When Robert Luketic won an award for a short film he directed at age 15, he made a promise to himself that he would make a big Hollywood movie by 30. He made it, in style, with a year to spare. The film is 'Legally Blonde', a charming all ages comedy which has taken over £100m in the US alone and should see its star Reese Witherspoon move onto the Hollywood A-List.
The film follows the trials and tribulations of Elle Woods, a Beverly Hills blonde who gets dumped by her boyfriend when he decides he wants to pursue a legal career and needs a "Jackie not a Marilyn" on his arm. Determined to win him back, Elle follows him to law school and in between studying subpoenas and writing essays discovers she's a lot smarter than anyone gives her credit for.
With so many comedies just a series of set pieces in search of script, Luketic has bucked the trend and crafted a film which finds the right pitch between laughter and drama. It's a remarkably assured debut and one which establishes Luketic as a name to watch in the years to come. In Dublin for a day of press, he talked to ACE about his big screen debut and his leading lady.
Harry Guerin
