Review of While You Were Sleeping (1995) by Whitney W — 24 Mar 2014

There is something to be said when a movie is typical to the point of stereotype but yet still incredibly entertaining. This is the case with While You Were Sleeping. It's like just about any other romantic comedy you have ever seen. Even more so when compared to other romantic comedies from the 90's.

It's in the most basic areas of film-making where it stands out. The writing is light and with just the right enough of wit (it's still an incredibly light watch, but just engaging enough to hold your interest). It's not inaccessible to anyone, and the humor is generic enough that it's quite timeless. The jokes were still effective in 2014, almost 20 years after it was released.

Direction is solid throughout the film, with excellent pacing. I knew the outcome of the movie, which is obvious within the first 20 minutes, but even then, it's entertaining to the point that I wanted to know what's coming next.

The best part of the film without a doubt is watching the excellent performance by Sandra Bullock, who really puts herself on the map with this performance. This is easily in her top three roles (with Gravity and Speed definitely the other two, and in that order), and she really shines in these types of down-to-earth and funny roles. Although she can clearly handle heavier roles, such as in Gravity, her lighter humor is a Sandra Bullock trademark.

Bill Pulman is typical but pulls off his supporting role quite well. Other supporting actors do the job excellently and provide excellent supporting background characters for this type of film.

I whole-heartedly suggest watching While You We're Sleeping on a date in the house in PJ's and eating junk food. It has that allure, and is the perfect "fun for everyone" type of film!