Legally Blonde Review

Reese Witherspoon is rapidly becoming one of those names that may not always generate huge sums of money at the box office for the Hollywood studios, butt – like Johnny Depp and John Cusack – pretty much guarantees the discerning film fan a good hour or two’s fun. In "Legally Blonde" she stars as super popular Californian college student Elle Woods, the most popular girl on campus and a person whose principal hobbies seem to be manicures, shopping and securing the right husband-to-be. So naturally she’s devastated when her shallow boyfriend decides she’s just not right for him and he enrols at Harvard law school. Elle then does what any self respecting Hollywood teen Queen would do; studies hard, gets a Coppola to shoot a ‘video essay’ for her and promptly gets into Harvard herself!

Think "Clueless goes to College" and you’re pretty much there! Witherspoon is great as the bright young woman who is far brighter and more benevolent than almost anyone she meets believes a blonde valley girl should be, and its to her credit that before long you’re rooting for a character that could so easily have become overwhelmingly irritating. A feel good, lightweight, ‘fish out of water’ tale then, with an assured central performance that makes for enjoyable – if undemanding – viewing.