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Thursday, December 28, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 25: Strictly Ballroom


Now, this is listed as my favorite romcom, but my top 5ish kind of cycle through. For the last year or so I've been on a Strictly Ballroom kick, Baz Luhrmann's first and best film.

I can never decide if this movie is the Bazziest of Baz's films or the least Bazziest. It's over the top and visually loud, but it isn't overdone like some of his other films (I'm looking at you, The Great Gatsby). Moulin Rouge certainly has more special effects that make the movie Bazzy, but the story, the costumes, the dialogue, they all very clearly bear Baz's name in glitter without going overboard. It is more Bazzy to do too much or to do just enough?

Either way, this movie is a delight to consume from beginning...



to end.



All of the bits in the middle are fantastic too, just in case those didn't spark your curiosity.


It's not on Netflix anymore, so let me know if you need to borrow the DVD.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 24: While You Were Sleeping


Okay, the whole "one movie a day until Christmas" thing didn't quite pan out, but I'll only be three days behind in the end, which I feel like is still a pretty big feat considering I spent both weekends leading up to Christmas out of town. Which is actually where I watched While You Were Sleeping.

Last Thursday I traveled to Moab with four friends. The drive was only supposed to take a few hours, but there was snow further south that hampered our timeline and we may or may not have gotten distracted and driven an hour out of our way. When we got into Moab, there was about 10 inches of snow on the ground and not all of the roads were plowed. It was dark and took a while to find our Airbnb. Once we did find it, we were all pretty tired and didn't want to do much other than relax on the couches. One friend turned on Netflix and told me to find a movie. Now, this friend doesn't really watch movies. I was well aware of this and had it in the back of my mind that I should pick a bit of a crowd pleaser. Something that no one would be able to protest to very much. Something anyone could half watch and be mildly entertained by.

This movie apparently does not fit that description.

Which is crazy. This movie is hilarious and so, so cute. Yeah, they meet and get engaged within a week or two, and yeah, she spends that week or two lying to a family of strangers, but the mashed potatoes were so creamy!

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 23: French Kiss


"Twisted steel. Ball of fire, naked baby screaming for its mother!"

It's impossible to not love a movie that begins that way.

It's also impossible to not love a movie with a mustached Kevin Kline. The men in all of these movies are attractive, boy next door types, but Kevin Kline is the only one that makes you go dayum!




I mean, dayum!

Not only did this movie give us Kevin Kline as his dayumdest, it gave us perfect moments like this:


And this: 



Also this one: 



Based on those clips, it seems like I learned a lot of bad words from this movie. I distinctly remember my mom telling me not to say "slut" when I was singing "I Hate Paris" along with Meg Ryan and I never did. Well, maybe ironically, but only a couple of times at the most. 

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 22: Sabrina


Probably the only remake in history to be better than the original. I love Audrey Hepburn, but sister, aim higher than Humphrey Bogart. Sure, Harrison Ford was no spring chicken in 1995 either, but who would you rather bone - Humphrey at 55


Or Harrison at 53? 


I think we have a pretty clear winner. 

But that's not the only reason the remake is better than the original. It's funnier, Sabrina is a bit more of an actual person, the romance makes more sense, David's fiance is more of an actual person... It's just all around better. Plus the remake knew when to not change a good thing. 


They also know how to add some amazing things. 

"Maude was on the cover of Fortune... Linus was on the cover of Time... David... did a Gap ad." 

"Mr. Tom, maybe is not for me to put my hands in on this, but when I first come to this country, I am alone, like Sabrina. I just weigh more. So I ask to God why I am here, I say, 'Why God?' but there is no answer. And so I stop crying. It takes eleven years!"

"I pay for your life, David. My life makes your life possible."
"I resent that."
"So do I!" 

"I'm in no position to take care of a wife!" 
"Elizabeth is a doctor an a millionaire, David. She won't be a burden." 

[On the phone] "He's not going to sue his own mother... Well, he's not me!" 

"Maybe I should talk to Sabrina." 
"And say what?" 
"Sabrina, you're very lovely. But David has a short attention span, he's just jerking your chain. Can I say that to a woman, 'jerking your chain'?" 

"Sabrina. Hiii! Did the dry cleaners have your car?" 

"David! When did you ever-"
"Mother you've copied me on the financial statements of this company for 17 years. You just assumed I couldn't read." 

