"The Prince and Me"
** 1/2
PG, 111 min. with Julia Stiles and Luke Mably. Directed by Martha Coolidge. Opens tomorrow.
For the young, restless Danish prince Edward (Luke Mably), Denmark is nothing more than a prison of paparazzi and royal responsibilities. The prince comes to America for escape and self-discovery, only to find love in the form of a University of Wisconsin pre-med student named Paige (Julia Stiles).
Though the plot at the beginning seems like a fusion of "Hamlet" and "Coming to America," "The Prince and Me" forges a separate identity as a charming, better-than-average romantic comedy. The romance between Edward and Paige develops in standard up and down, why-didn't-you-tell-me-you-were-a-prince-I-wanted-you-to-love-me-for-who-I-am fashion. In homage both to Edward's character and Stiles' love for Shakespeare, their flirtations are sprinkled with verses from "Romeo and Juliet," analysis of sonnets and a brief discussion of "Hamlet." The references to Hamlet in addition to humorous foreshadowing lines about Edward's royalty provide the necessary suspense before the unraveling of his common guise.
Mably and Stiles bring solid performances to their somewhat predictable roles, and romance is not unconvincing. However, other characters in the film offer some freshness.
Indeed, the most charming relationship in the film is not the one between Edward and Paige, but the one between Edward and Paige's brothers. They embrace Edward, the foreigner and would-be boyfriend, with non-stereotypical warmth and even let him race one of their lawnmowers in the big local competition.
This stands in contrast to the normal farm reception of pushing the new guy into the cow manure, and it helps Edward's character to shine a little as he takes on the tasks of the farm with aplomb.
Sorenj (Ben Miller), Edward's personal assistant in America, brings the comic relief of the overly formal servant whose manners loosen over time. Edward comes back from Thanksgiving at Paige's house to find Sorenj addicted to their roommate's Xbox. Sorenj also provides support for Paige as she stumbles her first few weeks through the royal world. It is fun to watch Paige fumble through, succeed in and ultimately reject the world of royalty. Stiles, through her very professional, focused demeanor, hammers home the character's inability to accept this style of life. Though the film starts a little predictably, the action picks up at the end as the fairy tale comes to a close.
