10 Things I Hate About You

A reprint of an old review. I wrote it before Ledger's death, so it's quite weird re-reading it.

This film is hilarious. Loosely based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", 10 Things I Hate About You tells the story of two sisters, Bianca and Kat. Their overbearing father, who works in a maternity ward, and therefore has an immense fear of getting pregnant does not allow them to date. This does not bother Kat, who tends to keep herself aloof from her peers. It does, however, bother Bianca. After much pleading, her father changes the rules; Bianca can date when Kat does. This opens the doors for Bianca's many admirers, one of whom comes up with the plan of paying someone (Patrick Verona) to date Kat.

At times, this film almost comes across as a parody of itself. It's not believable, in the sense that you can see it actually happening - it's a little too out there, for that. However, the acting is good (with an extraordinarily young Heath Ledger, and an equally youthful Julia Stiles), and the characters are endearing. There are so many great lines in the film, i had trouble choosing just one for the title of this review. The music is amazing (the first CD I ever bought was the soundtrack to this film), and although the film does come across as slightly dated, it has some of the more classic moments of romantic teen comedy (ie, Patrick serenading Kat in front of their classmates, a scene which was parodied in 'Not Another Teen Movie'). To be quite honest, the film's worth seeing just for the guidance counsellor and her trashy novel.

In summary, this film is a must for anyone who likes romantic comedy. Or Heath Ledger, the little cutie.

Rambley

Some of you may have noticed the lack of a set of Unlimited stats for this month. It's not that I've forgotten to record which films I've seen - it's that I haven't seen any.

April's been an interesting month. I got a new job, worked crazy hours for just over a week, then quit. It was a wonderful atmosphere, the coworkers were brilliant, but when it came right down to it, it wasn't a job I wanted to do. On the other hand, it left me enough confidence to walk away, knowing that I can find a job I'll love. At the moment, I'm still clearing tables once or twice a week, as well as mystery shopping, which is turning out to be awesome.

Anyway, I haven't really had time to visit the cinema, not with uni as well. I've barely had to watch my Lovefilm stuff - I've had a copy of 500 Days of Summer sitting on my desk for well over a week, and I only just got around to watching it. I did finish watching all thirty-seven episodes of Death Note. I don't think the ending was as good as the beginning, really.

I just watched 500 Days of Summer, as I think I mentioned, although it's now several hours after I wrote the first few paragraphs.

Honestly, at the minute, I'm a little bit of afraid of reading or watching anything that will make me really sad. That will make me care about the characters, and then hurt them. I just don't want to feel that way. I don't want to rewatch My Sassy Girl or read anything by Jodi Picoult. I don't want to get too involved with these characters.

I really couldn't tell you what's up with that.

So, in short, I watched 500 Days of Summer while concentrating on my Welsh textbook.

One thing that did strike me is just how much Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks like Heath Ledger now. The first film I saw him in was 10 Things I Hate About You (with Ledger), and he was tiny then. He still had a baby face, and was quite physically small. Now he's filled out a little more - although he's still very lean - and looks like an adult. In fact, he looks like a cross between Ledger and Keanu Reeves.

See? Maybe not around the eyes, but around the jawline and the cheekbones.

Don't agree? How about this?

This?

Honestly, I think the major difference is in the ears. It's not as apparent in still pictures, but sometimes, while he's moving, Gordon-Levitt looks exactly like Ledger.

Ravel out.

Heath Ledger

Sometimes, I take care of a small child. An eight-year-old boy. And while The Dark Knight was on in cinemas, we went past one on the bus. And he asked why the film was so well-advertised.

Now, there's a curious kind of power you have when in the care of a small child. You can tell them whatever you like, and for a few years, your word is gospel. It's especially cute when my grandmother tells me he's been repeating what I've said.

Anyway, instead of talking about Batman, or it being a sequel to quite a famous film, as well as a sort of requel of a lot of earlier films...I told him about Heath Ledger. And he didn't understand.

I am twenty years old. I was nineteen then. Heath Ledger's big break came, in my opinion, with Ten Things I Hate About You, released the summer I turned eleven, if memory serves. He was young, and new then. I haven't seen all of his films, but I've seen several over the years - notably, The Brothers Grimm and A Knight's Tale. While I haven't watched his every film, it's fair to say that I've known of and loosely followed his career since the start.

And then, as we all know, he went and died.

For most people of our generation, while this wasn't the first time a celebrity we knew of had died, it was, probably, the first time a celebrity who's career we'd known of from the beginning had died. We'd watched him grow, in fame and ability, right from the start. And suddenly he was gone. And you realise how your parents, and older generations felt, or feel, when their stars die. The people they've seen grow from humble beginning to whatever they become.

And this child couldn't understand, because, for him, Heath Ledger was before his time. Ledger was famous before the child was born. The child wasn't even old enough to watch most of his films. So how could he understand?

I suppose this is how my grandmother felt when Elvis died. I wouldn't say that we mourn him like a family member - that right is reserved for his actual family - but he was one of ours. He was the first one, for most of us. And he was too young. And every time I see one of his films, I remember, again, that he's dead. Not with depression, but with surprise. Because it's so downright silly for Heath Ledger to be dead.

Australia

It is curious to note just how little Australia impacts the cinematic world. While I'm aware that Australia has a burgeoning film industry and has produced many good films, these probably will not be widely advertised, and almost certainly won't be competing with the latest Hollywood blockbusters. Most famous Australian actors and actresses - Guy Pearce, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and the late Heath Ledger, to name a few - will not be using their real accents in their most famous films, except, perhaps, on the commentary. And at the moment, I can only think of one film which is set in Australia.

So, with that kind of history, this film seems to be an Australian light in an all too American world. Australia, directed by Baz Luhrman (New South Wales), starring Hugh Jackman (also New South Wales) and Nicole Kidman (born in Honolulu, but raised in Sydney), and filmed in Queensland, may be Australia's big break into the commercial film market.

I do, however, find it rather amusing that Nicole Kidman is playing an English woman.

I also suspect that, epic as the film is, it may be slightly too heavy in tone for most audiences.