The Prince & Me (2004) starring Julia Stiles, Luke Mably, Ben Miller, Miranda Richardson, James Fox, Eliza Bennett, Eddie Irvine directed by Martha Coolidge Movie Review

The Prince & Me (2004)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Julia Stiles as Paige Morgan in The Prince & Me

Prince and the Paige Girl

"The Prince & Me" is not your average romantic comedy, it takes the usual spin of boy meets girl, and they fall in love but can it all work. But this movie also mixes in the fairytale of girl meets her Prince Charming. With this in mind, you would think that this is going to be over slushy and one to avoid, but it isn't. It is set in a very modern world and is a story of 2 people who go on a personal journey of discovery when love interferes with their planned futures. Of course the love story is a huge part of this, but it is a very real love story and not overly sickly sweet. It is also hugely funny, with some very dead pan humour and some brilliant performances.

Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles - Mona Lisa Smile) knows what she wants to be and knows what she needs to do to become it. So in her final year at the University of Wisconsin, she's determined that nothing is going to get in her way of becoming a doctor. That is until she meets Eddie (Luke Mably - 28 Days Later), the handsome playboy Prince inline to become the King of Denmark. But before he has to fulfil his destiny, he decides to enrol at the University of Wisconsin, under an alias, so that he can find the real him and also the wild party girls of Wisconsin that he saw advertised on TV. At first Paige doesn't like Eddie, as he comes over as a spoilt rich boy, but as they are forced to spend time together a friendship grows which blossoms into love. But can it work, an American Girl with the next King of Denmark?

Ben Miller and Luke Mably in The Prince & Me

The two lead characters are Paige Morgan a small town farm girl who wants to be a doctor, and Eddie (Prince Edvard) the playboy heir to the Danish throne who feels trapped in his predefined life. Paige is played by the stunning Julia Stiles and her performance is very good. It is very good to see the female romantic lead being a strong character and not just there to provide something for the male audience. The scene where Paige is evaluating Shakespeare for an exam piece is brilliantly acted, especially when she discovers that she is in fact talking about her own life.

Eddie is played by Luke Mably and this was the first movie I have seen him in and he plays the part of the fun loving Prince extremely well. He reminds me of a young Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2), a proper gentleman but with a touch of the playboy about him. Another character who really deserves a mention is Eddie's personal assistant Soren, played by Ben Miller. Miller is excellent as he brings so much dead pan humour to the film, his performance really does make this film very enjoyable. There are also great supporting performances from Miranda Richardson and James Fox as the Danish King and Queen. All in all this film has been very well cast and in being so is very enjoyable.

"The Prince & Me" is directed by Martha Coolidge who previously directed "Angie" as well as several TV shows. It is very plain to see that she really cared about this film and in doing so has created a well above average romantic comedy. She has also been blessed in working with an excellent film crew. Part of the film has been shot in Prague, which really is a fairytale location with its grand old buildings, a beautiful countryside. The set creator has done a magnificent job of creating the splendour of a royal castle. Finally the sound track to the film is a great combination of beautiful orchestral movements which flow into modern upbeat pieces; it really does help to make this film very enchanting. The film also has some great contemporary rock songs, including the poignant ballad "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" by Tom Waits and performed by Marc Cohn.

What this all boils down to is that "The Prince & Me" is a very enjoyable romantic comedy. Although the plot is predictable the story is still very good and with the brilliant performances, dead pan humour, beautiful locations, and a lovely sound track, there is something for everyone in this film. This is a great film for anytime of day and although it has been aimed at the late teens early 20s market, it is more than appealing to any age group. I would strongly recommend this if you want a modern romantic comedy.


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