Reece Witherspoon rightly gets a lot of credit for her strong performance, but I think the whole dynamic between Elle and Vivian is great. The two actresses do a great job -- their performances overcomes a fairly perfunctory script. For instance in one scene Vivian shakes her head, parodying Elle's chipperness, and she gets it just right -- perfect parody and perfectly mean. And the extended scene where the camera stays long on Elle's face as her former boyfriend tells her she's not smart enough for law school . . . Witherspoon's subtle changes in expression are classic. The script is silly, but thanks to the great performances of the two main female characters, at its core Legally Blonde is an unexpectedly funny, charming light comedy.
Review of Legally Blonde
