The Prince & Me

What if there really was a handsome prince? And what if he's cast with an equally charming lady? End result: a very charming movie.

The Plot: Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) cannot afford any distractions right now, not when she's bent on entering John Hopkins and dreaming of a future career working for Doctors Without Borders. To be able to pass her last semester in college, she has to tackle Shakespeare, a subject she knows nothing about. So she enlists the help of her Chem lab partner, Eddie, who's well-versed on the bard. Eddie, however, has a secret identity. He just happens to be the Crown Prince of Denmark, who travelled all the way to Wisconsin and posed as an exchange student to escape the pressure of the 'family business'.

While the two didn't get off well at the start, owing to Eddie's misconception of American college girls, they eventually find themselves falling in love. All goes well until Eddie's identity is revealed, thanks to those pesky paparazzi. Paige feels betrayed. So she cuts herself off from Eddie, until Eddie is recalled to Denmark. He doesn't leave without telling Paige what he truly feels, of course, by leaving her a note: 'The sun itself sees not until heaven clears.' Paige follows her heart and flies all the way to Denmark, where she finds herself wrestling with the thought of whether or not she can give up her dream.

The Review: When Paige's mom lectures her that chemistry isn't just in class, I couldn't agree more. Julia Stiles and Luke Mably had chemistry, alright, and it sizzled (I can't get over the scene in the library). They looked so great together, I was hoping they'd continue their romance off-screen. Stiles is no stranger to college life so she portrayed her hard-working-pre-med-senior-who-fell-in -love character to perfection. Luke Mably was a surprise. I've never heard of him until this movie and he won me over. He did an excellent job in playing the dashing young Prince. He had such gentleness in him when he's around Stiles' character that I can't help but sigh every time he kisses her or just touches her.

More than the charming Stiles, the handsome Mably, and the sizzling chemistry, I loved the movie for its theme of female empowerment. It was a modern-day fairy tale for a modern-day Cinderella, a Cinderella with ambition. I admired Paige's strength for giving up a lifetime of Royalty to pursue her dream. The DVD had an alternate ending which was bittersweet but real. I preferred the released ending though, and fell even more for Eddie when he was humble enough to admit that he needed Paige in his life, and sweet enough to let Paige fulfill her dreams.

(Eddie's identity as Prince is known)

Eddie: I love you.

Paige: You love me? How can I believe you? You were just pretending!

Eddie: I wasn't pretending.

Paige: No, I wasn't pretending!

The Rating: 9/10. The best romantic comedy. Ever.

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