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Pretty Woman (10th Anniversary Edition)

Pretty Woman (10th Anniversary Edition)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Romance & Comedy All In One
Review: Pretty Woman is an excellent movie in my opinion. It's about Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), a hooker who is 'working' on Hollywood Boulevard one night with her friend Kit De Luca (Laura San Giacomo). Around the corner comes a Lotust and the person in that car is none other than Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a heartless business man on his way to the Regent Beverly Wiltshire Hotel. The car then stalls (he doesn't know how to work a stick shift) and that's when him and Roberts meet. Gere then takes Roberts to the hotel with him and before she knows it he's asking her to stay with him the whole week for $3,000.
Some of the cast members include Jason Alexander as Philip Stuckey, Edward's trusty lawyer, Ralph Bellamy as James Morse, the man who's company Edward's firm is trying to take over, Alex Hyde-White as David Morse, James Morse's son, and Hector Elizondo as Bernard Thompson, the manager of the
hotel.
The music in this motion picture is found on the Pretty Woman Soundtrack. It includes Natalie Cole - Wild Women Do, David Bowie - Fame 90, Roxette - Must Have Been Love, Christopher Otcasek - Real Wild Child (Wild One), and probley the most popular song that relates to this movie is Roy
Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes comedy, romantic, or movies where opposites find one another. This movie will stick around for generations to come. I would give this movie five gold stars and two thumbs up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Just About Perfect Hollywood Romance
Review: Straitlaced millionaire Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) picks up Hollywood Boulevard hooker Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts in her star maker role) and hires her to be his companion for a week. Roberts is wonderful as Vivian. One great moment among many: when Vivian wakes up in Edward's palatial penthouse suite "the morning after" and he offers her breakfast instead of making her leave immediately, her pleasure and surprise are touching. She grabs a roll off the breakfast table like a starving waif, as if she almost doesn't dare and is afraid it'll be snatched away. It's impossible not to like Vivian, and to root for her. She's irresistible.

A solid cast benefits from Garry Marshall's surefooted direction. Elinor Dohanue (Betty Anderson/"Princess" from Father Knows Best) shines in a bit part. Jason Alexander, who would go on to fame and fortune in later years as George Costanza on Seinfeld, leaves a slime trail across the screen as Edward's lawyer, Phil Stuckey. Laura San Giacomo is completely believable as Kit De Luca, Vivian's fellow streetwalker and roommate. Hector Elizondo is outstanding as Bernard Thompson, the wise, polished, compassionate hotel manager who first helps Vivian then approves of her. Really, there are no slackers in this cast.

And, in true Hollywood romance fashion, in the end the girl gets the guy for a wholly satisfying payoff.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT FILM
Review: This movie was so excellent and funny at the same time.The fact that Richard acted so calm while Julia Roberts was just as funny and naive about the life of the rich people. This is one movie that I watch over and over again, even on the cable channel. It is Cinderella kinda story but damn Cinderella in this move, Julia Roberts, was and still beautiful; Richard Gere on the other hand is handsome and acted the role very good. I recommend this movie anytime,anyday

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Vivian's Knight in Shining Armour
Review: Name of Film: Pretty Woman
Actor: Richard Gere
Actress: Julia Roberts
Director: Gary Marshall
Format: Color
Rated: R
Studio: Touchstone Video
Running Time: 119 minutes
Genre: Classic

Julia Roberts plays the part of Vivian Ward, a prostitute and Richard Gere plays the roll of Edward Lewis, a heartless, wealthy businessman who accidentally stopped on the street where Vivian Ward was working. They end up spending the week together at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Hollywood.

Edward gives Vivian money to buy new clothes that are conservative. Vivian dresses up as a beautiful woman and wins the heart of Edward and others.

This is a fantastic movie and I recommend it to all adults who like a romantic comedy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty Woman (movie) & Special DVD Review - **** Stars
Review: If you had only seen Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in "Runaway Bride," you probably wouldn't understand what all the fuss was about when the two made their first picture together. "Pretty Woman" is funnier and more romantic than "Runaway Bride," with a verve and allure the two stars found hard to duplicate the second time around. The older film is hard to resist for anyone but diehard malcontents.

Persons attempting to find a reality in "Pretty Woman" will be sorely disappointed. It's a fairy tale from beginning to end. Roberts plays the Cinderella girl, Vivian Ward. Amusingly, in their back-cover blurb for the film Buena Vista go out their way to describe Roberts' character as anything but what she is. BV describe her as a "carefree...energetic spirit." True, but she's also a prostitute, a down-on-her-luck Hollywood hooker who becomes a modern-day Eliza Doolittle.

