'Ten Things I Hate About You' - Film review

Rating: 9/10 (18 September 2005)

'Ten Things I Hate About You' was made in 1999. Directed by Gil Junger and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik it was a widely successful movie with an entertaining storyline loosely based on Shakespeare's comedy 'The Taming Of The Shrew.
Although the film follows the stories of several different characters it is mainly based around Kat (Julia Stiles) who is the difficult older sister of the beautiful and very popular Bianca (larisa Oleynik) who's father has forbidden her from dating until her older sister does. When Cameron (joseph Gordon-Levitt) starts the first day of his new school he instantly falls in love with Bianca. However he has some tough competition from the overwhelmingly egotistical Joey (Andrew Keegan), but he shows that he is substantially more intelligent than the unbearably vain Joey and forms a clever plan involving Trailer park rebel Patrick (heath Ledger) and tricks Joey into helping him get the girl.
However this film is more than your usual clichéd teen movie. The storyline and script have a genuine depth which demands more of the viewer than most other films in this genre. The characters are wonderfully played by top quality actors and actresses who play their parts with amazing insight into the characters and how they are portrayed to the audience.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film because not only is the main character female, she is also an extremely strong and intelligent person who is never afraid to express her own views and feelings. The fact that she is not your average teen-movie dumb-blonde type or completely gorgeous and impossibly popular also helps people relate much more easily to the character and makes you want to get to know her. I particularly admired her witty comebacks to any insults from people who disagreed with her less than conventional attitude to her social life and popularity. This character is a particularly good role model as although she made mistakes she learnt from them and never let any 'guy', or anybody else take advantage of her again.
This film is also very different to most of it's genre as the script and storyline are extremely intelligent and well put together. It is an excellent modern adaptation of a classic play which hopefully would encourage more teenagers to be willing to enjoy the works of Shakespeare, and help them realise that the aim of his writing was to entertain and that his plays were certainly not written to be taught in schools. It also carries on the comedy genre of Shakespeare's play as the film is genuinely extremely funny. This is exaggerated by the fast pace of the film and the witty jokes and comments from characters. The screenwriters manage to successfully retain Shakespeare's original sophisticated aim and similar morals are communicated to the audience, along with added ones which are more relevant to teenagers today. The blend of old and new ideas works surprisingly well and enhances the quality of the film, making it modern but classic at the same time.
My favourite part of this film is where Patrick sings 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' to Kat in front of a playing field full of his fellow students. The band starts playing along to the tune and everyone stops to watch. Now in your average teen-movie this would be unbearably sleazy but in 'Ten Things I Hate About You' it is made hilariously funny when Patrick runs around after policemen, who are attempting to restrain him, and slaps their bottoms. The swift movements of the camera in all directions and the jaunty camera angles in this scene exaggerate the humour and everything from the huge idiotic grin on his face to his sarcastic run adds to this effect and gives this scene two very positive qualities: humour and romance.
The only part of this film which disappointed me is the ending. Like most other teenage movies this film of course ends with a prom. For such a thoroughly entertaining and quite unpredictable film this is an extremely discouraging ending which seems to have had very little thought or enthusiasm at all put into it. A prom seems to be the easy way out of your typical teen movie and i certainly expected much more from a film with such an admirable and creative storyline. The audience should by now be expecting a huge ending with humour and fast movement which sums up the rest of the film with a huge bang, but instead we are left feeling duly disconcerted with this totally uninspiring choice of ending.
Although the clichéd ending does not spoil an otherwise excellent film, it left me feeling unfulfilled and disappointed and the experience was not as it could have been if the ending was just a little more inventive.