Romantic Comedies

[Qoass]

I've only seen the trailer but my favorite part is when she uses hand signals to get a guy on the train to sit with his legs closer together.

[NutMeg]

On 7/29/2017 at 0:27 PM, Irlandesa said:

In the trailers thread, I saw the trailer for The Incredible Jessica James and thought that it kind of looked like a romcom. 

 

The best part about the trailer is that I realized the movie was going to drop on Netflix only a week later.  That day was today and I watched it.  It made me chuckle.  And it made me smile.  A lot.  I don't know if I'd technically call it a romcom since romance was part of the movie but it also covered her professional struggles, her relationship with the students she taught/mentored and her relationship with her friends/family.

But there was romance and it was romance I rooted for even through some of the more "indie-movie" parts of the story.  She was trying to get over an ex-boyfriend and starts dating a man, played by Chris O'Dowd, struggling to get over his divorce.  (But hey, what a novelty, a romcom that knows it's much better to have the specter of a former relationship hanging over a duo rather than a current one.)  It depicts some of the messiness that this kind of situation would probably have but overall done in a way that felt very adult.  But it also has the witty-esque flirty banter that I love in romcoms and I like their chem. 

So this was a win for me.  Probably one of my favorite [sort of] romcoms that has come out in recent years and I'll rewatch it.  Maybe even before the weekend ends. I don't want to oversell it but I do want to pass on its existence for my fellow romcom lovers.  Some may not get into it but I do suspect others here will enjoy it as much as I did. Plus, it's really short.

Thanks for the review, makes me want to watch it! 

[Zola]

"Educating Rita", "Shirley Valentine", "Bend it like Beckam" and "Shakespeare in Love"

Mostly British films, and all of them very enjoyable & quite funny too

[Ms Blue Jay]

Yes, thank you @Irlandesa.  The reviews and recommendations in this thread are definitely a high point on this entire site, for me.

[Shannon L.]

I was flipping through the channels the other day and found Murphy's Romance with James Garner and Sally Field had just started.  I loved that movie when I was a kid and I still do.  It's just a sweet, falling in love story, with the requisite roadblock not being over dramatic.  No over the top shenanigans, just a nice story. 

[topanga]

On 7/29/2017 at 0:27 AM, Irlandesa said:

In the trailers thread, I saw the trailer for The Incredible Jessica James and thought that it kind of looked like a romcom. 

 

 

The best part about the trailer is that I realized the movie was going to drop on Netflix only a week later.  That day was today and I watched it.  It made me chuckle.  And it made me smile.  A lot.  I don't know if I'd technically call it a romcom since romance was part of the movie but it also covered her professional struggles, her relationship with the students she taught/mentored and her relationship with her friends/family.

But there was romance and it was romance I rooted for even through some of the more "indie-movie" parts of the story.  She was trying to get over an ex-boyfriend and starts dating a man, played by Chris O'Dowd, struggling to get over his divorce.  (But hey, what a novelty, a romcom that knows it's much better to have the specter of a former relationship hanging over a duo rather than a current one.)  It depicts some of the messiness that this kind of situation would probably have but overall done in a way that felt very adult.  But it also has the witty-esque flirty banter that I love in romcoms and I like their chem. 

So this was a win for me.  Probably one of my favorite [sort of] romcoms that has come out in recent years and I'll rewatch it.  Maybe even before the weekend ends. I don't want to oversell it but I do want to pass on its existence for my fellow romcom lovers.  Some may not get into it but I do suspect others here will enjoy it as much as I did. Plus, it's really short.

I can't wait to see it!

[Irlandesa]

34 minutes ago, topanga said:

I can't wait to see it!

And I can't wait until others see it.  Hopefully you'll enjoy it because I know it's disappointing to think you're getting a romcom you'll enjoy but end up being disappointed--especially since there are so few good ones being made these days.

[twoods]

I am going to see it tomorrow on my day off- glad you liked it. It was between that and You've Got Mail (the DVD finally came yesterday- it also has Laws of Attraction, 2 Weeks Notice, and Must Love Dogs on it), and figured that I should try a new movie for a change. 

