My Top 5 Rom-Coms of the 21st Century (so far)...

As many of you will know from previous posts, I am a rom-com addict. I love any sort of romantic story, so when paired with some laughs and, usually, some of my favourite actors, this is a genre that I will never get bored of. ''But they're so predictable'', I hear so many people cry... but that's half of the fun of it! The realisation after five minutes of screen time that the two people, no matter how ridiculous the situation may be, will inevitably end up together. That's a nice, hopeful sort of movie. And so I thought I'd pick my top five from the twenty first century thus far, and share them with you! So, in no particular order, they are as follows:

The Holiday (d. Nancy Meyers, 2006)

One of my favourite Christmas movies, The Holiday is the ultimate feel good rom com. Ultr-likeable Kate Winslet shows us that you really can get over the one person who has always had a hold over you, while Cameron Diaz and Jude Law pull off the perfect ''falling in love on screen within a matter of days'' storyline. Great performance from all three, and the other leading man, Mr Jack Black, and a fantastic sub-plot with Kate Winslet's character Iris befriending an elderly neighbour of Cameron Diaz, who happens to be a very famous script writer from the Golden Age of Hollywood - this storyline always makes me cry.

The Proposal (d. Anne Fletcher, 2009)

Sandra Bullock is one of my favourite actresses, and while it is easy to see from the start of this film where it is going, I will never ever get sick of it. In terms of the 'comedy' part of rom-coms, this is one of my favourites. The chemistry between Sandra and Ryan Reynolds (who, if you ask me, were perfect for each other in real life too - thanks Blake Lively for ruining that dream for me!) is palpable! This film has all the elements required for it to be a hit - great casting (Betty White is brilliant as usual), excellent script, gorgeous location, a cute puppy and a naked Ryan Reynolds. Of course it was going to be popular.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (d. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, 2011)

Ahhh, Crazy, Stupid, Love. I had been told by so many people that this film was brilliant, but I ended up not seeing it till about a year after it was released. I finally got the dvd in the sale in HMV last year, and I love it! Love the bizarre bromance between Steve Carrell and the gorgeous Ryan Gosling, love that it stars Emma Stone (another of my favourite actresses) and it really is the perfect blend of humour and romance. I also love the way it examines the 'idea' of love in general, and what it means to different people.

Just Like Heaven (d. Mark Waters, 2005)

I can still remember going to see Just Like Heaven in the cinema and loving it to pieces. I think it's a really underrated romcom. It came out at the height of my Reese Witherspoon adoration, and it was the first film I ever saw Mark Ruffalo in, and I instantly loved him. This film has it's slightly daft elements, but it also has some proper tear-jerker moments. Again, I love the chemistry between Reese and Mark, and Jon Heder is on hand to provide some laughs any time he is on screen. If you are a fan of romcoms and haven't seen this one, you really should!

Silver Linings Playbook (d. David O. Russell, 2012)

Now, Silver Linings Playbook is in a slightly different category to the others. Technically it is a romcom, but the way I would differentiate it is to say that there is no way in hell my mum would manage to convince my dad to watch any of the other four films on this list (with the possible exception of The Holiday, but even that's pushing it), but I gave them Silver Linings to watch and they both loved it! There is nothing I don't love about this film. It's funny, touching, thought provoking, romantic and has an incredible cast. Jennifer Lawrence won her Best Actress Oscar for her performance in this film, and Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver were all nominated, while the film itself was nominated for Best Film. Of all the movies in this top 5, this is the one I recommend you check out first!!

So there we go, my top 5 favourite rom coms of the twenty first century... so far! What are some of yours? Or, if you don't like romantic comedies, what is your favourite genre?

Thanks for reading!

What I've Been Watching...

