Valentines Day has not long passed us by and I thought that it would be a good idea to focus my top 5 this month on romantic comedies. I am not a romantic or ‘slushy’ movie fan at all; however I do enjoy my romantic comedies. They are completely different as they contain elements of comedy throughout but also have a slight emotional attachment. My other half and I continually watch gross out comedies, horrors, thrillers (you get the picture) so this will be a bit of a challenge to pick out my favourite romantic comedies and put them into a top 5. We all have films that are close to our hearts and ones which will always hold a special connection between couples. Films bring us closer together and can be enough to ignite a passion between two people. So here are my top 5 romantic comedies which I suggest that you watch immediately!
Screen Gal’s top five romantic comedies:
- High Fidelity
- The Wedding Singer
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- Just Married
- Run Fat Boy Run
High Fidelity (2000)
This film would definitely make it onto my top ten list of favourite films of all time as it is sheer genius. The first time I seen this film I was over in my friend’s house and it came on BBC2 late one night and we decided to give it a go. Every time I watch it, I always immediately want to go and work in a record store or be involved in the story as it totally pulls you in. I got this on DVD as a Christmas gift back in 2004 and it’s one which I go to when I’m sick, bored, feeling down…anytime basically! I am also a huge fan of John Cusack so that partly clinched it for me.
Based on the 1995 novel by Nick Hornby of the same title, High Fidelity follows the love life of record store owner Rob Gordon. Having just split up from his long term girlfriend Laura, we follow their relationship through a series of flashbacks and how she ends up involved with the guy who lives upstairs from Rob. Rob then decides it’s time to look back through his top five all time break-ups and we see him revisit his old girlfriends looking for meaning as to why he always gets dumped for someone else. Much of the story is played out in the record store with his two wacky clerks at his side, Dick and Barry. Together they continually reference pop music and make top five lists in relation to what is happening in their lives. Rob then decides that in order to win Laura back he may need to change his old habits and ways.
As far as romantic comedies go this one is definitely up there with the best. I love the choice of casting as everyone plays their role to perfection and I could not imagine anyone but John Cusack portraying Rob Gordon. Iben Hjejle deserves massive praise in her first major film role for her performance as Laura. You can really feel the chemistry between these two actors and really believe that they are a couple, something which Cusack is very good at, even in his other roles. Throughout the film Rob talks to the camera as if he is telling his story to a friend and even though he does bad things in parts of the film you can’t help but be charmed by him.
The characters Barry and Dick are just extremely well played and very likeable. Credit is due to both Jack Black and Todd Louiso as their performances are outstanding. In fact, every actor in this film plays an incredible role, not failing to mention Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins and Catherine Zeta Jones. This is a romantic comedy but does also contain a lot of dark humour. I really love the continual references to music and pop culture as it is something which I regularly do myself. Rob’s relationships do feel true to life as there are moments when everyone looks back and thinks ‘why did I get dumped for someone else’ or ‘why does all bad things happen to me?’ his relationships definitely have a human reality to them. High Fidelity is a funny, clever and romantic film that is guaranteed to make you laugh and root for Rob in his struggle with life.
The Wedding Singer (1998)
The Wedding Singer is a film which never fails to make me smile. It was my big sister who introduced me to this film, not long after the film’s release as we rented it from our local video store. At the time I didn’t get some of the jokes and it is only since getting older that you begin to understand and find things a lot funnier. One thing which I particularly love is the chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, they’re always a winning combination! Although I own this film on DVD (surprise surprise!) whenever it is on TV I always find myself sitting down to watching it and it’s one that I never tire of.
The film takes place in 1985 where Robbie Hart is the ultimate wedding singer and people are flocking to hire him and his band for their special day. It is while performing at a wedding reception that Robbie meets Julia, a waitress who regularly caters for his events. She immediately clicks with Robbie as they both believe in love and are pure, optimistic people. Both of them are due to get married, Robbie to Linda and Julia to Glen (a serial womaniser) After Robbie is left at the altar at his own wedding, it soon begins to have an impact on those around him and specifically shows when he is performing. The audience knows that Robbie and Julia are supposed to be together and so as the film continues we are constantly rooting that they will get the happy ending that they deserve.
The Wedding Singer is without a doubt my favourite Adam Sandler film as to me it stands out as his best performance. Drew Barrymore is one of my favourite actresses and I love her performance in this film, showing vulnerability but also a sense of fun. My favourite cameo is from Steve Buscemi who plays the groom’s best man in the first wedding reception of the film. Another great element to this film is the soundtrack as I love the music from the 80’s and also the music that Adam Sandler’s character composes ‘Somebody Kill Me Please’ and ‘Growing Old with You’ are instant classics. If you give the Wedding Singer a try you will be laughing for days afterwards.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
One of the more recent films on the top 5, this was one film that I had my mind made up about when it was released in the cinema as I did not like Russell Brand at all and knowing that he was starring in the film completely put me off. I only seen this film for the first time around two years ago when a friend loaned me it and told me that I should watch it and try not to have any misconceptions about it. Within the first ten minutes I absolutely loved it and could not wait to see how Jason Segel’s character Peter would turn out.