 

I did end end up liking the movie but was disappointed because I wish we saw more scenes with Jessica and the divorced guy (forgot his name). When the end credits started I was disappointed because I was enjoying it so much and wanted more. 

Edited August 3, 2017 by twoods

[Ms Blue Jay]

I rewatched Must Love Dogs recently!  It was just as good as I remembered. An incredibly easy watch.  Aside from the one Asian manicurist thing which kind of bothered me, it was very enjoyable.

I never really ever "got" You've Got Mail.  The first time I saw it it actually upset me.  I've never found it that interesting or enjoyable.  But it isn't bad.

Now I don't want to piss anyone off or get into a debate here, but my favourite movie of the year so far is Fifty Shades Darker.  I'm not at all kidding.  I love this sequel as a book, and I loved it as a movie. I  thought it was far, far better than Fifty Shades Grey and Jamie was a lot sexier and better in the role.

I also really, really, really like the movie Picture Perfect from 1997, but I'm a big fan of its 3 stars - 1997, New York City, and Jennifer Aniston.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[twoods]

I liked Picture Perfect as well but I hated how terrible Jennifer's character was to Jay's. It was painful to watch, and I did not like Kevin's Bacon's character. Other than that, it was good. 

I am watching Ever After tonight. I absolutely love that movie- it has romance and some humor. It still makes me cry.

[memememe76]

Picture Perfect was Jay at his most charming. He never had that same level of charisma. 

I do like Dakota Johnson. I could see her and, say, Dev Patel star in a really charming cross cultural romcom.

[Ms Blue Jay]

She was adorable on the show Ben & Kate.

My mom is nuts about "Ever After" @twoods and one of these days I have to give it a real try.  I like a bunch of Drew romcoms - Fever Pitch, Never Been Kissed, Music & Lyrics, 50 First Dates.... even Blended....  My Mom loves the fashion in Ever After, and the love interest, Dougray Scott.  

Edited August 5, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[EyewatchTV211]

I love Ever After also. I was visiting my aunt and uncle who have Showtime, and while they were out I saw that the end of Ever After was showing. I watched it even though there was only like 15 minutes left to the movie. I watch it pretty much every time it is on TV, even though I own the DVD.

I also watched The Incredible Jessica James while visiting, since they have Netflix. It was cute - I enjoyed it. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I saw "Home Again" the first night it came out.  I really enjoyed it.  It started off really silly but I ended up loving it.  My favourite aspect was obviously the fact that it's about a 40 isH year old woman

 

being involved with a young, hot man in his (late?) 20s

I was like, wow, every single movie should be like this.

I had some issues with it, but I won't go there until more of you get around to watching it.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[aradia22]

Watched "Always Worthy" tonight on Fullscreen. I don't know if you can find it anywhere else but that's where I found it. It's more coming of age/almost 30-something struggling to make it more than it is a rom-com. But one of the stronger parts of the movie is her pursuit of this fantasy guy. So in that sense, it's a rom-com the way Sixteen Candles is a rom-com.

Like a lot of these movies that are lower budget it has some structure problems and it definitely feels less glossy than a big Hollywood rom-com. But I enjoyed it for what it was. The ways in which she is "weird" or "quirky" are definitely interesting. It's not a manic pixie dream girl kind of thing. Or a wacky Mindy Lahiri/Liz Lemon sort of vibe. Or even a Rebecca Bunch thing where you acknowledge there's some mental illness. I think it's what comes of coupling a fuck up 20-something movie (a bit of mumblecore, very cringey) with a more typical coming of age/rom-com structure.

Trigger warning: There is a point when she is inebriated and it doesn't seem like she's capable of giving consent even though she does. 

I think it's a good movie for what it is but if you're looking for something bubbly and fun like a typical rom-com, it only hits those beats towards the beginning and it's a bit dark so I might skip it. 

[methodwriter85]

Bridget Jone's Baby really does hold up, and it's a fitting cap to the franchise. It's just a shame the movie was only able to gross 24 million in the U.S., although it did gangbusters outside of it.

