Rating: Summary: Awwwwww Review: Julia Stiles is sensational in this would be fairy tale movie. Move over Princess Diaries, theres a new princess on the block. Julia plays Paige Morgan, a farm girl who has her life all mapped out. She is going to medical school and becoming a doctor so she can join Doctors without Borders and visit all of the exotic places she has never been able to see. It's all planned out, that is until she meets Prince Edward. Edward is a spoiled rich aristocrat with two much time on his hands. He wants freedom from his heritage and to look at college girls (...), so he leaves Denmark and travels to the heartland of America, Wisconsin to meet naughty American girls. what he finds is Morgan. The two make a great pair, and their chemistry is fantastic. Julia sparkles as always, and Luke Mabry is fantastic as the prince. The script is deliciously written and the film is a lot of fun.
Rating: Summary: Julia's great; the movie's not Review: Last year, there was a career day in the kindergarten class of my niece Emily, and all the children had to pick their future professions. Emily's choice: "princess." Blame it on those repeat viewings of "Shrek" and "The Princess Diaries." If we'd been showing her "28 Days Later" and "Dawn of the Dead," she probably would have chosen "zombie" as her dream job. When pressed, poor Em couldn't say exactly what duties a princess performed on a regular basis. She won't have a much clearer picture if she happens to see "The Prince & Me," in which sunny Julia Stiles -- whose range and personality deserve better material than this -- plays Paige, a pre-med student who ponders forsaking medical school to try her luck as, oh, just the wife of Edvard (Luke Mably), her former chemistry lab partner who just happens to be the crown prince of Denmark traveling incognito. Wait, what's that? The king (James Fox) is in feeble health and is preparing to step down and let Eddie rule instead? Paige, baby, you're gonna be queen! Talk about a signing bonus! The primary plot strands in the screenplay were well-worn when Sigmund Romberg composed his operetta "The Student Prince" 80 years ago, but the four screenwriters who assembled this romantic romp seem to think they're in uncharted territory here. Contrasts are carefully set up between Paige's just-folks family on their organic dairy farm in Wisconsin (where, hilariously, it's still short-sleeve weather, even at Thanksgiving) and Edvard's far more refined household in their suitably palatial home. There's a predictably difficult first encounter between a tipsy Edvard and a perturbed Paige, who, like the heroine of "The Student Prince" pays her bills by working as a barmaid. Then the opposites attract, as Edvard enlightens Paige about Shakespearean speech -- you didn't think you were going to sneak by without a few "Hamlet" wisecracks, did you? -- and Paige gives Edvard lessons in the intricacies of doing your own laundry. If it weren't for Stiles' serene sassiness and a few welcome dashes of sarcasm from Ben Miller as Edvard's chaperone, the movie's first half would be a royal snooze. The action -- and the interest level -- pick up markedly once the story moves to Denmark, where Edvard and Paige must face some life-altering choices, and Paige must deal with Edvard's regal mom (the magnificent Miranda Richardson), who doesn't like the idea of her son cavorting with a commoner. As Paige tries to fill her demanding new role as a queen-in-training, the movie finally transcends its Cinderella complex and threatens to ask a few pointed questions about the place of old-style monarchies in today's world. There's even a hint of the late Princess Diana around the edges of the scenes in which Paige and Edvard attempt to escape the photo-snapping paparazzi. Still, just like Julia Roberts' Vivian in "Pretty Woman," the filmmakers want the fairy tale, and before long "The Prince & Me" returns to its regularly scheduled programming, trotting out glorious galas and allowing the camera to all but drool over the sparkling treasures in the queen's vault. It's a sequence that could qualify as jewel pornography, and just the sort of thing that makes otherwise level-headed ladies -- and even a few precocious kindergartners -- want to chuck it all and run off with the first prince who comes a-knocking at the door.
Rating: Summary: Part reality-Part fantasy-contains spoilers Review: Paige Morgan is a very dedicated medical student at the University at Winsconson, who thinks that she does not have time to fall in love. Prince Edvard of Denmark is the classic playboy prince who only wants to go to Wisconson so he can get a girl to take her top off for him.
