She's All That

There are some movies that make me just stop what I'm doing and watch. Braveheart, Clear and Present Danger, Casino Royale, Godfather I and II, Goodfellas, Top Gun are just a few that come to mind. Not all are classics, but all have _something_ to them that engrosses me. She's All That is one of those movies.

Yes, Rachel Leigh Cook is so so cute. Fuggedaboudat. Watch her. See if she delivers one line as if she memorized it, as if she's repeating what someone else wrote. There's not one unnatural act or utterance from her. She is completely believable, and because her character rings so true, you cannot help but empathize with her, and that is what makes the movie -- when she wins out in the end, you're happy she did because she makes you care about her. She's as good as Kate Blanchett was in The Aviator (completely different movies, completely different roles, by Blanchett deservedly won an Oscar). She has that character absolutely nailed, you won't see - can't see -- a better performance.

(And for what it is worth, this may be Paul Walker's best performance. I credit the director for getting the performances that he did out of cast of young actors not generally known for their talent.) As for the rest of the movie, you've seen it before, but so what? Star Wars is Battle of Britain, set in the future with a backstory, no one holds that against it. The choreographed dance scene is great, and it IS well cast and it IS well acted, clichéd or not.