Romantic Comedies

[Ms Blue Jay]

I really wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me.  I had to turn it off during the first third.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

Can someone share under spoiler tags whether Nina's character ends up falling for the guy who deceived her? Just so that I know to never, ever bother with checking the movie, even if the only other option is to stare at the wall all evening?

Spoiler

Yes.

 

[JustHereForFood]

9 hours ago, Dani said:

  Reveal spoiler

Yes.

 

Thank you.

Spoiler

Really not a fan of a story where a woman falls for a guy who deliberately deceived her.

 

[Irlandesa]

They were both, messy.  It followed the romcom tradition of both displaying red flag like behavior that would ruin many relationships but somehow don't.

For instance, he used a picture that wasn't him.  But she tracks him down and shows up on his doorstep without any advance warning.  And she's writing about her dates for an online magazine which isn't something she discloses to him.

Overall, I had issues buying whether this was realistic at all but the performances made me buy their connection even if I wasn't feeling a romantic connection.

 

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

For instance, he used a picture that wasn't him.  But she tracks him down and shows up on his doorstep without any advance warning.

After two weeks. That part really surprised me because I was assuming they had been talking for longer. This is a really good point. In real life, I would be more disturbed by someone who did what she did than what he did. 

[memememe76]

Love Hard is the best Netflix romcom ever, in my view. I won’t dispute its problematic premise but the two leads have adorable chemistry, a lot of scenes had a lot of thought and care to them, the family dynamic really is dynamic, and Nina really emerged as a romantic comedic actress. 

[blugirlami21]

It definitely wasn't perfect but that's kind of what I like about it. People are messy.  I mean Natalie flew across the country to meet a stranger she had been talking to for two weeks lol.  

It was nowhere near as bad as Sierra Burgess or Tall Girl. I had fun. I totally understand it not being everyone's cup of tea.

[akiss]

The Hating Game was cute. The actors had good chemistry imo and the film was very faithful to the book. The elevator scene was very well done, as was the brother wedding scenes but there was one towards the end which was cringe worthy imo.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 12/14/2021 at 2:24 AM, akiss said:

The Hating Game was cute. The actors had good chemistry imo and the film was very faithful to the book. The elevator scene was very well done, as was the brother wedding scenes but there was one towards the end which was cringe worthy imo.

I was just coming to comment!

It was quite sexy, and I really liked the guy in it!  Apologies to those who have read the book, I haven't.

I liked it.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[blugirlami21]

Has anyone seen the Mistletoe Mixup with the Lawrence brothers? I'm cringing so hard from the previews. I'm afraid to watch it lol.

Edited December 23, 2021 by blugirlami21

[Ms Blue Jay]

No but funnily enough I recently watched "Love on Repeat" and I thought the guy in it was sooooooooo cute and lo and behold it's Andrew Lawrence grown up.  (the guy on the right).  The guy on the left is Aaron Samuels aka Jonathan Bennett.  It's basically a "Groundhog Day" from the Lifetime channel.  I enjoyed it!  

Edited December 23, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Irlandesa]

On 12/14/2021 at 1:24 AM, akiss said:

The Hating Game was cute. The actors had good chemistry imo and the film was very faithful to the book.

I rented this.  And it just became available to me at the library so I have to decide if I want to read it now. 

I liked it quite a bit, although I wish the original actor cast stayed in the part.  He was great in The Duff.  This actor had a weird smirky resting face that annoyed me. 

Also, the ending bit was frustrating,

Spoiler

He knew why she was mad so why didn't he tell her she was wrong?

Oh wait, they did give a stupid reason for that.  Ugh,

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Irlandesa

[Spartan Girl]

Watched The Royal Treatment on Netflix, and if you like cheesy romantic comedies about people falling in love with princes/princesses then it’s enjoyable. To be honest, I only watched it because Mena Massoud is in it. I loved him in Aladdin and it’s a crying shame that he’s having trouble getting work after being in such a big box office hit—and this was BEFORE the pandemic happened. I hope he’ll be in more stuff soon, he’s so cute.

[twoods]

I agree- Mena made the movie watchable for me. His smile is gorgeous- how is he not getting more work? What a travesty. The Brooklyn accents were cringy but I still enjoyed it.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm definitely going to see that to support Mena, no question.  I think I also like his costar in that.