[aradia22]

I finally watched Hello, My Name is Doris. First of all, just amazing casting across the board. So many good actors. But also... a little too creepy and stalkerish? But her fantasy life was hilarious. The movie was pretty funny in general. The romance part just came across a little too creepy. Even without the age difference, it was one of those stories that was only a hair away from a story about mental illness or one of those Lifetime movies. Sally Field was so adorable I could almost ignore it but it was reminding me too much of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. 

Spoiler

Even with the movie hiding the hoarding from us for the most part until the house visit, it was clear from the start that something was not normal about her behavior. I feel like really making that turn successful requires the audience to think the character is normal or at least just quirky and charming and then pull the rug out. 

I felt like the movie skipped ahead a little too much after the concert. And in one sense it mitigated the weirdness because she didn't have to keep cyberstalking and finding ways to be with him. But it was shortcut that didn't explain why he'd just suddenly want to hang out all the time.

Spoiler

Also, up until the end of the movie, I did not know what was fantasy and what was real. The ending makes me question her mental health recovery.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I saw "The Mountain Between Us"..  My favourite parts of the film by far were the parts where Idris and Kate's characters were NOT on the mountain.  They definitely had chemistry, and it made me think I'd like to see them in a romantic comedy together.  This movie is certainly what I'd call a drama, not a comedy.  It just made me think.  Idris was very sexy and romantic in it.

I've never been a huge fan of films like Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Sliding Doors because I find them more depressing and melancholy than enjoyable to watch.  Maybe some kind of British sensibility I don't really understand.  But I'm watching Sliding Doors right now and it's kind of cute.  Sometimes these movies grow on me.  I'm not the biggest fan of You've Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping either, but I tend to watch them anyway!

Edited: Oh now I remember why Sliding Doors always disappoints me in the end.  Haha.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[aradia22]

I finally got around to watching Dirty 30. I thought it was really cute. Again, it's more of a rom-com in the Sixteen Candles way where it's about the protagonist's personal journey/coming of age but there's a cute boy hanging around. I definitely think it's a step up in writing and acting from Camp Takota but I realize that people who don't know all the internet people they cast in this movie might not enjoy it as much as I did. It's worth a shot though. It has the trope-y quality of a rom-com so after the first 10 to 20 minutes of set up it's easy to know if you like where it's going.

[aradia22]

I watched Hannah Has A Ho Phase because it's on Amazon Prime and I can't get into my Netflix account. Anyway, I thought it might be a lesser version of For A Good Time Call... It certainly falls into some rom-com tropes. Madonna/whore dichotomy, a kind of jaded player love interest, terrible advice, lots of sex talk, and gender stereotypes. And I do like a cute brunette protagonist. But it was extremely low budget. Like, the kind of low budget where you keep noticing how dark it is because they can't afford good lighting. And the script didn't really make up for it by being particularly funny or clever. The two romantic leads kind of tried... but they didn't have much chemistry. I can't imagine most people would find it very titillating either. I was also a bit fooled. Kate McKinnon is in the cast but really only as a work friend with maybe 5-10 minutes of screen time at beginning and towards the end. Either she wasn't a big deal when she was cast or she did it as a favor for someone. As far as that kind of character goes, the male love interest wasn't too much of a sexist idiot until their big fight. Though it ended up falling into that tired "you're special" thing without any self-reflection on his part that maybe he was at fault for never having a connection with any of the other women he'd been with. Honestly, he was just really dull.

It wasn't horrible but I mostly kept thinking about the lighting... which tells you how interesting the movie was. Also, that they were SUPER unprofessional co-workers. But mostly that the lighting was terrible. Surprisingly, the creators didn't star in their own movie but they did co-direct, write, and produce which is rarely the best sign.

[aradia22]

One of my favorite holiday rom-coms. It surfaces on TV or youtube every so often. I don't get TCM anymore so I wasn't able to watch The Shop Around the Corner.

[Ms Blue Jay]

2017 movies that have romance, from Best to Worst:

- Call Me By Your Name was beautiful, breathtaking, very artful.  I would definitely recommend it.

- Home Again - Like I said, I loved it.

- Girls Trip was cute and a lot of fun.

- I found Lady Bird overrated.  It was very normal to me, although Laurie Metcalf as the mother did a great job.

