Pretty Woman (1990)

Very Cool!!!

Purely Joyful Movie!

Excellent, a Must See

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Watched this movie again, for maybe the tenth time since it was first released in 1990, and it is still as fresh as ever. An angry business man who uses his money to destroy businesses, and the in the process hurt people, meets a street hooker, a real slut, and they fall in love. Alone, both are struggling to survive; together they form a bond that nothing can break. On the surface the story seems farfetched, even contrived. A rich guy hooking up with a slutty whore - no way. However, this why this movie is so great. The story is not only believable, but appealing. Despite the huge difference in their social statuses - Edward is loaded with money and spends it, while Vivian is struggling just to pay the rent - both characters have one thing in common - intelligence. In each one's respective circles, they are surrounded by people who are not only vile but stupid. The movie captures how Edward and Vivian immediately connect. It is the key scene in the movie and shapes the entire story. Botch that scene and the whole story collapses. The cast brings this story to life. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts deliver the best performances of their careers. Gere is somber and tense and Roberts is sassy yet a little menacing. Their chemistry is impossible to miss. They become the characters they are playing. The movie depicts the story in a straightforward manner. The movie shows how Edward and Vivian evolve, in the process bringing out aspects of themselves that were lying suppressed. Alone, they were fighting the world; together, the world is theirs. Tremendous story about the power of love.

This movie that we grew up on is so horrible that its hard to believe the man who wrote it actually had us all fooled like this. A woman who is a prostitute, which everyone know means she is being abused by men everyday (if someone thinks otherwise then go educate yourself), and romanticising this into a romantic comedy?? What is wrong with you people? The guy is a doochbag! This isn't a romantic story, its just plain vile and Illogical. They could have just write the character as some maid or waitress but no they figured a woman who had to sell her body is such a cute idea and the man who is paying for it is a "prince".

Seriously, people are gonna tell you it never happens in real life but I think the script has more meaning to it. It portrays that every prostitute don't dream to be a prostitute but life and circumstances might force them to do so. Julia Roberts does an amazing job in bringing Vivian's character to life, both as a prostitute and a "conservative" pretty woman. It's like in Titanic where Leonardo goes to Dinner with the highballers but does so smoothly that no one notices he doesn't belong there. Richard Gere was great in his role, but being a billionaire, what are the chances that he would take home a prostitute from the street and listens to her advice on multi-billion business deals? Quite unlikely, but his acting, the soft tone, zero emotional reactions, harsh while being romantic at times made it so much real. Although this is the "Cinderella" kind of movie, you won't regret watching it! It's a feel good, really good movie!!

Hired by a rich businessman to be his date for a week, a prostitute has to work out if the businessman is serious about his romantic advances towards her in this romantic comedy that propelled Julia Roberts to fame. A popular movie when first released, 'Pretty Woman' has received some backlash over the years for its lack of realism and indeed one has to suspend disbelief at how kind-hearted both protagonists are. There is enough snappy dialogue though to keep things moving along; "we both screw people for money" Richard Gere comments at one point, while his observation that "stores are never nice to people... they're nice to credit cards" offers some unexpected social commentary for a lighthearted film like this is. The other big plus is the talented supporting cast. Hector Elizondo is delightful in a Golden Globe nominated role as a prim and proper hotel proprietor who gradually warms towards Roberts while Jason Alexander is a lot of fun as Gere's cunning lawyer. Realism aside, the biggest issue with the film is how little Roberts changes over the course of the film. This is no 'Pygmalion' or 'My Fair Lady' tale in which we see a noticeable difference in the protagonist as a result of her experiences. Still, it is a pleasant enough movie with some really funny moments (Roberts commenting on an opera) in between the clichés.