The film revolves around the life of Peter Bretter, a music composer for a TV cop show (CSI-esque) in which his beautiful actress girlfriend called Sarah Marshall is the starring role alongside Billy Baldwin. Peter is absolutely distraught when Sarah comes home one day and announces that she is leaving him for someone else. His best friend convinces him to come out and drink so he can move on from her as soon as possible, which isn’t easy so Peter decides that he needs a vacation and heads out to spend the week in Hawaii. While there he meets hotel receptionist Rachel and the two embark on a romance. Of course things don’t run smoothly as Sarah is there with her new boyfriend, singer Aldus Snow. As Rachel and Peter become closer it then becomes apparent that Sarah wants Peter back and so he must decide if he wants to go back to his old life with Sarah or embark on a new relationship with Rachel.
This movie has the comedy element down to a tee. I love Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother and think that he is perfect in this role and did a fantastic job of screen writing the entire film. The brilliant and stunning Mila Kunis is also in this film and I find her character Rachel really likeable. I found that I could not stop laughing throughout this film as it really does have a specific comedy element to it and also the hint of romance. You really do empathise with Peter once he gets dumped at the beginning of the film and cannot help but root for him as the film continues. There is also a great cast of supporting actors including Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd (most likely due to the connection to Judd Apatow)
Just Married (2003)
It’s funny because as I was doing a lot of research into this film, I came across the fact that it was widely panned by critics and yet I really like it! I first seen this with my better half when we first started seeing each other and loved it right away, being a major fan of both Brittany Murphy and Ashton Kutcher. It is always a great film to put on after a long day at work or when things have been particularly stressful as it is guaranteed to make you laugh.
Just Married follows young couple Tom Leezak (Kutcher) and Sarah McNerney (Murphy) who decide that they are meant to be together and get married, against the wishes of Sarah’s family and friends who feel that she should marry someone of similar socialite status. After the wedding Tom and Sarah fly to Europe on a romantic honeymoon together however they soon come across certain events and obstacles which really test their love and it soon becomes the honeymoon from hell. Added into this picture is Peter Prentiss, a wealthy ex boyfriend of Sarah’s who bumps into her just when her and Tom have had an argument. The couple then make it home and it is Sarah’s turn to decide if she wants to be reunited with Tom or continue life without him.
As I have stated above, I do not see how many people didn’t like this film, sure it is a bit cliché and has probably been done to death but I really enjoyed it. I liked Brittany and Ashton together and thought they did make a really good couple (given that they did date in real life around the time of the movie release!) There are loads of really funny moments throughout including their argument in the hotel room, where Tom gets an ashtray thrown at his forehead, that scene never fails to make me laugh. At the end I was really rooting for the couple to be reunited and live ‘happily ever after’ as it’s a story and a relationship that you can’t help but get drawn into. I definitely rate this film and think that it is one worth watching so ignore the critics and give it a go!
I was really impressed with David Schwimmer’s film debut directing and think that he definitely took the film in the right direction. Some of the scenes have great comic timing and one of the standout performances for me was Dylan Moran. He got the majority of laughs in the film and I really liked his character and gave him a gritty edge by showing that he had a gambling addiction. I found myself really rooting for Dennis to get through the race and was quite on edge when he hit the ‘wall’. It is the same old formula that we have seen again and again but somehow this time it works. The casting is fantastic with all actors giving a great performance. It is a great wee film to watch, again it’s not flashy, it’s a general down to earth film which won’t fail to have you grinning long after it’s finished.
Run Fat Boy Run (2007)
I am a huge Simon Pegg fan and love Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz etc however I actually never got round to seeing this film at the time of its release. It was only a few years ago that my other half bought it for me and I absolutely love it. Another main reason I was desperate to see it was because of the gorgeous Dylan Moran (I have a slight obsession with this man, have I not mentioned this?). This film received a lot of mixed reviews from critics however I really liked it.
Directed by Friends favourite David Schwimmer this film follows Dennis, a dim and slightly overweight security guard who left his pregnant fiancé Libby five years earlier on their wedding day. The couple have a five year old son Jake and when he sees that Libby has moved on to the wealthy and powerful American Whit, Dennis decides to take matters into his own hands and try and win her back. He decides that as Whit is really into exercise and training, he will run the Nike River Run in London and to do this he must consult his two aides; best friend Gordon who has a terrible gambling addiction and Mr Ghoshdashtidar, his landlord. Once Whit proposes at Libby’s birthday party this pushes Dennis to gain all the motivation he needs and finish his marathon in order to get her back.
SG: Apologies due as it's been a long time since my last update! I have just a lot of new things starting at the moment so trying to find the time to update is a little difficult at the moment but that will change. I've got some great things lined up for the blog so stay tuned!