- The Mountain Between Us - Like I said, there was potential here.  The mountain stuff (LOL) was pretty boring to me.  Not enough romance.  Haha.  But Kate and Idris are always great.

- Rough Night was horrible and made Girls Trip look like The Godfather.

 

I still should see The Shape of Water (all reviews have been great), The Big Sick, Bad Mom's Christmas, and Beauty and the Beast.

 

I rewatched Titanic after not seeing it for definitely more than a decade.  The first half is like a wonderful romantic comedy.  I really enjoyed the movie.  A lot. 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[amaranta]

4 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I still should see The Shape of Water (all reviews have been great), The Big Sick, Bad Mom's Christmas, and Beauty and the Beast.

As a rom com fan, I highly recommend The Big Sick.  I've seen it twice and, over time, think it will be one I watch again and again. 

[methodwriter85]

Quote

I felt like the movie skipped ahead a little too much after the concert. And in one sense it mitigated the weirdness because she didn't have to keep cyberstalking and finding ways to be with him. But it was shortcut that didn't explain why he'd just suddenly want to hang out all the time.

I always thought it was because he had broken up with his girlfriend and he was essentially using Doris as a non-sexual replacement for her.

With Doris, when she talks about her romance in her youth that she gave up to take care of her mother, I thought the guy she talked about sounded a lot like Max's character. Maybe that explains why she got so attached- Max Greenfield reminded her of the romance she had and she wanted to have a second chance with him.

Spoiler

I still can't quite wrap my head around that ending. I do think it shows that her fantasy life is still very active, but that she accepts that it's just a fantasy life. I do think that Max runs after her but the elevator closes. I don't know if it's actually because he really DID have feelings for her, or he wanted to resume their friendship. That was some slight ambiguity about that throughout the whole movie. At some points you think he's just using her to fill a void because he broke up with his girlfriend, and at other points it feels like there might be something there.

As for Rough Night...eh.. Ryan Cooper is nice to ogle, but none of the pairings worked for me.

[HawkeyeLo]

Playing catch up so I did not read all seven pages of this thread carefully, but has anyone else seen What If? I've been meaning to watch it again since I saw it was on Prime (I believe). It came out in 2013 and is a very sweet romcom with Daniel Radcliffe as a med school dropout who becomes close friends with Zoe Kazan (who has a longtime boyfriend). Adam Driver plays his best friend. I remember really enjoying it!

[andromeda331]

The American President was on Up a few days ago I still love watching that movie. The movie is so funny. Sydney and Andy are so cute. Andy asking if Sydney said anything about him when she called. Sydney hanging up on him when she thought he was Richard. Him trying to order flowers.    

[Athena]

6 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

The American President was on Up a few days ago I still love watching that movie. The movie is so funny. Sydney and Andy are so cute. Andy asking if Sydney said anything about him when she called. Sydney hanging up on him when she thought he was Richard. Him trying to order flowers.    

I remember years ago when I had TBS ( I think it was that network) and they'd replay it often enough, and I'd watch it whenever it was on. I haven't thought about this movie in years, but your post reminded me about what a nice movie it was overall. I don't even like Michael Douglas much and I think it may be one of my favourite movies with him. The movie is sweet without being saccharine. It solidified my affection for Annette Benning. Now, I want to rewatch it. 

[andromeda331]

4 hours ago, Athena said:

I remember years ago when I had TBS ( I think it was that network) and they'd replay it often enough, and I'd watch it whenever it was on. I haven't thought about this movie in years, but your post reminded me about what a nice movie it was overall. I don't even like Michael Douglas much and I think it may be one of my favourite movies with him. The movie is sweet without being saccharine. It solidified my affection for Annette Benning. Now, I want to rewatch it. 

It really is a nice movie. Both act like adults but its still cute. Its still a funny movie. And sweet. Like when Sydney gets the ham and her face when she reads the note. Andy's nervousness right before they sleep together about her expectations about him being "Most powerful man in the world".  His reaction to the "Sydney issue'.  Sydney's reaction to realizing she hung up on the president and her excitement about being asked to the state dinner. 

[dusang]

This is hilarious.  For fans of Notting Hill (or non-fans of Notting Hill).

