I Want You To Want Me (10 Things I Hate About You (DVD))

Member Name: topsyturvy

Product:	10 Things I Hate About You (DVD)
Date:	28/06/06 (275 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good acting, original dialogue

Disadvantages: -

This is one of those films that when it came out I had no idea it was be seen as one of the classic teen movies of the day. I think it was out all the way back in 1999, scarily the last century. I don’t remember going to see it at the cinema because I didn’t but I did see it on the TV one night a couple of years ago and ever since it has been a favourite film of mine.

This film is a teen movie based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew which I haven’t seen so I can’t really write a review which shows how it compares to the play. So to summarise this film I will try not to give away too much plot. Basically set at Padua High we have Julia Stiles’ character Katarina Stratford (Kat) and she is what I would call the rebellious child one who doesn’t like to follow the crowd and has few friends for it but she doesn’t really care.

We then have Larisa Oleynik’s character Bianca Stratford who is Kat’s sister. She is the popular girl at school and the complete opposite of Kat. They don’t really get on at all but in some way they don’t completely hate each other. Joey is the popular guy at school; he likes Kat but cannot date her because the Stratford dad doesn’t allow his daughters to date. He is over protective and very strict but without a mother in their lives this is probably why. Bianca cannot date anyone until Kat does but with her attitude Bianca seems to think this will be never.

Cameron is a new boy at school and of course sees Bianca and is in love so he and his friend decide to make a plan. The plan being that they get a guy who Kat might like and pay him to take Kat out so that Cameron can go out with Bianca. However, they pick Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) who is rumoured to have spent a year in prison, the real tough guy and everyone is afraid of him. Cameron and his friend Michael arrange that Joey go for the plan of paying Patrick so that Bianca can date, little does he know he is paying so Cameron can get her.

It all sounds very confusing and in some ways it is but it is a very enjoyable film. The acting is not Oscar nominated obviously but there are a lot of funny moments and the humour is mature and the lines are not typical and predictable. There is a character in this film for everyone and this is why I like it so much. You have Kat the rebel, Bianca, popular girl, Joey, popular guy, Patrick bad guy and Cameron the nice guy.

The good thing about this film also is the fact that at the time most of the cast were unknown. Larisa Oleynik had done the show’ The Secret World of Alex Mack’ which I sadly did watch but other than that she wasn’t really known. Julia Stiles this was probably her first main role and now she has done so many films. It is like nothing she will ever do again as now she goes for more challenging roles but she had fun with this part and she and Heath Ledger had good on screen chemistry.

Heath Ledger we all know from Brokeback Mountain and he tends to go for old fashioned films now but then he was a younger, funner guy and it was different. There are also roles from Allison Janney and Andrew Keegan. Joseph Gordon Levitt was a great choice for the guy in this film as him and Larisa were another good choice of couple as you really want them to end up together but I won’t ruin it.

One thing I loved about this film was the humour. Kat was not your typical main character from a teen movie but a smart, ambitious girl who had a quick answer for anyone who annoyed her. She didn’t say like every second and sounded intelligent when she spoke. The humour is sarcastic and what you see of the characters such as Patrick tends not to be how he turns out. At first he’s your typical rumoured to be bad guy but as the film goes on we see he is an intellectual guy who does have feelings too.

The soundtrack to this film was actually pretty good too. All of the songs are good and the band Letters to Cleo fit in when they are played. A band with a female vocalist who isn’t too bad and Kat seems to be a fan in the film. It is a mix of 90’s rock and soulful singers, there is no r’ n’ b it is all a sound of talented artists who play their own instruments.

This film is a 12 certificate and there are no sex scenes in this film, the odd joke but other than that it is very mild. I would say this film is for you if you like sarcasm, a good teen movie and if you hate cheesy lines you will love this.

It’s a film which will never be forgotten in a hurry it always makes it high in the top teen movie lists. It shows that girl characters are not always pathetic and don’t always have to be desperate for the popular guy. It also shows family life and the ways of high school and is more than just a teen movie.

On the DVD the film only seems to be available in English. Subtitles are for the hearing impaired. There are no special features in mine but that didn't really bother me.

The DVD can be bought on Amazon for £5.97 and on play.com for £5.99. Either way it's not too pricey which is good.

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