His Fair Lady

Rating: Null/10 (3 December 2017)

Hired by a rich businessman to be his date for a week, a prostitute has to work out if the businessman is serious about his romantic advances towards her in this romantic comedy that propelled Julia Roberts to fame. A popular movie when first released, 'Pretty Woman' has received some backlash over the years for its lack of realism and indeed one has to suspend disbelief at how kind-hearted both protagonists are. There is enough snappy dialogue though to keep things moving along; "we both screw people for money" Richard Gere comments at one point, while his observation that "stores are never nice to people... they're nice to credit cards" offers some unexpected social commentary for a lighthearted film like this is. The other big plus is the talented supporting cast. Hector Elizondo is delightful in a Golden Globe nominated role as a prim and proper hotel proprietor who gradually warms towards Roberts while Jason Alexander is a lot of fun as Gere's cunning lawyer. Realism aside, the biggest issue with the film is how little Roberts changes over the course of the film. This is no 'Pygmalion' or 'My Fair Lady' tale in which we see a noticeable difference in the protagonist as a result of her experiences. Still, it is a pleasant enough movie with some really funny moments (Roberts commenting on an opera) in between the clichés.