A live-tweet of Barry Jenkins (director of Moonlight) on a trans-Atlantic flight watching the British rom-com classic over the shoulder of a woman next to him.
https://twitter.com/i/moments/948838316727824384

Edited January 5, 2018 by dusang

[Athena]

12 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

Both act like adults but its still cute.

I think that is why the movie worked. Even though I was a teenager when I watched it the first time and upon rewatches, it's played as an adult romance. Both the leads are not young when compared to other romantic comedies then and now. There is the cheesey premise about him being the President, but aside from that, a lot of it works emotionally. He's a widower who hasn't dated in a long time and she's a woman who hasn't really been focused on romance either. It's realistic and sweet because they are both finding their way to each other.

[Bastet]

On 1/5/2018 at 11:14 AM, dusang said:

This is hilarious.  For fans of Notting Hill (or non-fans of Notting Hill).

A live-tweet of Barry Jenkins (director of Moonlight) on a trans-Atlantic flight watching the British rom-com classic over the shoulder of a woman next to him.
https://twitter.com/i/moments/948838316727824384

Bless the Woodford Reserve, because that was fantastic.  "SHE LEFT?! SHE WALKED OUT THE DOOR!!!!!!! THIS MOVIE IS THE SHIT!!!!!"  And then he gets PTSD at the press junket scene.

[aradia22]

I've had it in my queue for a while, but I decided to watch A Good Rain Knows on Netflix before it expired. As you'd expect from a movie that gets its title from a book of poems, it is quiet and slow. There's some banter but the flirting is of a shy, naive variety, especially given the characters' ages. It feels very PG... like not a religious film or Hallmark but something actually meant for children or pre-teens. It was sweet. It's not actually PG. They mention sex and stuff. But it still feels very cute and giggly and sweet instead of raunchy and aggressive and crass. It's more sweetness and romance than sexual tension. Like, it's weird when they finally kiss. This feels like the kind of movie that should be just as sexy as something as The Princess Diaries and stop there.

Spoiler

It's a weird turn for the movie. So earlier, almost in an off-hand way she sort of tries on a kind of sexual aggressiveness and tells him that if he can find proof of all these things he's talking about from their past (bicycle, kiss, etc.) then she'll sleep with him. It totally feels like a joke and like it's not going to be that relevant. He calls their other friend Ben (from his accent, I'm assuming he's American) to try and get old photos from that time. And he keeps checking in with Ben but by the time it feels like it's going to work out, it feels more romantic than sexual. You're invested in them and him showing that he has always loved (or at least had a crush on) her. And then everything is still sweet and romantic except suddenly he's extending his trip and checking into a hotel and then bringing her into the room. And he kisses her but the entire time her body language is saying "no, do not want." But then she asks him to stop and goes into the bathroom and comes out and diffuses the tension and they forget about it. But for a second it was like 50 Shades or some weird awkward indie movie. He hadn't come across like a guy who was just trying to win a "prize" by sleeping with her. So it was a weird choice to even go to the hotel together. But I'm glad they avoided going through with it. They go on to having a charming day playing with kids and going to the zoo to see pandas, etc. 

Their second kiss when he adorably pulls her behind a thicket (?) of bamboo feels much more natural.

I do question the decision to make it a mostly English-language movie. (Or at least they speak Mandarin and Korean with side characters but not really with each other.) The actors seemed relatively comfortable in English but their line delivery wasn't great. It was more noticeable for the male lead. He threw out his lines in English sometimes like he didn't know what they meant or at least wasn't sure which words to stress. And since I haven't seen him in anything else, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's a better actor in his native language. The female lead had the same problems but benefited from comparison to him. Also, she was adorable pixie. Not as extreme as the modern manic pixie dream girl but you know the type... the Audrey Hepburn gamine. Well, OK. She did veer towards a more subdued manic pixie as the movie went on and you learned that he used to want to be a poet and she encourages him. But she still has her own life. It's more often from his POV but she's not just an afterthought in his movie like other manic pixies. 

Also, she didn't quite have to chase him through the airport but... close enough. I enjoyed it. There's also lots of romantic rain. It's paced more slowly and has more dramatic bits but it's just as trope-y as other rom-coms in its way.

