Films to see

What a Girl Wants is a little twist on the usual fairytale girl-becomes-a-princess motive. Don't expect too much from it and you'll be pleased.

On one hand, if you decide to watch it, you'll encounter all sorts of cheesiness. Some of it is quite sweet, though. The film is full of stereotypes about the British, ranging from musical to linguistic or dietary stereotypes, (not mentioning the obvious every-Brit-is-a-lord). It is hard to decide whether these are part of the intended comedy, or whether they come from a much simpler place. Either way, these stereotypes are not insulting or negative, so they can be forgiven.

On the other hand, the film has a rather good mirror-like structure - every plot element has its reflection, and it finishes where it started. The film shows some good directing techniques. In particular, there is some use of juxtaposition adding to the comic element . It is not supposed to be a comedy, but it has its moments. Lastly, the actor performances are of a very high level, which adds to the general watchability of this film.

What a Girl Wants is a simple and rather enjoyable film if you're looking for something easy that doesn't require a hundred percent of your attention all the time. It is no masterpiece, but it might be worth watching once, especially if you want to see Colin Firth wearing leather trousers. I'm saying no more...