Paige and "Eddie" meet when he asks her to take her top off for him. The next day it turns out that they have to be lab partners for an organic chemistry class. At first Paige does not like Eddie because she thinks he is nothing but a spoiled rich boy. However there is clearly chemistry between the two, and Paige takes him home for Thanksgiving where things start to heat up.
Shortly after break Paige and Eddie try to study for exams, but instead find themselves making out in the stakes at the library. However, a Danish journalist finds them and Paige gets mad at Eddie for not telling her he is really Prince Edvard.
After this Edward has to go back to Denmark because his father is sick and he must take over as king. Paige relizes that she loves him and goes to Denmark to tell him. She finds Eddie in the middle of a parade and they spend some time together and eventually he proposes and she accepts.
Paige, however is nervous at becoming the Queen of Denmark and having to give up her goal of being a Doctor. After several royal fuctions she decides that she can't be Queen of Denmark and leaves to persue her education, while Edvard becames the new King of Denmark.
Several Years go by and Paige and her friends have graduated college. After the cerimoney the friends go outside to get their pictures taken and Eddie is there. When Paige sees him she rushes into his arms.
Rating: Summary: A little gem! Review: There are many well-written reviews on this movie, so I will only add a few more points.
I felt the acting by Luke Mably was superb. He could move easly from carefree playboy to soul-touched romeo and be believable as both. His every emotion was revealed in his eyes and face, except in those instances where he was supposed to be hiding his emotions. I really admired his performance. You could truly believe that he went from playboy to devoted prince charming through the course of the movie.
Julia Stiles, well, what can I say? Really, her most perfect performance yet (although rivaled by her performance in Mona Lisa.) I really believed she was a hard-working dairy farm girl and a brilliant scientist working hard to become a doctor. How many actors could pull off that dual-personality?
Not to be missed, her solo dancing scene. It was truly beautiful. The song was perfect, and her imperfect yet unself-conscious movement really sealed the deal with her prince charming.
The role of Soren was diverse and funny, yet a bit mean. In the end, I didn't really like him.
The only really plot problem came when Paige (Julia Stiles) had to tell Eddie (Luke Mably) about her desire not to give up her dreams. Her good-bye was abrupt with very little segue.
Although we knew she had worthwhile dreams of becoming a doctor, there just wasn't enough warning this scene was coming. I felt a bit betrayed by the script as I believed very much in her dedicated love to the prince at this point. Had there been a scene or two where she seemed to miss her former dreams, I would have been a little less suprised when this scene came about.
Here good-bye seemed a bit heartless as she did not even open up a dialog to discuss it with Eddie. As I said, the good-bye was really abrupt and out-of-character with the degree of their love. (I guess I hoped for the impossible, as many movie-watchers would, that she could find a way of pursuing her dreams while fulfilling her role as a queen too.)
Though the ending was ambiguous, it gave us hope that they might one day forge a way to be together -- and "live happily everafter, the end."
Rating: Summary: Julia Stiles does another great performance Review: This film was enjoyable. Julia Stiles does another great performance. She plays Paige, a girl who lives in Wisconsin and is going to college. Luke Mably plays Edward, the prince of Denmark. Edward just likes to have fun. Once day he sees this TV commercial with topless girls and it says you will only find it in Wisconsin, so that is why he goes to Wisconsin and meets Paige. Paige, however, doesn't know he is a prince because he changes his named to Eddie not Edward and pretends not to be a prince. One thing leads to another and Paige finds out he is a prince. This could be a bad thing or a good thing, but I don't want to give away the story. This movie is a great romantic movie. I enjoyed it very much. It was a little funny also. It has a little more depth to it then normal "chick flicks" and that is what I like about it. I was impressed. I think this movie is a good family film with children who are in their pre-teens.
