song used to open such a genre piece before or since, and this is the key issue with Pretty Woman. Yes, the whole structure and plot devices are all fanciful splendour, I mean does anyone seriously think that hookers look and act like Julia Roberts? But really if you are entering this picture expecting anything other than a modern "My Fair Lady" like fairytale then the blinkers need to be well and truly taken off. It's also a point of worth to say that Pretty Woman has something to say outside of the main intention to lift hearts and make one smile, Marshall, aided by his screenwriter J.F. Lawton, tie in smartly the fact that Edward is as much a hustler as Vivian is, only difference being that Edward is incredibly wealthy and has therefore grown in public stature. Both Roberts and Gere have brilliant chemistry, so it was no surprise to see they would work together again in 1999 on "Runaway Bride", and both actors are helped immeasurably by splendid support from Hector Elizondo as the hotel manager, Barney Thompson. The picture is laced with joyous moments that hark back to the golden days of screwy comedies laced with unlikely romances, and this was something that clearly struck a chord with cinema goers back on the film's original release. Yes it's a touch over sweet at times, and yes the ending is never really in doubt, but if you are prepared to invest some fluffy chilled out time with Pretty Woman then you can see and feel just why it was the big hit it was back at the start of the 90s. 8/10

"You and I are such similar creatures, Vivian. We both screw people for money." Richard Gere has always played a rich snob really well but I can't help shake the feeling that Julia Roberts was shockingly miscast in this role. She does well but the role just doesn't fit. Oh well, can't win them all.

The Movie Mob

Dec 24, 2022

8.0

**Excellent performance and an experienced director create a romantic comedy classic full of charm and authenticity.** No wonder it’s a classic! Julia Roberts and Richard Gere masterfully portray their characters full of nuance, sincerity, and emotional pain. Pretty Woman has a plot told many times over. Yet, with the experience of director Garry Marshall and these performances, the story feels genuine and endearing in ways unmatched by many other interpretations. I don’t consider myself a huge fan of rom-coms, but this movie was just lovely. The supporting cast of the hotel staff provides another level of charm and compassion that elevate the film further. Pretty Woman sweeps the audience up as they invest in the characters and their growth and challenges. It set the bar for rom-com very high.

GenerationofSwine

Jan 14, 2023

10.0

There is a LOT of hate here because it doesn't portray prostitution realistically. And there is a LOT of hate here because it is demeaning to women and politics and politics and politics and...snore. It's a movie!!!!! It's job is NOT to depict reality, it's job is to entertain!!! In many cases movies are supposed to depict the opposite of reality so you can escape it!!!! Hate it if you want, the fact is, the film is fun and entertaining. If you want a gritty drama about prostitution, there are movies out there about that too. Watch Taxi Driver. I didn't want to see a gritty drama about prostitution when I sat down to watch Pretty Woman...I wanted to see a fun movie that would entertain me. Nor did I expect to see a gritty drama when I sat down to watch this. In fact, I kind of feel the people that are complaining about the unrealistic depiction of prostitution had an insanely unrealistic expectation of the movie. You can't really make a gritty drama that accurate depicts prostitution...and still have a romantic comedy can you? They aren't compatible are they? Why are people complaining about that? It's like they wanted a completely different movie. it advertises itself as a romantic comedy, it delivers as a romantic comedy...why did people want it to be something it never even tried to pretend it was? I don't get it, the film was entertaining, watch it for what it advertises itself to be.

CinemaSerf

Jun 9, 2024

7.0

"Lewis" (Richard Gere) is a ruthless merger merchant who loves nothing better than a lucrative deal that will line his pockets regardless of the impact on anyone else. He arrives in town and has a one-night stand with call girl "Vivian" (Julia Roberts). He likes her, she likes him - so he decides that she can stay on. Maybe help him out with a few formally social occasions where she can smile and stay schtum? To that end, he gives her a credit card so she can go shop to look the part, and that's when we discover that this girl is no pushover. Despite his rigidity, "Lewis" starts to realise that he's beginning to fall for her, despite her unsavoury provenance but what happens next? The story is simply constructed and fairly predictable, but there is loads of chemistry on display between a more relaxed and natural looking Gere and an on-form Roberts. Hector Elizondo also chips in well as the hotel manager who also begins to fall for her charms and who can ever forget the saleswoman (Dey Young) who judges a book by it's cover and loses out on some mega-commission. The writing is sparing, but funny and observational of a society that judges relentlessly without ever really taking any time to get to know the people it is harshest to. Roberts offers us a cheekily endearing and spirited character that just belongs in that stretched limousine. Good fun.

Pretty average movie. The dialog is maybe a bit ahead of its' time, in terms of toxicity and progressivism, but that's a few lines. Feels really sappy and cardboard. The cast has great charisma, but they can't help playing cardboard in such a simple play. I'm not sure how exactly modern fairytales are made good, but most I've seen are better than this. 6/10

"Pretty Woman" is a splendid film which possesses a surprisingly hard and sobering edge beneath the frothy comedy veneer when it needs to and this is illustrated when Stuckey attempts to make good on the idea of calling upon Vivian's services and this almost results in her being raped. However, aside from the film being embroidered with such disturbing threads of darkness as these stemming from Vivian's dangerous and unseemly world the romantic and comedic elements do come together extremely well even if the romance between Edward and Vivian - which is nicely developed and built upon in the beginning - does begin to run out of significent places to go after it becomes perfectly clear that what we have here are two people destined to be together no matter what their backrounds are.