This movie always makes me want to move to Paris even though Paris wouldn't be my first choice if I were to move to Europe. 

Thursday, December 21, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 21: Amelie


Okay, I lied. Amelie actually has the best soundtrack out of these movies. I listen to the music from this movie when I'm calm and happy or need to be calm and happy. Does the trick every time.

I love this movie. For a while it was the movie I watched most often (I tend to go through phases) and I still just can't get enough of it. I probably relate to Amelie as a character more than any character from any movie on this romcom list. It's probably because I first saw it in high school and I was a lot more angsty in high school, but that relating never died out even though my teenage angst did. The scene where the narrator says something about shy people always having the last laugh if people in cellars whispered comebacks has always been a favorite of mine. I've needed that SO many times.


Every single moment of this movie is not only a delight but it's beautiful as well. The colors and the city and the details are all mesmerizing. A lot of it is just from Audrey Tautou's perfect face framed by her perfect hair that no one but her could pull off (though I've wanted to try plenty of times).


Really though, I was a little bit obsessed with her for a while. It's how I found the other movie I love of hers: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. I was really hoping The DaVinci Code would make her famous in the U.S. and she'd be in everything, but it wasn't to be. These days I only see her when I'm researching haircuts. 




 Not haircuts for me, of course. Stupid not curly hair...

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 20: The Princess Bride


So may actor crossovers! Dan Hedaya played Mr. Waturi in Joe Versus the Volcano. He also played Cher's dad on Clueless. Clueless also featured Wallace Shawn as Mr. Hall and Vezzini in The Princess Bride. There must have not been very many actors in the 80s and 90s.

Also a fun thing about actors: Robin Wright. She's perfect and amazing and I love her. Princess Buttercup is pretty fantastic, but just about every character Wright has played has been better than the last. Just look at Claire Underwood or Antiope! She's perfect!





Sigh... 

Also great? Tiny Fred Savage. And this whole movie. Has anyone seen it and not loved it? Anyone who likes movies, that is. Some people don't watch movies and it's weird and it's even weirder that I'm friends with more than one of those people, but whatever. People who don't like this movie are wrong. 

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 19: Clueless


This movie still has one of my favorite lines ever: "The way I feel about the Rolling Stones is the way my kids are gonna feel about Nine Inch Nails, so I really shouldn't torment my mom anymore, huh?"

Seriously, how can you not love an Emma remake with rich 90s teenagers? Sure, it stars a woman who would later turn out to be an anti-vaxxer, but it also stars Paul Rudd and he makes everything better.

And he just gets better with age.


That's not the only reason to watch this movie, of course. It's just frosting. But like, really good frosting. Homemade cream cheese frosting.

Monday, December 18, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 18: Sing Street


I know I keep talking about soundtracks to these movies, but this one is definitely the best one. It's got some of the best music from the 80s plus a bunch of originals. It's great. I want to own it.

After the delightful soundtrack, the next best thing about this movie is everything. Boy meets girl, boy forms a band to impress girl, band creates some amazing music, boy tries to kiss girl while she's chewing something, boy and girl run off to London. It's adorable. And it's on Netflix.

The guy that directed this also did Once. I didn't think there could be a more perfect Irish musical, but then he made this. Yeah, it may be another one that's a stretch to call a romantic comedy, but it's still just so good. Here's a sneak peak, cause I REALLY want everyone to watch this movie:


And here's a song from the movie because again, the music is awesome. 

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 17: Joe vs. the Volcano


This might be the movie I was most excited to watch again. It's the first movie Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan made together and it is definitely the superior Hanks/Ryan film. It apparently didn't do well in the theaters when it first came out which is a travesty. It's hilarious. Meg Ryan plays three different characters and Tom Hanks plays probably my favorite character he's ever played. It also has one of the best soundtracks on my list of romcoms.

There's nothing about this movie I don't like. Maybe if they made it now I might be upset about the white people playing Pacific Islanders, but I'm not as bleeding heart as some might believe. Plus, the fake island has Roman influences, so maybe some of them are still white.

BUT it is hilarious. Do yourself a favor and watch this profoundly underrated gem.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 16: Man Up


Two Lake Bell movies in a row! She just didn't write or direct this movie.

