As if it weren't difficult enough to get through a Swiss winter in case you aren't a skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, luging (or some other such sporting activity involving insanely uncomfortable sports gear and launching yourself from a great height) enthusiast, it turns out to be the worst winter in the northern hemisphere in decades. I've chosen the sensible option and chosen to deal with this by staying home, having stocked up on DVD box sets and chocolate enough to last me a few months.
Let's begin with my favorite genre, romantic comedy. The genre has witnessed a revival of sorts this year, just as it looked like it had doomed itself forever to the tastelessness of Will Farrell and the glibness of Matthew Mcconoughey (Death to the Chick Flick). Here then are my picks for the must watch romantic comedies of this decade.
2002 - About a Boy - Will (Hugh Grant)plays the rich, idle,no gooder who decides that single mothers present an easy exit option to dating; that is, until he meets Fiona (Toni Collette) and her son Marcus. (Nicholas Hoult.) Events that follow build up to a heartwarming coming of age story. Watch out for some great moments between Will and Marcus.
2003- Something's Gotta Give - Harry (Jack Nicholson) is the eternal playboy, now in his 60's. He starts dating Marin (Amanda Peet), and accompanies her to her mother's beach house in the Hamptons. Events unfold - they unexpectedly run into Marin's mother (Diane Keaton) there, Harry suffers a heart attack, Marin meets his handsome doctor, loyalties change and affections grow. Diane Keaton is at her element, the screenplay and dialogue by Nancy Meyers is sparkling, the art direction draws you into the upperclass, baby boomer world of classic Americana ( this DVD is currently on discount at fnac stores across Suisse) 
2004 - Before Sunset - Sequel to the 90's cult classic "Before Sunrise", the film begins with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) running into Celine (Julie Delpy), in Paris, on a book tour. They spend a few hours together and reminisce on the past and their current life and loves. The script and the cinema both meld together to create an unforgettable ode to all things Parisien - the beauty, the free spirit, the search for love.
2005 - Hitch - I'm sure everyone's seen this at least once. Hitch (Will Smith) plays love doctor to accountant Albert (Kevin James) who is hopelessly love stuck by his boss (Amber Valetta) , while being pursued by a journalist on the scent of a story (Eva Mendes). The comedy is hilarious (the scene where Hitch teaches Albert to dance is a classic), and the romance is sweet, and the ending is predictably satisfying.
2007 - Waitress - Jenna (Keri Russell), plays a waitress who is pregnant, stuck in a dead end town and trapped in an abusive marriage. She dreams of baking pies and escaping the grim reality of her life. While this hardly sounds like romcom material, writer Adrianne Shelley great script raises the movie above just another American small town flick.
2009 - 500 days of Summer - Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt), meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) at work, and finds himself to be irresistibly attracted to her. The film jumps backwards and forwards through time, engaging the viewer into this sharply told love story.After a mostly dismal 2007 and defunct 2008, this film has (hopefully), injected fresh life into this genre. It has won most Indie film awards this year and has recently been nominated for the Golden Globes 2009.
2 comments:
I LOVE the Before Sunrise/Sunset movies. LOVE LOVE them.
Totally agree! I can watch them over and over.
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