Gere plays Edward Lewis, a cool, calculating multimillionaire who specializes in corporate takeovers. He buys failing companies cheap and sells them off piecemeal for a profit. Because he is trying to avoid romantic involvements, Edward hires Vivian to spend first a night with him and then a week as his female companion. Apparently, he needs such an associate for social events in order to further a big financial deal, and since he has just broken up with his girlfriend, he pays for her presence. His arrangement with Vivian is purely business. Both of them traffic in buying and selling, so they understand each other perfectly. Little does Edward know that just as Henry Higgins became fond of Eliza, so does he fall in love with Vivian. Their tentative romance springs from a mutual distrust, and the comedy derives from the clashes of their two very different worlds.

Roberts got an Oscar nomination for her role in 1990, and we can readily see she deserved the acclaim. Her character is at once vivacious, energetic, and swaggering, while at the same time limited in Edward's high-society environment. Vivian sees her vulnerabilities and has the common sense to accept them. Gere's performance, on the other hand, is low-key and restrained. Partly, it's the character he's playing, but Gere also has the grace to understand that this is Roberts' picture and he needs to stand aside and let her have her day. Several other standout performances are turned in by Jason Alexander as Edward's money-grubbing lawyer; Laura San Giacomo as Vivian's roommate and fellow streetwalker; and the inimitable Hector Elizondo as a seemingly pompous hotel manager who soon befriends the floundering Vivian.

Video:
Buena Vista's picture quality is typical of their transfers. It is very smooth and fine grained, with excellent definition. But there is a thin veneer slightly masking the image's ultimate brilliance. I might add that much of the story is purposely photographed with a golden glow--lighting and filters, no doubt--and this, too, lends to the film's dusky aura in some scenes. The picture is presented in a 1.74:1 aspect ratio, close to the 1.85:1 ratio originally projected in its theatrical release.

Audio:
The Dolby Stereo Surround is respectable, but as one might imagine the "surround" only comes into its own during musical accompaniment. This is a film of dialogue, after all, and in such matters the front stereo is fine, if a bit limited in deep bass. Compare, for instance, Roy Orbison's 1964 title song, "Oh, Pretty Woman," on the film's soundtrack to DCC Compact Classics' superb gold CD remastering, and you'll see what I mean.

Extras:
For the tenth anniversary special edition, Buena Vista have included several bonus items on the disc. This may become a trend with BV. There is an audio commentary by director Garry Marshall that adds enjoyment the second time around. There is a brief production featurette and an even more brief behind-the-scenes featurette that are fun while they last, although they don't amount to much. There's a music video with Natalie Cole, "Wild Women Do," which is all right for those who enjoy this kind of music; I don't. A chapter list and a theatrical trailer round out the freebies.

"Pretty Woman" is the most unpredictably predictable romantic comedy around, bouncy and subtle, too. The tensions generated by the two principals are both expected and unexpected, making it appealing to watch again and again. Call me a softy, but I loved the film and bought the romance. I recommend buying the DVD as well.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty Woman -Majer O' Sickey
Review: Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere is a romantic movie about a young woman, Vivian, who is a hooker for a living and one day stumbles upon Edward, a handsome and successful businessman. He needs to get to a certain destination and she gets him there in his beautiful sports car which he can hardly maneuver himself. Although their romance starts as an accidental meeting, after spending a short time with her he falls for her. He lets her remain in his hotel for a couple of days and attempts to transform her because he sees all the potential she has. Initially he falls for her because of her physical beauty, like most men do. They survey the women in front of them and decide who they will be with. As the days go by he tries to change the way she dresses in order for her to look more ladylike and so that she could fit the role of an ideal woman with not only her physical beauty but her attire as well. He tries to make her look as though she is from the high society by allowing her to shop at Beverly Hills with his credit cards of course. He clearly displays a stereotype of men which is that they feel that they need to take care of their women and keep them looking beautiful as though they were objects because the woman that they are with reflect somewhat how they will be seen by others.
Although Vivian has a job that is not seen as commendable, she is independent. She pays for her rent and supports herself alone. The arrival of Richard in her life changes that. He offers her luxuries she has never seen and she takes them. She transforms herself to fit the image of a woman he would fall in love with, which he does, but not solely because she changed her appearance but because he saw her charm right from the start. Although this movie seems to be a typical boy meets girl, boy falls for girl because she is beautiful it is not. It's a sweet, captivating story that displays that two people from two different worlds with different economic backgrounds and views on the world can fall for eachother. However, it is not realistic that a woman struggling as she was would suddenly meet Price Charming.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A fairytale
Review: Everyone knows this story, whether they've experienced certain parts of it, or just love it pure & simply because it's terrific. And if you haven't seen it, why not?! Go out and get it now. Go on!