[Spartan Girl]

Caroline Siede’s When Romance Comedy column is about to end, and I’m so bummed. There were so many romcoms she didn’t even cover! 😭😭😭😭

On a related subject, I found this interesting:

How Jennifer Lopez romantic comedies cater to the white gaze

[krankydoodle]

I think the only other Jennifer Lopez romcom I've seen is The Wedding Planner, so that article was an interesting read. It reminded me of some of the discussions around Mindy Kaling's The Mindy Project.

As for Marry Me, I wouldn't argue it's a good movie but I enjoyed it. It definitely helped that I came into it already liking Lopez and Owen Wilson because the premise is eye-rollingly ridiculous so the movie really depends on their charm to carry it off. It seemed a bit choppy and there were elements I didn't like, but darn if I didn't feel happy while watching it. I also teared up at the couples interviews (a la When Harry Met Sally) that closed the movie, so I may be an easy mark.

[Spartan Girl]

57 minutes ago, krankydoodle said:

As for Marry Me, I wouldn't argue it's a good movie but I enjoyed it. It definitely helped that I came into it already liking Lopez and Owen Wilson because the premise is eye-rollingly ridiculous so the movie really depends on their charm to carry it off. It seemed a bit choppy and there were elements I didn't like, but darn if I didn't feel happy while watching it. I also teared up at the couples interviews (a la When Harry Met Sally) that closed the movie, so I may be an easy mark

Just watched it and I agree. It was cute enough to overlook how ridiculous the plot is, largely due to Owen Wilson and JLo. I liked it much better than The Wedding Planner, but considering how much I loathe that one, that might be a low bar.

[Ms Blue Jay]

My favourite J.Lo rom com is Monster in Law.  I thought it was so dumb when I first saw it but it's a comfort movie for me now.  Great cast, so silly and fun.

I said the same about The Proposal and Life or Something Like It.  Strange and unlikeable on first watch, grew on me over time and now make me happy.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Irlandesa]

On 2/12/2022 at 3:08 PM, krankydoodle said:

As for Marry Me, I wouldn't argue it's a good movie but I enjoyed it.

Does it have a lot of public declarations of love?  That is one thing I just find so cringe in romantic comedies but they love to do it.

For instance, Amazon has a new romcom out called Book of Love about a Brit who writes a rather dull book that is translated in other languages.  The Mexican translator basically rewrote parts of it and made it steamier. It became a big hit so he goes to Mexico to "tour" with her as his guide/translator.

Some parts were ridiculous, like how a writing translator is also asked to be the in-person speaking translator on all the shows even when the host speaks enough English to conduct the interview but the part that really got me was how much of the drama towards the end played out in public forums. I was quite enjoying it up to that part.

I also watched I want you back on Amazon starring Jenny Slate and Charlie Day. It's about two people who get dumped by their respective partners. They meet because they were both crying in the stairwell of where they work and they decide that each will try to break up the "new" couple for the other one.  Of course, they're kind of awful but I also found myself empathizing with them. I still liked it a lot except for the way the movie ended.  I'll spoiler it because it's predictable and yet not wholly so and it just came out. 

Spoiler

The movie goes the predictable route with them falling for one another which wouldn't be so terrible if they had any romantic chemistry but they don't really.  And I ultimately still felt he and his ex still made the most sense together.

The movie ends on a bit of a cliffhanger but the implication is that they get together because of something he does which shows her how much she matters.

 

[ProudMary]

10 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Does it have a lot of public declarations of love?  That is one thing I just find so cringe in romantic comedies but they love to do it.

Well,

Spoiler

J-Lo and Owen Wilson's characters meet and get married in front of thousands of people in an arena, not to mention millions watching online, and that's at the very beginning of the movie!

Also, J-Lo's character has an employee who films her actions 24/7 for Instagram clips. 😆  A LOT of personal conversations take place in sight of paparazzi too.

Despite what I just typed above, I have to say I enjoyed the film and that's coming from someone who's not particularly fond of Owen Wilson. I do love J-Lo though. If nothing else, watch the movie for the costume porn. Her character's clothes, especially when she's performing on stage, are positively stunning.

[Spartan Girl]

4 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Does it have a lot of public declarations of love?  That is one thing I just find so cringe in romantic comedies but they love to do it.

