We all know the typical romantic comedy formula: guy meets girl, they fall in love, they have a fight and break, they get back together. I still maintain that a good romantic comedy can be fun to watch. The problem is that not many of them introduce fresh ideas. 10 Things I Hate About You is not only a film that introduces fresh ideas, but it makes you love the genre.
10 Things I Hate About You is the story of a popular teenager who is not aloud to date until her older does. The fact that this movie is incredibly anti-cliche is what makes it so wonderful. The fact that Kat (Julia Stiles) and Patrick (Heath Ledger) are so much alike instead of being the typical "opposites attract" couple makes for great chemistry between the two of them. The fact that Patrick never cared about being paid to take Kat out and generally cared about her makes for a great twist. The fact that both Cameron & Bianca and Patrick & Kat end up together instead of one them not working out just makes for a great movie overall. The scene where Patrick sings to Kat is just so much fun to watch. It seems that lately I have been writing about movies that have come close to perfection. If only there were just a small scene where both boys ask the girls to the prom, this film would be just that.
Julia Stiles plays Kat Stratford. Kat is smart-mouthed, opinionated and hard to deal with. Stiles disappears into the role, giving off a genuine anti-social attitude. We do see she has an emotional side, however instead of crying during these scenes, we see her actually get mad at herself for letting her soft side come out. Kat is a girl who is completely out of touch with her feelings, and Julia Stiles crushes it.
Heath Ledger shines as Patrick Verona. Like Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger disappears into his role as the bad-boy, right down to the cheshire cat-like grin. Also, like Kat, Patrick has a soft side which is particularly nice to see considering all the horrible things that we hear he has supposedly done. Ledger does so much with just his face and we see that in this movie, particularly when Kat is reading her poem.
Gil Junger is the director of 10 Things I Hate About You. This film thrives on the moments between the characters, and Junger directs this movie using tight shots for those moments. There is also a great shot of Patrick and Kat slow dancing to a fast-paced song. Everybody around them is dancing vigorously, and to show these two slow dancing shows exactly the kinds of characters that Patrick and Kat are. This is a great feature film debut for Gil Junger.
10 Things I Hate About You is one of those movies that I could watch over and over again. The acting is great, and the dialogue is easily quotable. I highly recommend this film to anybody who has not seen it, and even if you have you should watch it again!
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