Top 10 Rom-Coms

10. When You Were Sleeping (1995)

If my memory serves me right, this movie put Sandra Bullock on the map. She stars as Lucy, a forgettable train toll operator who happens to daydream about this businessman who comes in daily. Lucy rescues this man, who is now in a coma, and by some misunderstanding, everyone thinks she is his fiance. She ends up meeting Peter's (Peter Gallagher) entire family. She is obligated to keep the lie going, first to not upset anyone, later because she falls in love with all of them, being an orphan during the Christmas season. The conflict begins when Peter's brother, Jack, shows up and gets suspicious of Lucy, and then a unique and intimate connection develops. I loved this movie because the scenes reminded me of my family, a loving, meddling ball of chaos who mean well but don't always get it right. 

9. 13 Going on 30 (2004)

Jennifer Gardner has established herself as the relatable queen. By that, I mean she is pretty, but you can still see her reflected as your best friend. She doesn't send out femme fatale vibes, and she is always likable. She starts in this movie about 13-year-old Jenna, a victim of fashion magazines. She decides she wants to be "thirty, flirty and thriving," which I find hilarious since I remember being thirty and not recalling all three simultaneously. Jenna wakes up in the body of her 30-year-old self but the mind of a 13-year-old, with a naked man in her apartment and a successful job in a fashion magazine with friend-enemy Lucy (Judy Greer) and bumping into childhood friend Matty (Mark Ruffalo). She learns the meaning of that proverbial saying, "Be careful what you wish for," now that she has the career and the life of a woman she barely recognizes, so far removed from the things and people that bring her joy. If I know the choreography of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," it is because of this movie. In the end, Jenna can go back to being 13 years old and make completely different choices, and it made me wonder what I would change about my choices if I were given the opportunity to go back and do things all over again? 

8. Never Been Kissed (1999)

My sister and I consider this a cult classic. We have seen it more times than any other movie. Drew Barrymore plays Josie, an introverted newspaper copyeditor who never gets over her high school rejection. Josie is pushed to go undercover back to high school to dig out stories about today's youth. In her return, she finds herself in the same nerd-status position as before, but her luck changes as soon as her brother infiltrates high school and makes her "popular," showing that really is all it takes, one person to say you are ok so that others start believing you are. David Arquette plays the brother who hasn't succeeded in adulthood, proving that some people might just peek in high school. In the process, Josie finds herself attracted to her literature teacher, Sam (Michael Vartan) and makes some questionable choices with her fashion, dancing, and overall persona. Many scenes in this movie bring me enormous shame for Barrymore's character, which is fun and mortifying to watch. This movie would only work in the time it was released because even now, as an adult, the whole student-teacher relationship gives me the creeps. But thinking about the year it was released, me going through my last year of high school, feeling a bit of a nerd and equally unwanted, this movie gave me hope and continues to do so. 

7. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

The oldest plot line in Hollywood history; a guy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants a girl (Larissa Oleynik), and the guy finds a dumb but rich guy (Andrew Keegan) to pay the other guy (Heath Ledger) to hang out with her perpetually annoyed sister (Julia Stiles). The deal doesn't go as planned, as more feelings are involved, and nothing really is as black and white as first portrayed. What I liked about this movie were the little jokes and the massive amounts of sarcasm thrown in every line. Every character was interesting in their own way; the single father that didn't want his girls getting pregnant, the school counsellor who missed her calling writing soft porn books, the popular girl who isn't as dumb as expected, the dangerous boy who is actually pretty mellow and the hostile feminist teenager who is actually pretty nice once you get to know her. Shot in Seattle with a killer soundtrack, this movie won my heart when I was young. It brought me love and gave me an edge to get rid of the undesired mush.

6. To All The Boys I Have Loved Before (2018)

Of all the movies on my list, this is the most current one, the one when I am actually older than the characters when I watched it for the first time. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) has a secret crush on her best friend, her sister's boyfriend. She decides to write him a letter, like the ones she had written to other boys she once loved, but the letter gets out of hand when her sister mails these letters to all of the recipients, pulling the lid off Lara Jean's secrets. Lara Jean makes a pack with one of these boys, Peter (Noah Centineo), but things go differently than planned, as usual. I liked this movie because Lara is not the typical white teenage girl character, and in an 80s rom-com, she would probably be reduced to a sidekick, but here she is, stealing the heart of the hottest boy in school. Also, if I were 20 years younger, I would have a mad crush on Noah Centineo; he is funny, charming and handsome; what more can a girl want? 