 

4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Well,

  Reveal spoiler

J-Lo and Owen Wilson's characters meet and get married in front of thousands of people in an arena, not to mention millions watching online, and that's at the very beginning of the movie!

Also, J-Lo's character has an employee who films her actions 24/7 for Instagram clips. 😆  A LOT of personal conversations take place in sight of paparazzi too.

 

Yeah but that doesn’t really count. That was no public declaration that was just marrying some rando from the audience to save face. But there was an actual public declaration at the end, so…yeah.

[twoods]

I really enjoyed I Want You Back. It had nice humor and the scenes with the leads were very nice and charming.

[BlackberryJam]

2 hours ago, twoods said:

I really enjoyed I Want You Back. It had nice humor and the scenes with the leads were very nice and charming.

I also enjoyed this one. I liked that the people were actually competent at what they were doing. No stumbling around pretending to be a painter/musician/accountant then looking like an idiot trying to fake it.

Spoiler

The female lead was good with the kids and good when she had to stand in. The male lead actually worked out and got healthier. 

So much better than pratfalls of incompetence.

Spoiler

I also liked that the female lead turned him down. The movie ends hopefully, prioritizing the slow burn rather than the instant attraction. 

 

[Scarlett45]

On 1/21/2022 at 7:31 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Watched The Royal Treatment on Netflix, and if you like cheesy romantic comedies about people falling in love with princes/princesses then it’s enjoyable. To be honest, I only watched it because Mena Massoud is in it. I loved him in Aladdin and it’s a crying shame that he’s having trouble getting work after being in such a big box office hit—and this was BEFORE the pandemic happened. I hope he’ll be in more stuff soon, he’s so cute.

 

On 1/21/2022 at 8:41 PM, twoods said:

I agree- Mena made the movie watchable for me. His smile is gorgeous- how is he not getting more work? What a travesty. The Brooklyn accents were cringy but I still enjoyed it.

 

On 1/22/2022 at 3:34 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm definitely going to see that to support Mena, no question.  I think I also like his costar in that.

I’m watching in support of Mena too. Hes so damn adorable. 

[SallyAlbright]

Can't help myself, I enjoyed the hell out of Marry Me. I miss JLo in romantic comedies, it felt nostalgic for me as I loved her in movies like Maid in Manhattan and the Wedding Planner. She and Owen Wilson are such a mismatch which made them perfect for their characters and they actually had sweet chemistry. The premise of the movie is ridiculous but they all seem to know that so it ended up just being kind of fun. 

[twoods]

I also enjoyed Marry Me. It was a very feel good movie and I am not ashamed to admit I love JLo romcoms. 

[stonehaven]

I actually watched Marry Me in one sitting which is rare for me. I really liked it and Owen charmed me.

I will say that I was surprised to see it not entirely take place over the Christmas season. I swear that's the only type of romantic comedies that get made now.

[Irlandesa]

Because so many people seemed to enjoy it, I also watched Marry Me today. Amazingly, the public declarations of love didn't really bother me.  They were handled rather well.

Unfortunately, the rest of the movie just didn't quite work for me.  Jennifer and Owen were fine but something just didn't quite click.

That said, I don't regret watching it.  It's just not a movie I'll do a second time.

[Scarlett45]

The Royal Treatment on Netflix was very cute. I liked all the supporting characters, Mena is SO cute and charming- he could have a big career as the romantic lead, he’s handsome and seems “sweet” not swarmy. He reminds me of Noah Centineo in that way- attractive but trustworthy. I’m so sorry he hasn’t gotten more roles since Aladdin (which I loved him in).  

[PepSinger]

All you have to say to me is J.Lo and rom-com, and I’m there. Do I have to pay for Peacock to watch?

[ProudMary]

9 hours ago, PepSinger said:

All you have to say to me is J.Lo and rom-com, and I’m there. Do I have to pay for Peacock to watch?

Peacock does have a free option with ads, but the content is limited, so I don't think first-run movies are available on that tier. If by any chance you still have cable TV and Comcast/Xfinity is your provider, Peacock is included with their programming packages.

[jah1986]

Also, if xfinity is your internet provider and you don’t have cable, you can get their flex box(?) it’s like a Roku and peacock is free on the box and it’s premium peacock. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I didn't even WANT to like "Marry Me", because some things about it felt so superficial, but it won me over anyway.  

