Pretty Woman (15)

In Gary Marshall’s take on Pymalion, she

(Julia) discovers a sense of self worth, while

he (Rick) discovers his own “core of emotional

vulnerability”. Well never mind all that.

You know the story, and it’s back here to brighten

the prosects of a brave new 2018 unlikely to be

filled with too many. Landing in Los Angeles for a

week of tortuous negotiation, ruthless self-confident

corporate tycoon Edward (Richard Gere) hires

eccentric hooker Kit (Julia Roberts) as his disarming

escort, wining and dining his opponents while

grooming and schooling her in the finer points of a

‘better’ life.

It was the ‘sleeper’ hit of 1989 and the film which at

a stroke restored Richard Gere to the major league

and made Julia into a mega-star. He’s looking very

young while Julia looks better now 27 years on, or is

that just my new glasses.

An unashamed family-chick-flick to start New

Years eve with happy tears. Save those others for

midnight. But let’s defy it all and have a Happy

New Year.