In order to get to and from Australia, I spent quite a few hours on planes! I had never been on a plane for more than 4 and a half or 5 hours at a time before, so 12 and 14 hour flights were a bit of a shock to the system! Unfortunately, I couldn't get to sleep on ANY of them, so that left me with a lot of time to watch films and tv programmes on my Cathay Pacific and Emirates flights - these airlines had an amazing selection of viewing material, so I wasn't short of entertainment! I watched a few episodes of New Girl and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, both of which I love, but thought I'd focus on the films in this little post :)

MOVIES

Silver Linings Playbook


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Silver Linings Playbook is the story of Pat and Tiffany, two people facing some serious emotional issues (Pat is a recently diagnosed bi-polar while Tiffany is a recovering sex addict, who has recently lost her husband) and how their unusual friendship helps to repair some of the trauma they've suffered in the past. I absolutely love Jennifer Lawrence, but I've never been a massive fan of Bradley Cooper. I don't really see the attraction (sorry guys!), and I've found him a bit arrogant when interviewed. However, he is beyond brilliant in this film! The entire cast is excellent, and I loved this film so much when I watched it on my flight to Hong Kong, that I ended up watching it again on my flight home last week! I am now the proud owner of the dvd and can honestly say this is a new favourite. I completely agree with all the Oscar nominatations it got, and I'm so glad J-Law walked away with best actress. It's funny, sometimes sad, uplifting and heartwarming, and it also has a great soundtrack.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower


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This film had a far darker undertone than I had been expecting! I hadn't read the book (I have since downloaded in on my kindle though, and will share my thoughts once I have read it!). It follows Charlie, an introverted teenage boy dealing with what appears to be a severe case of all the ordinary issues of any shy adolescent boy. As the film progresses though we discover that he has some seriously troubling memories from his past - not going to include spoilers, don't worry! - and his new found friendship with hippy step-siblings Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) leads him down an even more complicated path. I enjoyed this film, but would advise preparing yourself for a bit of emotional turmoil before you watch it!

Pitch Perfect


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If you liked Bridesmaids, you'll like Pitch Perfect! It's another one of these you-think-you-know-what's-coming-but-you-don't movies. It's the story of a college a capella girl group competing to win the Nationals. When Anna Kendrick's character Beca reluctantly arrives at college, the last thing she expects is to join the 'Barden Bellas'. But with her dad breathing down her neck to give college a proper go, she finds herself joining an unlikely group of girls, including the hilarious Rebel Wilson, to change up the dated Bellas routine. This film has some absolutely hilarious one liners, inappropriate jokes and a cute romance which doesn't take over the rest of the storyline (hello Skylar Astin, where did you come from?!). Another must see.

Ruby Sparks


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I've wanted to see Ruby Sparks for a while, and was really excited when I saw it on the list of movies I had to choose from on my flight home. The basic plot follows a young author struggling to come up with an idea for his next book. When he starts dreaming about a free spirited young girl named Ruby, he starts writing a story about her, only to find that she suddenly appears as a living, breathing human in his house, who thinks they are in a relationship. It blurs the boundaries of fantasy and reality, and I have to say, it's a much darker film than I had expected. The general tone is fantasy and romance, but it definitely has some heavier moments! It's a quirky little film, but I'd still recommend giving it a watch if you have some spare time!

Robot and Frank


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Again, after seeing the trailer for this film a few times, I was keen to see it. It is set in the near future and is a sci-fi movie with real heart. I have to admit I shed a tear at this one. It stars Frank Langella as Frank, a former thief and conman who has served time and is now getting old and forgetful. In an attempt to help, his son (James Marsden) buys him a robot home help, to cook for him, clean the house and help him into a better daily routine. While initially reluctant, Frank slowly realises he can use this little companion to his advantage, with dramatic results. Another brilliantly cast film, I really enjoyed this.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift


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I'm a massive fan of the Ice Age films! I hadn't managed to see the fourth one in the cinema, so I was quite excited to get the chance to see it on the plane! In this instalment our favourite bizarre little family are separated due to continental drift (caused by another unsuccessful attempt by Scrat to bury his acorn in the ice!). As always, this film had me laughing out loud, with the brilliant dialogue between Manny, Sid and Diego as sharp as ever. In this film, Diego meets his match in a fiesty white sabor tooth tiger named Shira (voiced by Jennifer Lopez), and Sid's crazy granny joins the gang. It's one of my favourite series of animated movies ever!

So that's it for the films I watched on my recent long haul flights! Hope you enjoyed :)

I'm ridiculously excited for the Les Miserables dvd release next week! What films have you been watching recently - I love recommendations!