It ended up really charming me.  I expected Owen to phone it in, but he so didn't.  Owen and J.Lo are surprisingly charming together.  The movie just felt likeable.  

I also saw "I Want You Back".  I was less impressed with that one.  It reminded me of too many other movies.  The plot is a lot like "Addicted to Love" from 1997, for instance, and it has the feel of other modern rom coms from the past few years.  It wasn't bad though, and I liked the middle of the movie the most.  Manny Jacinto fans will enjoy how pretty he is.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Trini]

I probably won't be watching it anytime soon since I'm not paying for Peacock, but I guess I'll eventually get to Marry Me, from y'all's comments. My main hesitation was Owen Wilson, who I'm not really a fan of, but I'm hearing they actually make it work, so I'll check it out.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Trini
spelling, d'oh!

[krankydoodle]

I wasn't planning on watching The Hating Game despite the positive comments about it here because I remember not liking the book much, but I gave in and was pleasantly surprised. I've seen some criticisms about Austin Stowell being a bit stiff or bland but I liked him and thought he and Lucy Hale had great chemistry. Their bantering was also genuinely funny and while the plot did use miscommunication as an obstacle a few times, it wasn't so frustrating that it affected my enjoyment of the movie. I'll definitely be rewatching this one.

I was searching for upcoming romcoms and found that in addition to another JLo movie in June (this one with Josh Duhamel, who is just ok IMO) and one written by and starring Billy Eichner in September, Ticket to Paradise reuniting Julia Roberts and George Clooney comes out in October. I can't remember how much chemistry they had in the Oceans movies, but they're both very charismatic so I'm tentatively excited about that one especially since it's been awhile since Julia Roberts headlined a romcom.

Edited April 21, 2022 by krankydoodle

[aradia22]

Quote

Julia Roberts has revealed why she hasn’t starred in a rom-com in the last two decades.

The Oscar-winning actress admitted that the move was a conscious decision on her part, simply because she hasn’t found anything “good enough.”

During an interview with the New York Times Magazine, Roberts said “people sometimes misconstrue the amount of time that’s gone by” as her “not wanting” to do a romantic comedy.

“If I had read something that I thought was ‘Notting Hill’ level of writing or ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ level of madcap fun, I would do it,” she explained.

“They didn’t exist until this movie that I just did (Ticket to Paradise) that Ol Parker wrote and directed.”

During the interview, Roberts, 54, also said her family is another reason why she thinks twice before taking on an onscreen project.

“Here’s the thing: If I’d thought something was good enough, I would have done it,” she continued.

“But I also had three kids in the last 18 years. That raises the bar even more because then it’s not only ‘Is this material good?’ It’s also the math equation of my husband’s work schedule and the kids’ school schedule and summer vacation.”

https://pagesix.com/2022/04/19/julia-roberts-on-why-she-hasnt-starred-in-rom-com-in-20-years/

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 4/20/2022 at 7:22 PM, krankydoodle said:

I wasn't planning on watching The Hating Game despite the positive comments about it here because I remember not liking the book much, but I gave in and was pleasantly surprised. I've seen some criticisms about Austin Stowell being a bit stiff or bland but I liked him and thought he and Lucy Hale had great chemistry. Their bantering was also genuinely funny and while the plot did use miscommunication as an obstacle a few times, it wasn't so frustrating that it affected my enjoyment of the movie. I'll definitely be rewatching this one.

I'm with you.  I think the movie is better than the book.  I tried it, and it's like 300 or 400 pages about how Lucy is so tiny and the guy is so big - over and over and over and over again.  Lucy is described as tiny in that in about a million different ways.  Halfway through I had to abandon it out of frustration.  I don't know how anyone over 5'3" can relate to that book.

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[methodwriter85]

I remember Eat Pray Love was totally sold as a romcom but I don't think it was at all.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I remember that I didn't like it.  That's all I remember.

[Trini]

On 1/21/2022 at 8:31 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Watched The Royal Treatment on Netflix, and if you like cheesy romantic comedies about people falling in love with princes/princesses then it’s enjoyable. To be honest, I only watched it because Mena Massoud is in it. I loved him in Aladdin and it’s a crying shame that he’s having trouble getting work after being in such a big box office hit—and this was BEFORE the pandemic happened. I hope he’ll be in more stuff soon, he’s so cute.

