This November we decided to take a look across the pond at Rom Coms set or made in Britain. Take a look at our reviews of films from Yesterday to Love Actually and maybe you'll find a film or two to watch this holiday break.
Love Actually
Crave
It’s a very nice movie, and I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before. Love Actually (2003) tells many different stories about love (not all focusing on how people fall into it). It highlights how, sometimes, the best thing you can do when you’ve fallen in love is to let it go (Mark, Juliet, and Peter). It shows how meaningful and valuable the love between friends can be (Billy Mack and Joe). And it shows how, unfortunately, love can fall apart (Harry, Karen, and Mia). And these various visions of love are refreshing and quite touching, while also helping to differentiate the film from more standard rom-com fare. They are also all interwoven, making for very fun viewing. Every five seconds I found myself exclaiming something like “oh, those two know each other” or “ah, she’s his brother”. And in addition to this spider-webby mess of interpersonal relationships, the movie indulges in showing people celebrating and feeling pure joy, and you’d have to be a totally unconscionable grinch not to like that. Some of my favourite sequences where this happens are when Sarah gets excited after kissing Karl, and when David dances through 10 Downing Street (yeah, bust a move PM). And sure, none of the individual stories presented here are particularly developed, but nevertheless they caused me to feel something. And so, for that reason, I recommend giving this film a go. Directed by Richard Curtis.
-Gabe
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Amazon Prime
There can never be too much of a good thing. But there can be too much of a Grant thing, and that sometimes seems to be the case here. In the film Charles meets and falls in love with Carrie as they attend Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). But for a movie supposedly about romance, an awful lot of time is spent dwelling on one unfortunate and terribly frightening condition: being single. One often finds themselves hanging out with Charles on the fringes of other people’s successful relationships, wallowing in despair as he is: bombarded by former girlfriends, gazing at Carrie with her boyfriend/eventual (ex)husband, and grappling with the horrible prospect of being alone forever.
And this is my main problem with the film; there is far too much sad Charles, and not enough charming interaction between him and Carrie. Although there are moments where they really do seem to share some affection for each other (Charles helping Carrie choose the dress she is to marry Hamish in is very touching), they are so few that during the big rainy romantic ending, Charles and Carrie don’t very much feel like a couple at all.
Now with that said, all of the characters are extremely enjoyable. Hugh Grant does Charles justice. As well, Charles’ group of friends are really lovely too (I particularly liked Gareth and Scarlett). But the fact is, there just wasn’t enough romantic build up between Charles and Carrie for me to get fully into the movie. Andie MacDowell is Carrie; Simon Callow is Gareth; Charlotte Coleman is Scarlett; Corin Redgrave is Hamish. Directed by Mike Newell.
-Gabe
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Netflix
There aren’t enough fist fights in romantic comedies; Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) has one, and for that reason alone I love it. Bridget Jones is a 32-year-old woman living in London who, after a depressing New Year’s Eve, resolves to find a sensible boyfriend. And she first finds one in her boss: the incredibly slick Daniel Cleaver. But all the while she’s with Daniel, she keeps bumping into Mark Darcy, who is outwardly cold and rude. And then something really exciting happens: Bridget catches Daniel cheating on her, and she and Mark become subsequently involved.
And that’s the true joy this film offers. It gets you to love Daniel and hate Mark, only to turn the whole thing on its head and reveal Daniel to be absolutely despicable, and Mark to be entirely delightful. It is this twisty story which keeps you engrossed and engaged, sitting on the edge of your seat hoping and praying for Bridget to get together with the right man.
And on top of this, the performances are great. Renée Zellweger is so personable as Bridget. Bumbling-ness can come off badly, but Zellweger seems so confident and so unable to be phased (even in the most embarrassing of situations), that her blunders (delivering awkward speeches, falling posterior-first into a camera) make you like her. Often, I find that, with rom coms that focus too heavily on one person’s perspective, the story isn’t as compelling. But here Zellweger is such a force that I can’t help but recommend this movie. Hugh Grant is Daniel Cleaver; Colin Firth is Mark Darcy. Directed by Sharon Maguire.
-Gabe
Emma
Netflix
Emma (2020) is another retelling of the classic Jane Austen novel. Out of all the adaptations of Austen’s work this is in the top half of my rating list. As someone who personally enjoys Jane Austen novels I can be quite picky about the adaptations. However I think this film (especially for a Netflix film) was a generally enjoyable experience while simultaneously staying true to the source material. Overall, all the elements of the film came together beautifully. The art direction in particular was my favourite but the costume design, the score and acting held up pretty well also. While this story may not be for everyone, I would still encourage people to check it out as whether it be for Anna Taylor Joy, the aesthetic or the witty romance which Austen is generally known for.
-Stacy
Yesterday
Amazon Prime
Yesterday (2019) follows Jack, a young man who, after getting in an unfortunate accident (amidst a storm) wakes up to a world that has forgotten (or never saw) a few small things. Small things such as the Beatles. However, Jack, being a super-fan, still remembers them and all their songs and takes advantage of the fact. Having to balance his growing career and relationships with his friends Jack takes on the world with his secret knowledge.
This film, while I enjoyed it on a personal, fun level leaves a lot to be desired on a more critical level. The concept is interesting, and I do enjoy Beatles music but the dialogue is lacking. However, the actors do their best with what they are giving and I enjoyed watching them on screen. It was the actors who helped me connect with the emotional moments overall.
-Stacy
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