The Student Prince

This proved to be a mostly pleasant, if somewhat episodic romp by two "outsiders" in the old-boy network of Cambridge University, one attracting ridicule because he is the ill-educated(but street-smart)bodyguard-cum-nursemaid of a Royal Prince, one the nerdy Royal Prince, himself. The two heroes triumph over all, of course, each "finding" himself in the conventional way, and they each wind up with Their Own True Love, meanwhile, the two actors play off each other most amusingly The humour is throwaway, but unexpected, and effective in eliciting constant guffaws from this, normally, staid viewer. The only fault I found with this highly enjoyable movie, was its occasional soppy moments, and a mean-spirited anti Royal tone throughout. The writer and director must be even more Republican than I.

It has Robson Green; it has to be good. Tara Fitzgerald & Rupert Penry-Jones are added bonuses. I thought of other films that captured the Cyrano premise encapsulated in this film. Also, education and Shakespeare are revealed to be important to all of us: rich and poor, dropout or higher educated. No matter what, there will always be films that have been done poorly, and this is not one of them. There will be films done a little better. Think for yourself, and you might agree with me that this one is a little better than most - especially of the USA variety. STUDENT PRINCE is so charming, and its storyline so unforced. The laughs are not belly busters, but the humor is charming, sophisticated, and heartfelt. It was a perfect afternoon diversion: mind elevating and memorable. It's a chick flick that might be appreciated by significant others looking for romance tips and techniques. British, and jolly good!

This is a sweet movie that will especially feel charming for fans of Robson Green and Rupert Penny Jones. I have always liked Tara FitzGerald as well, but her horrible attempt at an American accent kind of ruined her performance. (Simon Curtis should know better, since he's married to an American.) The interaction between Green and RPJ is delightful and humorous.

Maybe if I had watched this film in the mid-90s I would have enjoyed it more. Finding it in 2021 on Amazon Prime, I expected more from a BBC production, and was disappointed. The writing stumbled from one cliche to another, almost everything that happened was telegraphed and expected. The characters had little to no subtlety and behaved predictably. Maybe the style reflects television drama of the time, and we are expecting more complexity and depth now. Short scenes, mostly shot in medium closeups , were appropriate to standard definition television of the time, but the style feels dated now.

The almost universally positive reviews from others date from the 1990s, so it might be unfair to review it from a much later perspective. A few smart lines here and there, a message that literature and poetry matter, some humor, but overall a miss.

A smart, thoroughly enchanting romantic comedy with a little Cyrano DeBergerac thrown in while it thumbs its nose at class distinctions and the monarchy. Give me more of Robson Green!!!