 

On 1/21/2022 at 9:41 PM, twoods said:

I agree- Mena made the movie watchable for me. His smile is gorgeous- how is he not getting more work? What a travesty. The Brooklyn accents were cringy but I still enjoyed it.

 

This was almost too cute, but it was a nice enough excuse to look at Mena's gorgeous smile for an hour and a half. Now, who do I have to talk to to get Aladdin 2 fast tracked??

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 hours ago, Trini said:

This was almost too cute, but it was a nice enough excuse to look at Mena's gorgeous smile for an hour and a half. Now, who do I have to talk to to get Aladdin 2 fast tracked??

Well Will Smith was a very large part of the first one.......... and his projects seem to be on pause.  Will be interesting to see what happens.  Poor Mena!

[Scarlett45]

On 2/17/2022 at 3:57 PM, twoods said:

I also enjoyed Marry Me. It was a very feel good movie and I am not ashamed to admit I love JLo romcoms. 

I liked Marry Me too! It was super cute. JLo is a goddess forever and ever- the clothes!

It also didn’t take itself too seriously, had some fun supporting characters, Charlie’s daughter Lou was used JUST enough and it was good opportunity for a child actress. 

It was a movie that knew exactly what it’s premise was, and the songs were fun. I liked the gLee club performing at the school dance. 

[Scarlett45]

On 4/24/2022 at 12:51 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Well Will Smith was a very large part of the first one.......... and his projects seem to be on pause.  Will be interesting to see what happens.  Poor Mena!

Wait there was going to be an Aladdin 2???

 

I think Mena could do well with the Netflix route- pull a Christina Millian and star it high quality holiday films/romcoms with fun backdrops. He’s like an older Noah Centineo, although racism and colorism being what it is Noah has more options for roles.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

Yes, there was always going to be.

Here's information from October 2021, which is obviously a while ago and long before the Slap.

https://nilsenreport.ca/aladdin-2-all-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Aladdin 2 movie is in,more than %241 billion globally.

IMDB marks it for 2025 which is so far away.  With the Slap, who knows.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11779248/

Edited May 1, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

11 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I liked Marry Me too! It was super cute. JLo is a goddess forever and ever- the clothes!

It also didn’t take itself too seriously, had some fun supporting characters, Charlie’s daughter Lou was used JUST enough and it was good opportunity for a child actress. 

It was a movie that knew exactly what it’s premise was, and the songs were fun. I liked the gLee club performing at the school dance. 

Totally agree with all of this. I don't enjoy when a kid takes up too much of a romance.  Also, that damn "Marry Me" song was stuck in my head forever but I agree the songs were fun.

[Scarlett45]

Six days later, I have listened to "After Love" part 1 on YouTube at least twice daily. I am looking forward to part 2. The soundtrack for Marry Me was amazing.

[methodwriter85]

On 5/1/2022 at 11:24 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Totally agree with all of this. I don't enjoy when a kid takes up too much of a romance.  Also, that damn "Marry Me" song was stuck in my head forever but I agree the songs were fun.

It wasn't a comedy, but I basically felt like this about that Britt Robertson/Scott Eastwood Nicholas Sparks drama.  I mean, there was a reason for why they kept flashing back to that childless couple in the 1940's who get to foster a kid for awhile, but I thought they could have taken that down a smidge or more.

Anyway, a parody of Leap Year. I mean, they said "Every American RomCom set in Ireland", but really, it's Leap Year.

Damn it, Leap Year is just comfort junk food for me. 2010 Matthew Goode is just perfection. 

I mean, he basically did the same movie with Mandy Moore, and I liked it a lot, but I generally go for Leap Year instead. 

Edited May 7, 2022 by methodwriter85

[aradia22]

"This rain won't farm itself" really got me. 😂

[Scarlett45]

I watched I Want You Back, but I had to break it up because I was organizing my closet for summer (spring doesn’t exist in Chicago) and doing laundry. 
 

I liked everything accept the ending- things were going well until the reveal, buy I think they could’ve edited it down better and Peter/Noah mend their friendship because that was real, and then see Peter/Emma get together. The only other thing I have seen Jenny Slate in, in its entirety is Obvious Child (which I enjoyed) but it’s a shame she doesn’t work more. I also thought her styling was very nice and her hair looked amazing in every scene, but she didn’t look “too done” if you know what I mean. That polka dot dress she wore to the wedding was heavenly, I’d wear that.