This is the one Julia Roberts film that can never be out-done. No amount of Erin Brockovich's can beat this movie. This catapulted Julia into the big-time, mainstream movies, and she's now one of the highest paid actresses. I dunno whether something like Pretty Woman was never done before this, or whether I'm just sick of Julia Roberts now, but she won't come across a script as good as this again. Not even the supposed "sequel", with Richard Gere & Julia reteaming (they could go all the way and do a Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks) with Garry Marshall and Hector Elizondo for Runaway Bride. Nowhere near as good. But that's a different movie.

The actors are great, and I think it's the only Richard Gere movie I've ever seen - apart from Runaway Bride. The night elevator operator's face (Patrick Richwood) is an absolute picture most of the time, and he makes you laugh just by looking at him.

Of course, everyone knows that Julia's character, Vivian, turns from a poor hooker, into a rich lady. I much prefer Vivian as the hooker. When you first meets Edward (Richard Gere), she's fine, she's cute, and he gives her all this money, and she turns into a frumpy, awkward lady. The clothes are ill-fitting and really don't suit her.

In a few years, when Julia Roberts is old and grey (Richard Gere already was old & grey in this!), this will be considered a classic.

Watch out for a very much blink and you'll miss him role of the detective, played by Hank Azaria. I've seen this movie a hundred times, and it's the first time I noticed him!

The songs are terrific in this, from Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" to Natalie Cole's "Wild Women Do" (the video is not impressive though). The best song is of course, Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love", played as Vivian leaves Edward. It's a very poignant scene, and I always play this song if I'm feeling down about something. The lyrics match any relationship problem perfectly, and matches the scene in Pretty Woman.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Lots of Things to Hate
Review: There are a lot of things to hate in this movie, but I'll be brief.

If you want to take a delightful fairy tale like Cinderella and update it, don't turn Cinderella into a streetwalking prostitute--and, if you insist on trashing the poor girl, make her a REAL prostitute, not the "nice" version America's Sweetheart does in PRETTY WOMAN. There's something seriously wrong with a wholesome, perky hooker spreading her storybook love to a nation of naive girls.
Think about it.

This movie came out in 1990, five to six years after the AIDS panic first hit this country. That there wasn't a decontamination scene worthy of SILKWOOD makes Richard Gere's character look like a complete reckless moron. He doesn't so much as give Julia's Hollywood Blvd streetwalker a tick bath.
Give me a break.

Have you ever been to L.A.? Just read a book called YOU'LL NEVER MAKE LOVE IN THIS TOWN AGAIN. There are TONS of heart-stopping hot chicks all over that town, from the girls serving you burgers to the knock-outs who wrote the book I just mentioned. A guy like Richard Gere, whether he had money or not, would not have to troll the streets of Hollywood and he DARN WELL wouldn't have to pay for it.
I liked the silver Lotus though. Cool car.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Modern Day Cinderella
Review: Actors here are Brilliant, my thumbs are way up! I can watch this film over and over again.
If Disney's Cinderella are every girls dream. Pretty Woman maybe every boys dream,Why? Because when Richard Gere discovered that He's working so hard to pin down other competitors in business, at the same time his Attorney (Jason Alexander)benefits from it, Money wise.
Richard decided to follow his heart and continue falling in love with the Pretty Woman. So sad, Julia Roberts is a prostitute here but a good one, she even have several colors and flavors of condoms to choose from,That's safe sex!
This is a great story plot a millionaire meets his match a prostitute with a golden heart.In reality prostitutes deserves a little break. As for the Pretty Woman this is a big break, Kudos!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Cinderella as prostitute. What is the message for your kid?
Review: It could have been a good flick if Hollywood could find another occupation for women. Women in film get a disproportionate number of careers as: 1. Prostitutes 2. Strippers 3. Porn stars.
I thought there were other jobs available. The subversive message of this twisted fairy tale? Become a prostitute meet a super rich guy and live happily ever after. Great for the kids, not! Gee if he is really supportave and respectfull can she keep her job after the wedding? Right.


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