What the heck is going on? The last two movies that I went to the cinema to see were romance movies. Trust me when I say that I hardly ever go to see romance movies at the cinema and it is the genre list that I had the least amount of movies on for ages, but given the recent spat of not just decent but actually enjoyable romance films, I have found myself going to the movies to watch people fall madly in love with each other and kiss each other all over the face! Seriously what the hell is happening to me? Am I getting soft and doughy eyed? Thank God Halloween is just around the corner, I really need to get back on track with my horror viewing.
To be fair, I am not completely adverse to romance, I do quite like a bit of the luvy-duvy stuff from time to time, but there is just a heck of lot of really shithouse romance to wade through to get to the good stuff. Any film that plays on matters of the heart is at great risk of getting super cheesy and erring on the side of ridiculous; and sometimes the onscreen chemistry is about as exciting as a helium balloon three days after a party.
There are actually quite a few elements that romance movies do really poorly and I am getting pretty tired of it. The first and most common mistake, is making the main love interest an alpha male or a 'spirited' female that abuses men all the time. In fact they often put the two of them together in movies as the two lead roles. Come up with something better than that for fuck sake, a jock body and a loud mouth chick are never going to live happily ever after now are they? They may wring a decent screw out of it but that's about the extent of that relationship, so stop implying that is a match made in heaven, it's utter crap!
Don't even get me started on the love at first sight stuff, you should know by now how much I don't want to see that old trope rolled out, and can we stop making villains turn good for the sake of love? Again, that 'gone good' shit won't last, so don't paint happily ever after on that crap sandwich and call it a delicious burger because I ain't eating it! And please romance movie makers, could we stop having people need to change to get the person of their dreams? Ever since Sandy Dee went all hot pants, cigarette puffing bad girl to get rough-house Danny Zuko in Grease to notice her, movie makers have been capitalising on the 'change to find true love' trope which not only annoys the piss out of me, but bothers me even more when idiots try to replicate it in real life as well. If you have to change yourself to get someone to love you, then they aren't the right one for you, and romance movies should never have people losing their identities or morals to find love, it's crass and it's sad.
The best romances have two people in them that know who they are and just want to share who they are with someone else. Sure a little My Fair Lady action is all good and well from time to time, but we also know that it's old fashioned, archaic and is certainly no reflection of a good 'modern romance' tale. Just like all movie genres, you need to be discerning when it comes to the types of romance that you watch as well because Hollywood is exceptionally good at disguising really tasteless romance and selling it off as funny and plausible; but thankfully, that is happening less and less these days.
To be fair, I am not completely adverse to romance, I do quite like a bit of the luvy-duvy stuff from time to time, but there is just a heck of lot of really shithouse romance to wade through to get to the good stuff. Any film that plays on matters of the heart is at great risk of getting super cheesy and erring on the side of ridiculous; and sometimes the onscreen chemistry is about as exciting as a helium balloon three days after a party.
There are actually quite a few elements that romance movies do really poorly and I am getting pretty tired of it. The first and most common mistake, is making the main love interest an alpha male or a 'spirited' female that abuses men all the time. In fact they often put the two of them together in movies as the two lead roles. Come up with something better than that for fuck sake, a jock body and a loud mouth chick are never going to live happily ever after now are they? They may wring a decent screw out of it but that's about the extent of that relationship, so stop implying that is a match made in heaven, it's utter crap!
Don't even get me started on the love at first sight stuff, you should know by now how much I don't want to see that old trope rolled out, and can we stop making villains turn good for the sake of love? Again, that 'gone good' shit won't last, so don't paint happily ever after on that crap sandwich and call it a delicious burger because I ain't eating it! And please romance movie makers, could we stop having people need to change to get the person of their dreams? Ever since Sandy Dee went all hot pants, cigarette puffing bad girl to get rough-house Danny Zuko in Grease to notice her, movie makers have been capitalising on the 'change to find true love' trope which not only annoys the piss out of me, but bothers me even more when idiots try to replicate it in real life as well. If you have to change yourself to get someone to love you, then they aren't the right one for you, and romance movies should never have people losing their identities or morals to find love, it's crass and it's sad.
The best romances have two people in them that know who they are and just want to share who they are with someone else. Sure a little My Fair Lady action is all good and well from time to time, but we also know that it's old fashioned, archaic and is certainly no reflection of a good 'modern romance' tale. Just like all movie genres, you need to be discerning when it comes to the types of romance that you watch as well because Hollywood is exceptionally good at disguising really tasteless romance and selling it off as funny and plausible; but thankfully, that is happening less and less these days.
A STAR IS BORN
Release Date: 2018
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 136 mins
A musical romance and the fourth remake of the 1937 original film of the same name. Produced and directed by Bradley Cooper (in his directorial debut) the movie was actually in production hell for several years as they struggled to cast the roles appropriately. However, when Copper signed on in 2016 to star and direct and Lady Gaga joined on later that year, even they could not have foreseen what a juggernaut A Star is Born would become and how much acclaim it would receive from audiences and critics alike.
Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a famous country singer with a drug and alcohol problem. He happens upon Ally (Lady Gaga) singing in a bar one night and immediately becomes enamored with her. Maine launches Ally's singing career and the two become lovers and a commercial success; but their success is continually overshadowed by Maine's insecurities and his inability to stay sober.
This is a believable and heart felt script about the pitfalls of fame and the challenges of relationships in the spotlight. Cooper and Gaga are truly tremendous together, their onscreen romance seems completely natural and their duets are going to sell millions of albums around the globe. I do expect some Oscar buzz around this movie in the months to come, and for a musical romance it is much more than just watchable, it is thoroughly enjoyable.
FINAL SAY: I just wanted to take another look at you.
4 Chilli Peppers
Release Date: 2018
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 136 mins
A musical romance and the fourth remake of the 1937 original film of the same name. Produced and directed by Bradley Cooper (in his directorial debut) the movie was actually in production hell for several years as they struggled to cast the roles appropriately. However, when Copper signed on in 2016 to star and direct and Lady Gaga joined on later that year, even they could not have foreseen what a juggernaut A Star is Born would become and how much acclaim it would receive from audiences and critics alike.
Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a famous country singer with a drug and alcohol problem. He happens upon Ally (Lady Gaga) singing in a bar one night and immediately becomes enamored with her. Maine launches Ally's singing career and the two become lovers and a commercial success; but their success is continually overshadowed by Maine's insecurities and his inability to stay sober.
This is a believable and heart felt script about the pitfalls of fame and the challenges of relationships in the spotlight. Cooper and Gaga are truly tremendous together, their onscreen romance seems completely natural and their duets are going to sell millions of albums around the globe. I do expect some Oscar buzz around this movie in the months to come, and for a musical romance it is much more than just watchable, it is thoroughly enjoyable.
FINAL SAY: I just wanted to take another look at you.
4 Chilli Peppers
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