Decent comedy-romance that lacks anything special

Rating: 5/10 (12 October 2007)

Pretty Woman is a comedy-romance that uses a basic plot and tries to make it interesting. It tells the story of Vivian Ward, a hooker that gets more than she bargained for when she persuades a rich business man to take her in for the night. The man, Edward Lewis, enjoys her company and offers her payment for the whole week if she stays. Then the typical romantic relationship slowly develops, with a predictable outcome. The plot tries nothing new and is too simple to garner much interest. The balance between business and love could have been good but is underplayed.
The acting delivers mixed results. Generally, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts do fine as the main couple. Unfortunately, a few scenes are genuinely unconvincing. The side actors are not bad, but put up forgettable performances. The music fits well, and the "Oh, Pretty Woman" sticks out perfectly. The camera work and effects are average for the genre.
The movie was not bad, but also not one that I would readily watch again. It was too shallow and didn't have anything to bring me back. It has no depth or hidden messages, just the straight story. Pass it up unless your a romance fan.