Der Prinz & ich

"The Prince & Me" is likely to be skewered by critics for being entirely predictable. Meet Paige. Pre-med student who has ambitions of seeing the world with Doctors Without Borders. Meet Edvard. Danish crown prince who wants to go to America, Wisconsin particularly, because he sees one of those "Girls of Wisconsin" videos. He enrolls at Paige's school as an exchange student named "Eddie". He's incognito because he wants to avoid the papparazzi. Do you think he'll get along with Paige at first? Think they'll fall for each other? Think the fairytale romance won't blossom? If you doubt any of this, then you A) have been living under a rock B) have never seen a romantic comedy in your life. "The Prince & Me", which I was dragged off to see by my girlfriend, *is* that predictable. There's hardly a plot twist in sight. Everything happens according to the book. Girl meets prince in disguise. Girl falls for prince. Prince reveals identity. Girl gets mad. Girl realizes she loves prince. Goes off to neverland to marry prince. Etc., etc.

But I figured if I could stay awake through this movie (and I did) it had to have some merit. And it does.

The "Danish" royal family in this film is a thinly-veiled parody of the British royals. The old queen with the aversion to her kin marrying commoners, the playboy prince...you get the point. This part of the film adds a touch of realism to the proceedings. I kind of liked that. I've seen royalty portrayed in other movies that I've been forced to watch (eg. King Ralph, Princess Diaries) and they couldn't have been more off the mark.

There's some genuinely amusing (but not laugh-out loud) moments in the film too.

I won't spoil them for you here. But if you're a guy, and your girlfriend is begging you to see this, you might want to give it a chance.

7/10

I've been reading the comments from everyone on the movie. I just wanted to say a couple of things. First off, if one turns off their analytical side and simply watch the movie, they might be surprised.

Every female, regardless of age, secretly wants to be loved like the classic 'princess' stories. It's not so much about a princess as it is about the real love between two people.

These kinds of stories still exist simply because we yearn for them, even if it is buried deep inside us.

The most important part of the movie is not location, government or royalty, it is the journey these two 'people' take after meeting. The setting for each before meeting sets up the movie and introduces them, flaws and all to us.

this is simply a love story that transcends time and age. Watch it with emotion instead of analyzing it.

You may look at the preview and think, "Great, they just basically ruined the ending for me." which is what I though when I saw it. However, I took a chance renting it, because I figured it would be an entertaining way to pass the time. I was right. I not only found it entertaining, but by the end, as corny is it may sound for a film like this, it did leave me guessing a little as to what would happen.

Although I don't usually care for Julia Stiles, I found her to be delightful in this piece, and the right person to play the part. The role of the handsome Scandanavian Prince, was also correctly casted, and was a heartthrob a minute. The two actors worked very well together, and I very much enjoyed the film, finding it sweet, romantic and just enough of light and heavy to balance it out nicely.

Ovearll it's a film that certainly wouldn't have been nominated for any big awards, but it's cute, and in the end a pretty predictable film. I recommend it to the ones out there who like the Cinderella-ish stories. It's kind of like that.

As transparent as it is absurd, "The Prince and Me" is nothing more than a regurgitation of the classic royalty-or-famous-person-meets--unsuspecting-commoner-and-they-fall-in-love- and-live-happily-ever-after fairytale that has been passed down from generation to generation. But thanks to the charms of the established young actress, Julia Stiles, and the new up and coming Brit, Luke Mably, mixed with the somehow amusing screenplay by the writers of the soon to come Kate Hudson picture "Raising Helen", "The Prince and Me," succeeds in its genre.

Set in Wisconsin, Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) is a driven pre-med student who is determined not to be weighed down by a careless romance, and Prince Edward (Luke Mably) of Denmark is the restless king to be who is avoiding royal responsibility to be a rebellious college kid in the States. Despite his odd, self absorbed manner, and trailing assistant, nobody seems to guess his true identity, and Paige believes he is a foreign exchange student. The magnetism between Stiles and Mably cannot be denied, and when their two opposite characters attract, there are definitely fireworks. The cat and mouse chase exposition is much more interesting than the over the top finale, but it helps develop the story so you are still paying attention at the end.

And of course, Paige teaches Eddie about love and work ethic, while Eddie teaches Paige about poetry and the pains and pleasures of wealth and privilege. This dull, predictable, and recycled premise has been used many a time because with the right stars and right lighting, it easily reminds the audience of the innocence, joy, and surprises that are found in love. And that is truly the greatest story ever told, so why not tell it over and over and over and over again? Thus, an enjoyable cinema experience is practically guaranteed if you put the idea in capable hands.

Modest humor and sincere characters bring the story to life. The glimpse into Denmark royalty is intriguing and believable, and the film's characters are impossible to dislike. Stiles and Mably give equally thorough performances and I wouldn't mind seeing them pair up again for a more thought-provoking project.

Since the dialogue was satisfying, it is surprising the script at large wasn't a bit more realistic or original. But I assume that wasn't the aim, and am in a forgiving mood today.

In fact, I am glad that "The Prince and Me" didn't attempt to venture into more dramatic territory, for that would be unnecessary, and merely pretentious. Director Martha Coolige knows what "The Prince and Me" is and she doesn't try to make it anything more, so it stays on track with an obvious and clear goal in mind.

"The Prince and Me" won't change or challenge you, but it just may uplift you for the movie's duration plus two or three, maybe even five, minutes afterward, so why not pay the five to eight bucks? But if you seek more than temporary well wrapped candy, hunker in on the two leads or just avoid the picture completely.

"The Prince & Me" is a simple, warm-hearted love story. It's almost like another kind of Julia Stiles "10 Things I Hate About You" romantic comedy, but posh. Truthfully I think "10 Things I Hate About You" is the better film because of the inestimable Heath Ledger, but also because Julia Stiles "tempestuous b--tch" character shines brighter. In "The Prince & Me," Julia Stiles is as smart and witty but more conservative and mild tempered. Even still, Julia Stiles gives a strong performance with many affectionate and heart breaking moments in subtle changes of expression. Julia Stiles acting skills has certainly matured here but I wish she had a larger and more differentiated role to fill than she does.

Anyway, "The Prince & Me" is a predictable but genuine romantic comedy and very funny in parts (I.e. when the prince's butler becomes crack-addicted to video games). Very watchable.

One quibble is the ending which seems to go on for a long time. A good twist to show what happens after "happily ever after," but almost like it belongs in the next movie.

Other than that, a fine, conventional, but pleasing film.