5. The Holiday (2006)

I couldn't care less about Cameron Diaz's character and love story; I have disliked her and everything she has done since "My Best Friend's Wedding." I find her annoying. I know there is no logic behind this, but I wanted Julia Roberts to end up with her best friend. Cameron is not the reason I like this movie. I like this movie because of Kate Winslet. This actress has grown on me, slowly but surely; her choice of work and films only gets more interesting with time. This time, she is Iris, this brilliant editor in a toxic relationship with his stupid ex-boyfriend, who decides enough is enough; it's time for a change. So she swaps houses with Diaz, so she goes to LA, and Diaz goes to this little town outside of London. We have all been there, in Iris' shoes, wanting to pull away from these men who have some sort of magic hold on us, making us feel good and bad about ourselves simultaneously, without really not committing to us. She starts this friendship with this music composer, Miles (Jack Black), and together, they plot a plan to get their new friend, Arthur, an old retired Hollywood director, to get the courage to walk to accept an award. On this trip, Iris regains the confidence in herself and the courage to cut ties with this toxic man, and only then is she open to a new beginning with a man who loves her right. 

4. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Rene Zellweger gained 30 pounds to play this average 30-something single woman struggling in the dating world and figuring out his career in London. This modern and weird adaptation of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I say weird because I didn't find Elizabeth to be an intelligent, proud woman in the original version. In this movie, Bridget is not precisely smart or driven and gets into these unfortunate, shameful situations that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Bridget finally thinks she has found "the one" in the fascinating new editor, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), only to have her heart broken when things get serious. In the middle of all of this, Bridge meets Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), a dry lawyer from a wealthy family who seems like he is constantly annoyed by her but turns out to be quite a catch. I don't think I could ask for anything more in a "make-believe man" than Mark Darcy; he is good, intelligent, and, in the end, passionate.

3. Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

Of all the leading men in Hollywood, Steve Carrell wouldn't be one I would particularly like. But I'm attractive, endearing, and believable. This story starts with an unhappy wife going through the motions of a flavourless date in a routine she hates now, wanting a divorce at the end of it. I love watching Julianne Moore, but I really hated her here; her character, married for more than 20 years to Carrell's character, had cheated on him with a co-worker and now wanted a divorce. On the other side, we have aspiring lawyer Hannah (Emma Stone) getting rejected by her safe choice of a boyfriend, Richard (Josh Groban), who wants to spice up her life by having a fling with the hot guy from the bar (Ryan Gossling). The last love story is the one with one of Carrell's kids, his 14-year-old son, hopelessly in love with his babysitter, Jessica. It all collides in a beautifully disastrous scene where Kevin Bacon gets punched in the face. I loved this movie because each character goes through a metamorphosis to discover love, discover themselves, or rediscover love. I particularly love the makeover scene where Gossling tries to get Carrell to update his wardrobe to seize his new bachelor status. Equally lovable is the "Dirty Dancing" scene with Stone and Gossling, in which he shows her "the move" to get women into bed with him. This is where you laugh and cry and everything in between movies.

2. Someone Like You (2001)

Not a lot of people know of this movie, but this movie made its way to my heart many years ago. Ashley Judd stars in this movie about a romantic turns cynic TV producer who decides to prove a theory about how men treat relationships with women; once they have lured the new target with sad stories about previous relationships, they have a brief honeymoon period until eventually, they get bored and moved on to the next prey. Judd's test subject is her new colleague, played by Greg Kinnear, who lets her stranded when he gets cold feet, making Judd move in with his playboy producer, Eddie, played by Hugh Jackman. There are many cute moments in this movie, many relatable moments, as she spirals out of control into a total freakout when her theory is proven wrong. I love it because it shows that people can surprise you, that sometimes you find love in the most unexpected places, and that people may say and don't mean something, but others speak louder with actions than words. 

1. Love Actually (2003)

Situated in London, this is a collection of stories that carry on simultaneously during Christmas. Somehow, the stories overlap as some of the characters know each other. I loved this movie from the moment I watched it in the theatre. Every story has something for everyone; a widower advising his pre-teen son how to get a girl, the best man secretly in love with his best friend's wife, the prime minister and his crush with an assistant with a potty mouth, some porn doubles that find a connection, a has-been rockstar making a comeback and his faithful manager, and my favourite; the man that falls in love with a woman that doesn't even speak the same language. I am older now; I watched this movie when I was 21, when the concept of soulmates was the most intriguing part of the love formula. This movie speaks about attraction, sacrifice in love, platonic love, young love, and mature love, but even if the outcome is not happy, it still has a glimmer of hope. If this movie is playing on any channel or available on any streaming service, I will watch it; it always makes me happy. 

