Crazy,
Stupid Love (2011): Shakespearean in nature and filled with an
amazing cast, “Crazy, Stupid Love” is a quintessential rom-com. Starring Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Ryan
Gosling and Emma Stone, “Crazy Stupid Love” mixes miscommunications and
misinterpretations into contemporary California. Emily (Moore) asks Cal (Carrell) for a
divorce because she had an affair. Cal’s
whole world gets thrown into disarray until Gosling offers him a chance to
rediscover who he is. In this film, everyone falls for the wrong person. You laugh, you cry, you root for Steve
Carrell and then wish him hell. But like
all Shakespearean plays, this movie leaves you reminded that love perseveres
all.
How
to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (2003): Starring Mathew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, this film is the perfect guide to what not to do when you meet the
man of your dreams. A journalist who
covers the “How To” section in her magazine, Andie (Hudson) volunteers to write a
piece on how to lose a guy in ten days. Ben
(McConaughey) makes a bet with his coworkers that he can make a girl fall in
love with him in ten days. By
happenstance the two meet, initiating a rollercoaster of a relationship. As
Andie pushes Ben away with her turn-offs, she falls for him, and Ben falls for
Andie even though he only needs to seduce her for his bet. Filled with dramatic irony, you will cringe
as much as you laugh at the nuances Andie and Ben share throughout their
relationship. “How to Lose a Guy in Ten
Days” is an off-beat yet equally hilarious rom-com.
Wedding
Crashers (2005): Though it isn’t as chic-flick esque as many
romantic comedies are, this film features Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn at their
finest. These two comedic geniuses would
play improvising lines off each other over games of pool, and it clearly shows
their work paid off. Veterans of
crashing weddings to meet girls, Wilson and Vaughn crash their biggest wedding
yet. As though this wasn’t a challenge
enough, they run into trouble when invited back to Secretary of State Cleary’s
house (Christopher Walken). Wilson longs
for something more with Clare Cleary (Rachael McAdams), while Vaughn is clung
onto by an infatuated Gloria Cleary (Isla Fischer). Not a line is wasted, and although it’s not
your conventional/stereotypical rom-com, it is definitely funny and romantic in
its own way.
Midnight
in Paris (2010): Directed by Woody Allen, this movie teaches
an important lesson: no matter how much you drink in Paris, unless you are Owen
Wilson you won’t travel back in time. After
getting a little too tispy at a Paris winetasting, the aspiring author Gil
(Wilson) is transported to 1920’s Paris, where the modern arts flourished. He embarks on a love affair with Adriana (Marion
Cotillard) a flapper,and mingles with Pablo Picasso and F. Scott Fitzgerald. This movie
does teach that life is unsatisfying no matter what time period you live in.
Romantic, beautiful Paris and a fabulous cast including Kathy Bates and Rachael
McAdams makes this film a must-see.
The
Five Year Engagement (2012): What if you get engaged to
your soul mate, but can’t plan a wedding for any sooner than five years after
the proposal? “The Five Year Engagement”
plays out this scenario in the form of Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. Hopelessly in love with each other, the pair
must make huge sacrifices for each other to further their careers. Pressures of work, families and adapting to
new lifestyles strain the bond that Segel and Blunts characters’ have. It assesses the question of whether or not
love can last through all, no matter how strong the love.
It’s
Complicated (2009): Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep have excellent
chemistry in this film. Ten years after
divorcing, (Streep) and Jack (Baldwin) go out one night in New York. After a few drinks and some reminiscing of
their marriage, they embark on a love affair.
Confused and excited, they try to hide their happenings from their
family and friends. However, this
bittersweet adventure doesn’t run smooth. Featuring John Krakinski and Steve
Martin, “It’s Complicated” is a comedic reflection of whether or not we can
honor that the decisions we made were right.
Love
Actually (2003): Various vignettes compose this rom-com, as
viewers follow the lives of eight different couples living in contemporary
England. December before Christmas in
London makes the perfect backdrop, giving all viewers the warm-fuzzy feeling,
and with the heartwarming stories laced in enhances the overall film. Featuring the talents of Hugh Grant, Colin
Firth, Emma Thompson, and Keira Knightley, “Love Actually” is a classic
romantic comedy that holds your attention with its various stories glued
together. You will fall in love with everyone just as much as they do with each other in this film.
When
Harry Met Sally (1989): Brought to you by rob Reiner, “When
Harry Met Sally” poses the question of whether men and women can just be
friends. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan star in this film as two friends who meet each
other over the course of several years. Crystal believes that men and women can
be friends without sex getting in the way. Ryan disagrees, as some women
believe that what can seem a simple compliment can be called out as a pass.
This film traces Harry and Sally through their relationships, as Harry and
Sally meet up and reminisce over love lost. Ryan and Crystal’s chemistry is
flawless, as life takes them back to each other various times. The soundtrack is also pretty stellar, as
Harry Connick Jr. is the main attraction of it. This film will leave viewers
sure that love isn't hopeless, and worth the risk.
French
Kiss (1995): A disheartened Kate (Meg Ryan) heads to
Paris, in fear that her fiancé is straying from her. On her flight, she meets Luc (Kevin Kline) a
Frenchman, and their meeting drags her into his plant smuggling. Kate searches the country for her fiancé with
Luc, but the time they spend together makes them fall for each other. Ever twisting and turning, their adventure
teaches them that sometimes if you let go of someone, you can find someone better
when you least expect it. Quirky and
light-hearted, “French Kiss” is a wonderful film that proves you can find love
in the most peculiar places.
27
Dresses (2008): Stuck being a bridesmaid for 27 weddings, Jane
(Katherine Heigl) is about to be one for the twenty-eighth time. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if the man
her sister was marrying wasn’t someone she had been secretly in love with for
quite a while, plus plan the wedding.
When she meets Kevin (James Marsden), her world gets turned upside-down
further, as he clings onto her possibly to advance his own career as a
writer. This film is a lighthearted
reminder of how even when things seem completely hopeless, it is important to
stay true to yourself. Even if you
always say yes to others, it is important to put yourself first every now and
again. Although it is a pretty
stereotypical chick-flick, “27 Dresses” is a must-see for anyone who loves staring
at James Marsden for a good couple hours.