All that said, they did have some chemistry and some very cute moments. I did like how he playfully sprinkled in some Mandarin for her. And while they weren't exchanging sparkling banter, some combination of the writing and acting easily had me rooting for them.

It was interesting to see a romantic movie where the guy wasn't just an architect or businessman in a vague way but they were rebuilding after an earthquake. It certainly has the vibe of an Asian movie but I think it as the sensibility of a European movie more than an American movie. It's all the American banter turned way down and takes weird tonal shifts where here this movie would be an indie. 

Spoiler

I totally didn't see the reveal of her being married coming. And I also totally didn't see the reveal of her husband being dead coming. So they genuinely got me twice which is rare when most things feel so predictable.

I don't really know how I feel about all of it yet. It sells itself as one thing. Kind of friends to lovers. Kind of like these two people are reconnecting and finding their one true love again. But it's actually more mature than that. They did like each other when they were young but they kept missing their moment. He didn't answer her postcard and started dating someone else. She got married. And then when they happened to run into each other they acted like all of that hadn't happened... but it was still there and it had to come out at some time for them to move forward. I guess it's a movie about timing more than anything else. And figuring out how to make a real relationship work without trying to erase/recapture the past. It's about getting past the fantasy in a much more meaningful way than something like La La Land which feels cynical but also shallow.

Edited January 15, 2018 by aradia22
Accidentally put a spoiler as a "quote". Fixed now.

[twoods]

Netflix has a new movie called “When We First Met” that was pretty cute. It had humor and a love story. Impressed since there’s isn’t much of that out there now.

[Irlandesa]

On 3/2/2018 at 11:39 PM, twoods said:

Netflix has a new movie called “When We First Met” that was pretty cute. It had humor and a love story. Impressed since there’s isn’t much of that out there now.

I wish they had spent a bit more time on what ended up being the main love story but it was a pleasant way to spend 90 minutes which was exactly what I was in the mood for.

And right after I watched a movie I found to be quite charming called "Blind Date" (or in its native language, Un Peu, Beaucoup, Aveuglement.) It's about a pianist who moves into the apartment next door to an inventor.  The walls are so thin that they first start to irritate, then start to talk to one another, and finally start to date without actually seeing one another.  Yet somehow, they have chemistry.  So if subtitles don't bother you, I think it's a movie worth checking out.

[VCRTracking]

From the AV Club:

After When Harry Met Sally, almost every rom-com tried to have what Nora Ephron was having

[Luckylyn]

Harry and Sally clearly was influenced by films that that came before but also was willing to break away from some prior tropes creating new tropes that others have copied.  I love that there is no triangle or outside obstacle to keep them apart and that it’s about their own issues and fears that makes persuing romance hard for them.

When Harry Met Sally - Breaking Genre Conventions 

 

Romantic comedy hasn’t gone away.  Hallmark channel is known for their romantic tv movies. They make so many that I think the quality of their movies has dimished a great deal but it’s still very popular. I wonder if it has influenced people’s willingness to pay to see romantic comedies in the theater.  Plus there’s services like Pixl and Passionflix that provides you with romantic movies on your devices.  

[aradia22]

Quote

I love that there is no triangle or outside obstacle to keep them apart and that it’s about their own issues and fears that makes persuing romance hard for them.

I like the variety. There's a place for all three to exist when they're done well. Triangles are generally better in romances/romantic dramas than rom-coms which tend to make the third person outside the couple or any romantic rivals a straight up garbage person. But there are exceptions. And outside obstacles or plot-heavy movies can be fun once in a while. Likewise there's good and bad when you just focus on the couple needing to get out of their own ways. Like in romance novels, sometimes without enough plot it gets too introspective or it feels like the movie is just running out the clock on its run time instead of giving the couple legitimate problems to work through. 

I do think an issue with rom-coms is that when something works, everyone tries to copy the trend and ends up running it into the ground which is why I like the variety. 

