The Prince & Me

Very predictable yet very pleasant, The Prince & Me casts Julia Stiles as Paige Morgan – a hard-working college student whose rigid lifestyle is thrown for a loop after she falls for a charismatic exchange student named Eddie (Luke Mably). Of course, Eddie’s true identity – that of Danish Crown Prince Edvard – is eventually revealed and the pair inevitably find themselves faced with the intense scrutiny of the international press. There’s nothing particularly ground-breaking about The Prince & Me and it’s ultimately clear that the film has been primarily geared towards teenagers, and yet it’s impossible to deny the effectiveness of the increasingly compelling storyline – which has been infused with sporadic bursts of unexpectedly romantic overtones. The distinctly charismatic work of the two leads only cements the movie’s better-than-anticipated atmosphere, although – admittedly – the pace is perhaps a little more laid back than one might’ve liked. This is especially reflected in the last half hour of the proceedings, which ultimately feels as though it’d be more at home within the confines of an entirely separate endeavor (ie it’s like the filmmakers took what could have been a sequel and crammed it into the movie’s third act). Still, The Prince & Me generally remains a cut above the majority of its contemporary romcom brethren – with the dreaded fake break-up handled particularly well (the second fake break-up is kind of pushing it, though).

*** out of ****