*Bonus. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 

This is probably not what you call a conventional rom-com, but it sends these vibes nonetheless. Pat (Bradly Cooper) is a man with bipolar disorder working through his mental health problems while he lives with his family. He meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a depressed, self-destructive mess of a woman, and they decide to enter a dance competition together. Pat intends to get back with his estranged wife by winning the competition. Pat's therapist encourages him to see the silver linings in his life to avoid triggering his panic attacks and violent outbursts. Tiffany is manipulative and sad, she keeps getting in these on-sided relationships where she is only used to numb the pain of the loss of her husband. This film's dark moments are full of suffering combined with funny and corky moments, proving that life is lived on a grey scale, not blacks and whites. This performance earned Lawrence an Oscar, and the film received several nominations. I liked it because it is a perfect example of how love can find you in the most inconvenient of times, and there is always someone out there who gets you and loves you the way you need. 

A Family Affair VS The Idea of You

Both movies have Oscar-winning actresses leading and women (mothers) who fall for much younger men, but one is a clear winner. 

"A Family Affair," streams on Netflix, starring the age-defying Nicole Kidman, tells the story of a very self-absorbed actor, Chris Cole (Zac Efron), who starts a fling with a Pulitzer winner writer and a more mature woman, Brook Harwood (Kidman), who also happens to be the mother of his personal assistant, ) and inspiring producer Zara (Joey King). It is meant to be funny, like physically, in-your-face funny, but it falls flat apart from that first face wall smash courtesy of King's character. Apart from this comedic moment, I find Zara a very one-dimensional character, with no real depth to her or her drivers; she is basically the same girl from "The Kissing Booth," awkward but cute. I also never understood why an intelligent, beautiful woman like Brook would even entertain a romance with this manchild. The only part of the movie worth rescuing is Brook's conversations with her former mother-in-law, Lella Ford, played by Kathy Bates. Although I thought it was a very progressive relationship, given that Harwood was the widow of Lella's son, it has honest conversations about the expectations of women who are wondering what to do in this new stage in life; once the children are raised, and the awards have been won, and the husbands have been buried. Can anything still excite us? I think I would have felt very differently about this movie if there was ever a glimpse of profound and deeper understanding from the male character, besides the smoking body, the youth and the fame, things that I wouldn't think a character like Brook would really care for, I didn't see any charming element that would make her take a leap and fall. 

"The Idea of You" premiered a few months ago on Amazon Prime, and although it starts with the same premise, an older woman and an exciting celebrity young love interest, it gives me all the reasons I need to defend that love. Sol (Anne Hathaway) is a single mom of a teenage girl who has a complicated relationship with her ex-husband and new wife. She meets boyband member Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galatzine) at a meet-and-greet event at a music festival. Sol has trust issues after a cheating ex-husband, an artistic and meaningful career, who puts her daughter's needs above it all. Now that I get. Even if their relationship was purely physical, which tracks, I understood the why; I got the crazy chemistry and attraction irradiating from both characters. But there is more; there are layers to Hayes; even with his youth, he gets her soul, which is hard to find and even harder to explain. I understood all the character's reasoning and actions throughout the movie; the daughter that is mad at her mom for hiding her relationship and struggling to support her, the ex-husband's selfishness and inability to see fault in his own character, but quickly to judge Sol for her choices, Sol's decision to sacrifice a potentially lasting relationship for the sake of her daughter, it all made sense. Besides that, Hollywood gifted us with a happy ending not included in the original story. I knew it was forced, but I was pleased because you should be able to be a good mother and still find the love of your life; why the hell not? It gives hope vibes because what is more romantic than a love that is willing to wait until you have your shit together? 

I give the first one a rating of "popcorn was the best part" of the movie, and the second one "will be part of my collection." It is good for Hollywood to push for stories where women don't just become dead inside whose identity is only defined by motherhood after they are 40. 

 

Rating:

OMG, so good!

It will be part of my collection!

Theatre worthy

The popcorn was the best part

Is this for real?

So bad is not even funny

Inside Out 2

It has been 8 years since I have posted on this blog. I always loved movies. I still do. I love going to the movie theatre, eating popcorn, watching the trailers of upcoming films, etc. I don't have much time to do that now that I am a mother of two small girls. I am tired, I have a lot to do, I don't have a nanny on rotation, and my friends have complicated schedules. Thanks to all these streaming services, I watch more movies and shows than ever; thank God for that! Most of the movies I watch at the theatres are the family kind since that is the only time I get to go whenever my girls want to watch one. 

