Mediocre chick flick.

Pretty Woman is one of those chick flicks that were bunched together with films I usually have no interest in seeing. Upon finally viewing it I realised that my expectations were mildly surpassed, although not severely.

I will admit having a fun time watching the movie as it had a few clever laughs and some fascinating characters.

Richard Gere is Edward Lewis; a wealthy, eccentric businessman who specialises in corporate raiding. One evening Edward is on a business trip and finds himself lost in Hollywood. Enter curious prostitute Vivian (Roberts) who agrees to give Edward directions to his destination.

Because Edward is lonely and is the king of impossible relationships, he decides that for the duration of this trip he does not want to be alone in his hotel room all the time. Thus he offers Vivian a considerable amount of money for her to spend the week with him. Vivian was once a filthy hooker who walked the streets, but as the week goes by Edward plans to make a real woman out of her.

This transformation from whore to lady is very amusing at times and takes an enticing look at the prejudice in our society towards hookers. Of course as predicted, this week together sparks romance between the two protagonists.

Pretty Woman is a romantic comedy that developed its roots from the classic story of Cinderella. Although not blatantly obvious at first, the film also contains recurring themes of fairy-tales and princes that further solidify this idea of an updated Cinderella tale.

Richard Gere is an actor I've never admired. Not to say that he's a bad actor, but his choice of roles appears to boil down to chick flicks and romantic comedies - i.e. films that I generally avoid. Gere brings a sense of charisma and charm to his character. Playing a handsome millionaire, this was a vital character trait to make the film work. Gere gave it everything he could.

Julia Roberts was the perfect partner for Gere. She nails the love-stricken, optimistic prostitute. Needless to say, the actors needed a decent script as well to ensure the success of the movie. I thought the screenplay was well written. It has some funny dialogue and develops a very unique set of characters. Unfortunately, the lack of laughs was a major downfall. Especially because the film was so predictable I would have expected the laughs to be in greater numbers. With these limited laughs, there is no overshadowing the clichéd and predictable nature of the film.

The directing was standard for the genre; nothing too great, nothing too shabby. One of the more positive stand-outs I discovered while watching the movie was its soundtrack. There's loads of classic music present here. You don't need to be a detective to figure out what the title song must be.

Overall, Pretty Woman was better than I anticipated. Films like these are simple entertainment to be shared with a few friends. Because of the adult themes and profanity this can't be considered a film for the family.

Pretty Woman is a film worth seeing because it's different and creative; boasting a number of great characters that are executed well. The film is light-hearted entertainment and should never be considered Oscar material. Worth a rental, at least.