Rating: Summary: Cute and sweet "CHEMISTRY" you'll love to watch! Review: Wisconsin-born Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) thinks boys are a distraction. In fact, she never dates, preferring to keep her mind on her pre-med college studies: she's worked hard for everything she's got, having grown up poor. Prince Edvard "Eddie" of Denmark (Luke Mably) has the opposite problem: he has grown up surrounded by wealth and privilege (having been groomed since birth to become the next ruler of his country). Only thing is: he's not ready for the responsibility! The Prince rebels against his parent's upbringing, deciding to go to America to meet girls. Along with his trusty servant/bodyguard Soren (Ben Miller), the Prince enrolls as a student at a Wisconsin college; they arrive and immediately set off to the local hangout to find some of these Wisconsin girls. It is there that Eddie runs into Paige, who is working; she dislikes him from the start, as he acts as less than a gentleman to her. When Eddie pairs up with her as her lab partner the next day in class, she's not about to change her mind about him...after all, he's just a rich playboy. Isn't he? Although Eddie started off with Paige on the wrong foot, he quickly realizes that she is the girl for him: the ONLY girl for him. He apologizes for his earlier behavior and the two become friends, and then something more. But when Paige discovers that her Eddie is actually Prince Edvard Valdemar Dangaard, soon to be 51st ruler of Denmark, she is understandably upset that he lied to her...but will she forgive him? And if she does, will the Prince be able to convince his parents to accept a poor Wisconsin girl as the future queen of Denmark? There are hardly any content issues, for those of you concerned about taking your kids to see the film: there is hardly any language (one swear word, and one use of "bloody"), some time spent at the local student hangout (has a few drinks at a bar), and a brief scene where a girl and guy are kissing and his shirt comes off, but they are interuppted. From the beautiful scenery and dream-like sequence of events (that come across VERY realistically), this romantic film is definitely worth the watch! The chemistry and love that blossoms between Paige and Eddie is so sweet and believable that you can't help falling in love with the characters themselves, and wishing that every girl could end up with their Prince Charming and live happily ever after!
Rating: Summary: PLEASANT AND ROMANTIC PIECE OF FLUFF... Review: With its excellent cast and Cinderella storyline, I had high hopes for this film. Instead, it turned out to be a fairly formulaic, predictable film about a very focused young woman, Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles), a farmer's daughter from Wisconsin who wants to become a doctor. She is so focused that she simply does not date, that is, until she is a pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin and meets "Eddie" (Luke Mably), a fellow student at the University. Despite an inauspicious first meeting, she and "Eddie" become lab partners, work in the same student hang-out joint, and eventually fall in love. Little does she know that "Eddie" is really Edvard, the Crown Prince of Denmark.
It seems that Edvard, nothing more than a rich, spoiled royal playboy, originally set out to attend the University of Wisconsin incognito, accompanied by his valet, Soren (Ben Miller), in hopes of sowing some wild oats and scoring with the chicks. When he meets Julia, his hopes of an easy, breezy fling are dashed, when he discovers that his charms are initially lost upon her. They eventually become friends, as they each have something that they can teach the other, but end up falling in love. Just as they are on the bring of consummating their love, the paparazzi descend upon them, and all hell breaks loose.
Paige is, of course, understandably miffed that "Eddie" has not told her the truth. Edvard, however, makes Paige an honorable proposal of marriage. Needless to say, the royal family is initially less than thrilled with the Crown Prince's choice of a mate. While King Haraald (James Fox) feels that it is his son's choice, Queen Rosalind (Miranda Richardson) is not a happy camper at the prospect of an American commoner for a daughter-in-law. Of course, Paige doesn't help any, as on the surface she comes across as a stolid, unsophisticated, and uncultured, though otherwise nice, young woman. Still, it seems that Edvard has done a three hundred and sixty degree turn and become a serious and stable young man since his attachment to Paige developed. Then, Paige has second thoughts about becoming the next Queen of Denmark, throwing a small monkey wrench into the works.
James Fox and Miranda Richardson steal the movie out from under Julia Stiles' nose, however brief their appearance. Moreover, there is simply little chemistry between Ms. Stiles and her leading man, Luke Mably. While I think that Ms. Stiles is one of the better young actresses around, this film is simply not one of her finer performances, as her portrayal of Paige is often leaden. It could simply be that she was hampered by the quality of the script. As for Luke Mably, he had his moments, but they were not enough to make this film more than what it is. This is simply a pleasant, romantic piece of fluff that is worth a rental and not much more.
|