Saturday, February 7, 2009

What Makes a Good Romantic Comedy?



Did you like this movie? I loved it. But then I love almost anything with Gerard Butler. I saw "He's Just Not That Into You" last night. I am still puzzling over it as to whether I liked it or not. I saw Four Christmases and did not like that at all. There were scenes that were hysterical but overall after I left the theater and thought about it, I thought it was such a sad and depressing movie with depressing characters.

Anyway, the movie last night was good but it was not quite what I expected. I chose the trailer from P.S. I Love You because if you think about it, it should be a sad movie. I mean, jiminy crickets, the guy dies right away in the movie. I spent the whole movie crying and then laughing, but when I left the movie I still felt happy.

How is it some directors and writers can do that and others fail at it? I think they want to add depth but for some reason they fail. Mall Cop was like that. Kevin James was great in the movie, you actually like him and feel for him, but everyone else is a caricature. SPOILER ALERT. The SWAT cop in the movie is the ultimate in cheesy, stereotyped, dumb bad guys. It was almost painful to watch, but I do not think it was all the actor's fault. I think the director screwed up.

Back to last night. This movie may grow on me when I get it on DVD. Love Actually did that for me. I am not sure. I liked Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin. He is deliciously mean but how many times have you wanted to say those same things to a friend who really needed to get her head out of her butt? It was funny listening to all the stupid things we women say to each other about men.

I need some help trying to figure out what the movie was trying to say. Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck end up having this great relationship but what was the point? As long as the woman does not want to get married, the guy will ask? Or never give a man an ultimatum? Or hang on as long as you can because he really does love you and what more do you want?

I am just thinking out loud here. I need my personal Siskel and Ebert to see the movie to see what they say.

2 comments:

Jeanne said...

Didn't see Love Actually. But I did see PS I Love You and I loved it too. I loved how they showed how they met, sad times, angry times, etc.. But it was weird seeing her interaction with Kathy Bates until the very end. I didn't quite get that. The Harry Connick JR. character just bugged me. But I loved Hilary Swank in this. I thought she made the part. Her friends were cool, too.

A good romantic comedy has a little bit of fire to it. I like the spark between two people to be explored. Loved While You Were Sleeping and even You've Got Mail. Loved Sleepless In Seattle and really loved Return To Me for it's comedic value. Dude, Jim Belushi and Bonnie Hunt are hysterical in that movie! Hey, it's a rainy day here -maybe a movie is a great idea. With popcorn, of course.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

How funny~! It is raining here and I am trying to decide what movie to watch, but first I need to run to Target and get a fake log to burn! Already have the popcorn.

Kathy Bates' character was complex and I related to it more when you realize her back story. Mother and daughter relationships are never easy to characterize. Some are so warm and generous and loving and others are cold, distant, and inevitably tragic in some way. Sometimes the scariest thing someone can say is that you are becoming like your mom. But, since I am a mom, that also makes me mad. What's wrong with me?!! See what I mean.

Not being an English major, I am not sure what Harry Connick's character was all about. I liked his role though.

Her friends were so funny and I really, really, really dislike Lisa Kudrow but liked her friends anyway. I thought there was a spark in almost all the characters. It must be hard to be a casting director. How do you know? Sometimes people who are not even the main role steal the show they are so good.

See Love Actually but make sure no one too young is around when you do. The original reason I disliked the movie was I started to watch it with my youngest daughter then and two of the characters are porn stars, and in what is now a very funny scene to me, they talk about everything but the sex and the porn they are making. Maybe because I no longer have kids I need to worry about in that way, I am enjoying all these movies now.

Emma Thompson is so good in this movie~! See it!