So, here we go again. I watched "Inside Out"(2015) from a new mother's perspective. Obviously, I sobbed like crazy, being a hormonal mess faced with the inevitability of change. I have been a mom for nine years now, and if there is something I learned to be a constant in this parenthood deal, it is change. Just when you are about to figure it out, here comes another stage you are totally unprepared for, which will rock your world. I remember watching this movie and thinking about how little and fragile one was at that age, how ill-equipped you were to handle life's curved balls, and how hard it was to express your feelings and claim your independence from your parents. As a mother of a nine-year-old, I see it now from the other perspective, how hard it is to understand your kids are their own person, they don't belong to you, they won't always do what you want them to do, they won't always need you the way you want to be needed. 

"Inside Out 2" (2024) starts with our girl Riley as a 13-year-old about to start high school with the realization her best friends won't be around, a terrifying thought. She has lots to figure out. If there is something that teenagers crave, it is acceptance and belonging; most of them don't like to stand out; they want to be part of a group, in this case, a hockey team. Besides the external conflict, there is a war inside Riley as new emotions come into play. Pixar has a beautiful way of explaining how we come about our own concept of identity, the core beliefs that make us who we are and believe to be. So far, Joy (Amy Poehler) has been able to expel all negative thoughts and experiences away so they don't become part of Riley's identity, but when Anxiety (Maya Hawke) comes into the picture, things change. I guess that makes sense; once you reach adolescence, you start questioning everything you are and everything around you; nothing seems that certain anymore. 

Riley has to face a big internal conflict on how to face her previous self, make room for all these new emotions, and still find ways to feel like her and enjoy her life. Besides the core emotions introduced in the first movie: Joy, Disgust, Fear, Sadness and Anger, we are now introduced to Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Boredom (Ennui). During the movie, I kept thinking about which emotion was grabbing my emotional keyboard as I felt identified by a combination of them at different stages of my life. I felt a personal connection to this conflict Riley is dealing with because of the reining new emotion that grabs hold of her: Anxiety. I think Pixar/Disney perfectly represents the frustration, the overthinking, the damage and the good intentions that come from anxiety, such a common problem in the minds of many people nowadays. To give you an idea, more than 40 million people in the US have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, that is almost 20% of the population; here in Canada 1 of 4 Canadians will receive an anxiety disorder diagnosis in their lifetime, Mexican stats on this particular disorder are more challenging to track because of the stigma associated with mental health issues, but according to recent surveys, 1 and 8 Mexicans have suffered from a depressive disorder, and depression is often caused by anxiety. 

As much as Joy tries to control the situation, she eventually comes to the realization that she can't; she needs to let go and that some negative thoughts will be part of Riley's identity and that one is made not only of the good experiences but the bad ones too, as those are the ones that help us grow and become more resilient. I analyze my own, the good and the bad, the ones that have made me the person I am, or a combination of small gestures that eventually became this mountain that makes the base of all my beliefs. 

Now, some people have been criticizing the fact that Riley's mind made no mention of any sexual thoughts, and I get it, and then I don't. I understand these years are about to get filled with raging hormones, but if I think of myself at 13, I have no room in my mind for boys; I cared about my friends, and I might have had a crush or two, but that didn't make a big part of my life. Maybe they just wanted to leave that aside to appeal to a younger audience, or perhaps they didn't think that part of Riley needed to be the focus of attention right now because, for a 13-year-old girl, their world is made of her friends, not a boy, not a sexual awakening of any kind, it is the people she bonds with, the people she finds common ground with, who are experiencing the same challenges that she is, that is her center. I watched with sadness, taking the wheel in my head as I headed in that direction with my oldest girl. Soon, she will think of me as "cringe," obsolete, ridiculous, lame and boring; soon, she will have nothing to do with me, and I will take a backseat in her life, and I am not ready for it. 

This movie made me think a lot. I thought about my 13-year-old self, the challenges, my mind back then, the heartaches, and my friends. I thought about my kids, about how they are forming core memories (every time I yell or punish them, I think oh God, here goes a bad core memory, thanks a lot, Pixar!), how they are creating their identity, how I hope is full of positive things, how I wish they see themselves, their unique, kind, intelligent little selves. It was funny, profound and suitable for the entire family, as we all got something different. I give it a "will be part of my collection!" because I feel it will be on repeat at my home once it hits Disney+. 

Rating:

OMG, so good!

It will be part of my collection!

Theatre worthy

The popcorn was the best part

Is this for real?

So bad is not even funny