10 Things I Hate About You

Time to take a look at Heath Ledger's second film on my blog, and my personal favourite of his. I know you probably can't believe that I would pick a film like this over 'The Dark Knight' or 'Brokeback Mountain', and while I do respect those films, this one has always been the one I enjoyed the most, and still enjoy no matter how many times I watch it.

The directorial debut of Gil Junger, who until that point had only worked on TV shows, 10 Things I Hate About You was released in 1999 and stars heath Ledger & Julia Stiles, at the time relative newcomers. It co-stars Joseph Gordon Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz and Larry Miller. A moderate box office success at the time of release, the film is ranked 10th on the list of highest grossing Teen Romances, and 18th highest grossing High School Comedies. The film itself is a modern reworking of Shakespears' 'The Taming Of the Shrew', and centres around an attractive high school girl who is forbidden from dating until her unpopular, nonconformist sisters does so. Believe me, its nowhere near as melodramatic as it sounds.

The film begins with a boy called Cameron (Gordon Levitt) being introduced to Padua, his new school, by friendly geek Michael (Krumholtz) when he espies Bianca Stratford (Oleynik), and immediately falls for her. Yes, its A Knights Tale all over again!

Michael informs Cameron that, while Bianca is beautiful and deep, she is vapid, conceited, and barred from dating until she graduates by her overprotective and paranoid father Walter (Miller). But after a confrontation about this rule, Walter makes an amendment, stating that Bianca can date when Kat (Stiles) her socially antagonistic sister starts doing so. Learning of this adjustment, Cameron and Michael look for somebody who will willingly date Kat, with limited success.

The duo then come across Patrick Verona, a high school rebel and outsider, and decide his is there guy, but when they find out he will not date Kat without getting something in return, they decide to pay him. Having no money, they approach Joey Donner: Rich kid, jock and douche-bag, who is also interested in Bianca. Joey pays Verona to date Kat, but she is initially hostile towards his advances.

Should you be drinking alcohol if you don't have a liver?

Really, that's all that really needs to be said of the story. Patrick tries his best to woo Kat, while Joey and Cameron both compete for Bianca's affections. Its one of Shakespears' classic plays brought to the big screen, and I'm delighted to say that it doesn't disappoint. The film is an absolute riot from beginning to end. I've seen it countless times and, like with Beavis & Butthead, even though I know what lines and scenarios are approaching, I laugh just as hard at them each time. The writing is fantastic, the characters are so loveable and witty, even the nasty ones. The romance is more palpable than in A Knights Tale, and I think that Ledger is more suited to his role in this film. All the actors are perfectly cast. Ledger makes a great high school rebel, Stiles effortlessly pulls of the misunderstood antagonistic, Cameron and Michael make the most adorable nerdy double teem, and Larry Miller is as reliable as ever when it comes to his comic timing, giving some of us the movies best 1 liners. But overall, like Napoleon Dynamite, it's just a very, very nice film, and sometimes, that's more important than anything.

So that's all I'm gonna say. It's been one of my favourites for years, and it's one I never tire of. See it today, add it to your collection, and enjoy it forever more.