10 Things I Hate About You (10 Things I Hate About You (DVD))

Member Name: jhewson8

Product:	10 Things I Hate About You (DVD)
Date:	29/07/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A rom-com that's more focused on the romantic side

Disadvantages: It's still a predictable rom-com

'10 Things I Hate About You' is on the surface your basic teen rom-com. The nice but socially less accepted boy gets the girl and the arrogant popular boy gets his comeuppance, however what 10 Things does is include a side story as well, although again predictable.

The film starts when we see Cameron being shown around on his first day at his new school, he is immediately transfixed on the beautiful and popular but unattainable Bianca, it is then his journey of trying to win Bianca that is the ultimate narrative of the film.

Cameron faces many obstacles in trying to date Bianca, the first of which is Joey. Joey is the boy that all girls desire, despite his arrogance and selfishness, and of course he is the object of Bianca's affection and luckily for her she is his. The only problem is that Bianca can only date when her feisty older sister Kat does, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be happening any time in the near future. Realising this Cameron creates a plan to allow both Bianca to date and to get Joey out of the way.

Cameron manages to convince Joey that he simply wants to help him win Bianca; he does this by enlisting the help of rebellious but yet charming Patrick. Cameron makes a deal with Patrick that if he dates Kat then he will be paid, of course the financing for this deal coming from Joey. Patrick finally agrees to the deal, and although it's difficult at first with the help of some embarrassment and a lovely performance from Patrick, Kat is sufficiently wooed.

Fortunately for Cameron, by the time Patrick wins over Kat Bianca is no longer so naïve about Joey, and has instead, to the audience's delight, fallen for Cameron.

The climax of the film arrives at prom, which although expected, is a narrative rule for all great teen rom-coms. Kat goes to prom with Patrick, to her father's surprise, allowing Bianca to go with Cameron. However, when Joey arrives to pick up Bianca she as already left with Joey, leading to Joey's realisation about what Cameron had been planning all along. When Joey arrives at prom he confronts Cameron about his deception managing to punch both Cameron and his friend ^, as well as letting Kat onto the fact that Patrick had only shown interest in her because he was being paid. Meanwhile Bianca is confronted in the toilets by ex-best friend Chastity, (who Joey has taken to prom instead of Bianca); Chastity tells Bianca rather cruelly that Joey only ever wanted her for one thing, meaning sex. A riled up Bianca then storms out of the toilets finding Joey has punched her date, she then lets her frustration loose on Joey leaving him sufficiently incapacitated, a rather amusing part of the film. Whilst Bianca is rightly giving Joey a taste of his own medicine, with the devastating news about Patrick's deception, Kat runs out crying followed by a regretful Patrick. Unfortunately Patrick's attempt to make things right between him and Kat fails and it looks like she has left him for good.

The next week at school, although Bianca and Cameron are happily together, and Joey pleasingly has a black eye, it looks like Kat and Patrick are still separated. Fortunately, and this is where the film's name is mentioned, Kat volunteers in English class (which Patrick is part of) to read her poem entitled '10 Things I Hate About You' The poem as predicted is directed towards Patrick although unexpectedly it is a poem describing how much she misses him, things get a little bit too emotional for Kat however and she runs out of the class room. It is only at the end of the film that we receive our full happy ending however. As Kat returns to her car she finds her dream guitar, and yes you guessed it, it's a present from Patrick which he bought using the money Joey gave him. Patrick then appears and the two make up, the film satisfyingly ending with the two kissing.

Personally I am not a great fan of rom-coms, teenage or otherwise, however there is something I like about '10 Things I Hate About You'. Maybe it is just the fact that the film stars Heath Ledger, who knows, but what I would like to believe is that the film is part of the rare breed of teen rom-coms that were made before they all became so generic and cheesy, before they became too unbearable and cringe worthy to watch. What is nice about 10 Things is that although it does have its dodgy moments it is an innocent film, made before all what is cared about by the produces is having talk, dark, muscular and talent-less actors in leading roles, and plastic, unreal actresses in female leading roles. 10 Things is the type of film that although it doesn't require a great deal of brain power when watching, it is still pleasing every time I watch it, and when I want something light-hearted and warming inside I can turn to it.

Summary: A sweet, light-hearted rom-com that's perfect if your not looking to think too much