I like a Hallmark or Lifetime rom-com once in a while. It's tough for me because they tend to be conservative and/or religious. Sometimes it's nice to see a somewhat forgotten/C-list actor but sometimes it's just depressing or unpleasant or they're just clearly not talented enough to make it in more discerning circles. I'm curious if Netflix gets into the game in a big way after people were apparently so into The Christmas Prince, which I still haven't watched. The problem is they make so many movies that are just not worth anyone's time.

[Ms Blue Jay]

The Big Sick was indeed as good as everyone says.  I really really enjoyed Ray and Kumail's performances, though most of the accolades seem to be going to Holly.

Fifty Shades Freed wasn't the cinematic masterpiece I thought Fifty Shades Darker was (haha) but I still enjoyed it and my Fifty Shades-obsessed friend WAILED as the ending credits came on because she was so upset that the trilogy is complete.

I rewatched Reality Bites recently.  I think back in the day I was just too young to truly appreciate it.  Much like my recent experience with "The Truth about Cats and Dogs" I thought it was FANTASTIC.  I know there's a lot of criticism online about Ethan Hawke's character, but whatever.  Winona Ryder was just absolute perfection to me.  I really really enjoyed it and ended up buying it on Blu Ray.

I also watched "What's Your Number?" in January, because of the recommendations here.  Thank you everyone.  I enjoyed this one too, definitely much more than I thought I would, and bought this one also!!

Again I just want to reiterate I read and appreciate everyone's recommendations.  We probably talked about this but "This Means War" was another one I enjoyed more than I thought I would, but it makes sense, considering I like all 3 leads.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

Have we discussed "They Came Together"?  I watched it!  I really enjoyed it.  I already feel like watching it again.  I think most people would get a kick out of it. It is full of jokes and an easy watch.  (For those who don't know, and I had certainly forgotten about it, it's a parody of romantic comedies starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd.)

[methodwriter85]

50 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Have we discussed "They Came Together"?  I watched it!  I really enjoyed it.  I already feel like watching it again.  I think most people would get a kick out of it. It is full of jokes and an easy watch.  (For those who don't know, and I had certainly forgotten about it, it's a parody of romantic comedies starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd.)

I really enjoyed it, too. On the DVD commentary, they said that they had to reshoot and re-edit the movie because test audiences didn't get that it was a parody. It was almost too much like the real thing. Having Paul Rudd there was perfect because he has done the romantic leading man thing so well.  His Josh from Clueless is preserved in amber.

[Irlandesa]

I've watched three of Netflix's romantic comedies lately.

Happy Anniversary:  This movie stars Noelle Wells and Ben Schwartz.  Noelle's character wakes up on their anniversary and realizes she's not happy.  So the movie takes place over 24 hours while they decide what the means, if they should break up, whether or not they have a future...etc.  Overalll, I enjoyed it.  I'd seen some reviews say that she was hard to like, and her indecision could get annoying at times, but the fact that her father was dying gave some nuance to her malaise, imo. 

I Am Not An Easy Man:  This was a French movie.  And unlike the previous French movie I mentioned in this thread, I didn't like this as much.  It was about a man who, after he's hit in the head, wakes up in a world where gender roles are reversed.  Women run the world.  They take on many of the stereotypical masculine traits, including some sexual harassment.  Men are portrayed as more concerned about their looks.  It was kind of interesting yet kind of obvious.  And it made me question a lot of my internal embracing of gender norms because I didn't love seeing them switched.  The ending isn't neat either. French movies rarely are.

Candy Jar:  This was just released this weekend.  It's about two teenagers who are rivals on the debate team and are both fighting to get into ivy league schools.  Their mothers are played by Christina Hendricks and Uzo Aduba and their guidance counselor is played by Helen Hunt.  The whole cast was really good, I thought.  Of the three movies, I think this was my favorite.  I liked the whole vibe of it all.  There were some things that made me roll my eyes but not as much I as expected.

Spoiler

Mainly, that the main guy didn't get into Yale even though he's a high achieving student, a legacy applicant whose mother is a grad, $100K donor and a state senator.  That's enough for anyone to get in but when you add in the fact that he's also black...yeah no way he would have been rejected.

[twoods]

Thank you @Irlandesa for giving the heads up on Candy Jar. It was really cute. 

