Coyote Ugly (4 Stars)

Amazon Friday #10

Today I've been lucky enough to catch another film shortly before it's due to be removed from Amazon Prime. To be precise, very few films are actually removed. They're still available to stream on Amazon's website. The difference is that after a film is "removed" it can no longer be watched for free by Amazon Prime's subscribers. The film has to be bought or rented. In this case, "Coyote Ugly" will cost 10 Euros to be bought for an indefinite period, or 4 Euros to be rented and watched for two days only.

In case you don't already know, I subscribe to Amazon Prime in Germany. The selection of films available varies from country to country. Maybe "Coyote Ugly" will still be available on Amazon Prime in England. Maybe it was never available at all. I don't know. Check for yourself.

"Coyote Ugly" is a romantic comedy that was released in 2000. I was fortunate enough to see it in the cinema. It's been unanimously panned by critics, but cinema audiences enjoyed it, and in the 20 years since its release it's become more popular than ever. It's not popular for the romantic elements in the film. Many people who've seen the film are unable to remember the couple's names. It's Violet and Kevin. They remember the film for its scenes of raunchy dancing in a crowded bar with the dancers spraying soda water at the male customers.

Violet is a young woman, probably in her early 20's, who leaves her hometown of South Amboy, New Jersey, to move to New York City. She rents a small room in Manhattan. It's not that far, only 30 miles away, but it's a completely different world. South Amboy is a sleepy little town, while New York City is the busiest city in America. She wants to become a songwriter, but doors are slammed wherever she goes. She gets a job in a club called Coyote Ugly. If New York City is the busiest and most chaotic place in America, Coyote Ugly is the most chaotic place in New York.

But as I said, it's a romantic comedy. Violet meets a young man called Kevin. He works making hamburgers in a restaurant, but he does other jobs as well, such as unloading fish at the docks. One job isn't enough to survive in New York. It's a troubled relationship. He wants to get closer to Violet, but her job gets in the way.

I shan't try to persuade anyone this is a good film. I understand why the critics don't like it. Despite the high production values, the film is trashy. I also understand why so many normal people like the film. It has a high level of excitement that draws in the viewer. I'm glad I'm one of those normal people who can find naive pleasure in films like this.

Success Rate:  + 0.5

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