Four brunettes and a funeral: my seven "desert island" romantic comedies
Submitted by cramoukji on Fri, 03/18/2005 - 11:35
Tags:
- Never been kissed (Drew Barrymore starred and produced in this creepingly realistic story)
- Shallow Hal (Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow in a story much more powerful than could have been expected from the Farrelly brothers)
- Someone like you (animal husbandry) (Ashley Judd is cuter and acts better in this than in any of her mildly succesful horror-driven movies)
- Four weddings and a funeral (Arguably Richard Curtis's finest hour and the movie that put the british cinema back on the map)
- My best friend's wedding (Cruel and bittersweet as life should be with nice performances from both Julia and Cameron)
- Notting Hill (Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in Richard Curtis's follow-up)
- Delirious (John Candy was much better than anyone would ever give him credit)
Author Comments:
Ok, maybe some of these choices would not be considered 100% "romantic" comedies... but you go ahead and comment on them...
but you go ahead and comment on them: Ay, ay, Sir.
First of all, I have seen all of them except Someone like you. Somehow the only one I really dig is Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Reasons for not liking the others are: Drew Barrymore, Jack Black and Cameron Diaz (methinks that actors are an important element in this genre).
As for Notting Hill, I remember almost falling asleep in the theatre, and having every 2 minutes a look at my watch. I greatly prefer Pretty Woman.
I hardly remember Delirious, but I agree that John Candy deserves more credit. I like Only the Lonely better.
Oh, and where is Harry and where Sally?
How can you not love Drew ? Black and Diaz I can understand but Drew, come on, she's doing a commendable job with what she has been given...
I haven't seen Only the Lonely for a long while but I've purchased delirious on DVD recently which justifies its inclusion in this list in stead of Pretty Woman which never was a personal favorite but remains the measuring stick for conventional romantic comedies... I realize my list does not include many of these and most certainly not Harry&Sally because, well, I'll probably leve you dumbfounded here once more but yes, I have never seen The Godfather and yes, I have seen and have definitely not enjoyed When Harry Met Sally...
What I like about When Harry Met Sally so much is the perfect chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan (IMO another key aspect of romantic movies).
But for Drew Barrymore, I just can't stand her, but frankly I am unable to give you any reasons upon which I could base my dislike.