[methodwriter85]

On 4/28/2018 at 10:05 PM, Irlandesa said:

I Am Not An Easy Man:  This was a French movie.  And unlike the previous French movie I mentioned in this thread, I didn't like this as much.  It was about a man who, after he's hit in the head, wakes up in a world where gender roles are reversed.  Women run the world.  They take on many of the stereotypical masculine traits, including some sexual harassment.  Men are portrayed as more concerned about their looks.  It was kind of interesting yet kind of obvious.  And it made me question a lot of my internal embracing of gender norms because I didn't love seeing them switched.  The ending isn't neat either. French movies rarely are.

I feel like the tone was off. It couldn't decided if it wanted to be a scathing, somber look at gender norms, or a romantic comedy. The ending

Spoiler

where the woman winds up in the male dominated world that our hero left made zero sense. It was set up as being a hallucination on the part of the protagonist, but the ending implies that it was all real. Which wasn't the tone they set up at all. And it felt like it wanted to be poignant by turning the tables on the female love interest, but...weren't the tables already turned? Don't we already know how women are treated in society? Seeing a woman learn what it feels like to be treated in a patriarchal society in the final few minutes of the film felt redundant. Leggy French dude should have ended up back in his world, a little bit wiser. I get that French films hate pat endings, but this felt like it was complicated for the sake of being complicated.

 

I Feel Pretty kind of worked better than I thought it would.

[cpcathy]

I actually enjoyed I Feel Pretty, it had a good message and Rory Scovel as the love interest was really great.

[VCRTracking]

I love Groundhog Day but this is something I've wondered about

This recut of Groundhog Day from Andie MacDowell's perspective is weird as hell

[methodwriter85]

On 5/2/2018 at 1:26 PM, cpcathy said:

I actually enjoyed I Feel Pretty, it had a good message and Rory Scovel as the love interest was really great.

He played the jealous Nice Guy with a crush on a woman that was dating Skylar Austin's character in a short-lived TBS sitcom called The Ground Floor. The show was pretty mediocre and it happened right before TBS basically cleared their slate and came up with much better comedies like Shipwrecked and Angie Tribecca.

And yeah, it was cool that the love interest was really a regular looking guy instead of something like prime Mark Ruffalo or Colin Firth, who were always cast as the sheepish regular guy love interests while still looking conventionally handsome.

Overboard's remake was okay. They didn't have the greatest chemistry but it worked. I liked that they basically set Latino culture as part of the backdrop.

[Irlandesa]

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Overboard's remake was okay. They didn't have the greatest chemistry but it worked. I liked that they basically set Latino culture as part of the backdrop.

I liked the original and for that reason I'm curious about the remake.  I'll probably watch when it's on TV or streaming at some point.

Did they have the

Spoiler

rape/sex scene where they sleep together even though he doesn't know who he is?

[Irlandesa]

Looks like I'm double posting but Netflix appears to be going all in on romantic comedies and I'm here for it (mainly because there's nowhere else to go.) This looks like it might be pretty good.  (There's a gay/bi teenage comedy coming up as well. I'll post that in the LGBT thread).

[aradia22]

Quote

Looks like I'm double posting but Netflix appears to be going all in on romantic comedies and I'm here for it (mainly because there's nowhere else to go.) 

I know there was that tweet with everyone apparently watching Christmas Prince or whatever that movie was called. They have the money. I think "Love" wasn't a big success but I can only hope they've had enough success with rom-coms or romance-adjacent movies and shows that they're going to spend some of their huge budget financing the kind of movies the studios don't really make anymore. I've browsed their romance selection and aside from the movies that flit in and out, it's usually not that impressive. Also, I love the casting of Set It Up. I hope it's decent. It looks so cute!

[methodwriter85]

On 5/8/2018 at 10:21 PM, Irlandesa said:

  Hide contents

rape/sex scene where they sleep together even though he doesn't know who he is?

Spoiler

Yep, it's still there, after a night of salsa dancing.

Anyway. Zoey Deutch makes such a good romantic heroine that it's a shame movies like that don't make money like they used to. I kept hoping that Emma Stone was going to revive romantic comedies but I'm not sure that's happening.