I discovered this movie on Netflix last year and IMMEDIATELY watched it because not only does it star Lake Bell, who we all know I love so much, it also stars Simon Pegg, who I love even more. My undying devotion to Simon Pegg will never die. I love Simon Pegg like normal humans love people they actually know. And now he's in a romantic comedy. Cha-ching!

Simon Pegg and Lake Bell a so great together in this movie. They're both hilarious and play off each other perfectly. Not as perfectly and he and I would, but close. (Just kidding. I've met him and I'm lucky I got more than just noises out while talking to him.)




Friday, December 15, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 15: In a World


Like Easy A, it's probably a stretch to call this one a romantic comedy too. But even though the romance part is secondary, it's wonderfully awkward what with the going in for a kiss and getting the nose and owning it and the peck and running away as you yell, "I like you too!" You know, the way real romance is.

Can I just say early on how much I love Lake Bell? So much is how much I love her. I want her to do everything all of the time. Voice work, acting, directing, writing... She's just great at everything. So watch this movie. Cause she did all of that for this movie and it's amazing.

I love the final scene. "Women should sound like women, not baby dolls who end everything in a question. Let's make a statement."

Now, there's a debate in feminism right now regarding the way some women speak. One side says things like up talk and vocal fry are natural ways to speak and people who speak like that should be taken seriously while the other says it's hard to take people who speak like that seriously so they should change the way they talk. Lake Bell falls firmly on the latter side and as with many things (okay, some things), I'm somewhere in the middle (talk how you want to talk, but read the room), which is why I love that scene. Teaching women who will be leaders to not talk like sexy babies seems like a good thing.

One thing I don't love is that scene with Gina Davis. I love, love, LOVE her speech on how voice over matters and how Carol's voice is going to be the one that inspires a generation of girls, but I don't love how she ends by telling Carol that she wasn't the best for the job. Inspiring and making a difference is part of that job, so I'd argue otherwise. I'm just so confused as to what Bell meant by that. Was it supposed to be a fist pump moment or a "that sucks, she shouldn't have gotten the job then" moment? If I ever meet Lake Bell that's going to be the first thing I ask her.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 14: Return to Me


Confession: I started watching this a month or so ago and apparently didn't finish it. I put the DVD in and it started up where I had left off and I didn't rewind it. This may affect the quality of this post. Not like that's a high bar to reach, though...

I love Bonnie Hunt. The story she came up with is fantastic and she directed a delightful movie. A second movie with Bonnie Hunt that takes place partly in Italy. She must really like the place. And no wonder, cause it's awesome. Although this movie makes me not want to go to Rome in the summer. David Duchovny is SO sweaty and there are so many tourists in the background.

Okay, I probably should have started this movie from the beginning. All the best parts have ended. Now they're just working through the mushy feelings part, which makes me a little uncomfortable. Something that I'm actually discussing with a friend right now via text, which makes me really uncomfortable.

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 13: Bridget Jones's Diary


This is still the superior Bridget Jones movie but they're both so good. Notice I didn't say all. They're not all so good. 

My favorite thing about this movie is continually noticing all of the things the Clean Flicks version left out. I've been watching the soul-degrading R raged version for years and I still get a kick out Bridget referring to Mr. Fitzherbert as Mr. Titspervert and telling the audience that she might turn into Glen Close in Fatal Attraction. Apparently the imagery of wild dogs eating her face is okay, but simply saying the name of a movie where the main character tries to murder people. 

Side note - I always thought Glen Close cut Michael Douglas's dick off. The only things I know about that movie are 1. she gets shot in the end and 2. per Sleepless in Seattle: "It scared the shit out of me, it scared the shit out of every man in America!" 12 year old me asked herself what was scary enough to do that to every single man? Had to be his penis. I only found out just now that's not what happens. I guess my assumption turned into an actual fact in my head until I decided to look the plot up on Wikipedia to make sure I was write before writing anything. I was not right. Turns out that movie is a lot more tame than I thought. 

The movie is over and I need to think of something to say to bring it back around. I love Darcy. Fitzwilliam, Mark, whatever. I love him. 

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 12: 10 Things I Hate About You


I miss Heath Ledger so, so much. The man was just getting started. And he was just so, so pretty. After watching all the classic romcoms and Norah Ephron movies and Channing Tatum movies maybe I should watch all the Heath Ledger movies. 

Remember back with I.Q. when I said maybe 3 or 4 movies featured men deceiving women? Seems to be more like every third movie. 

So far the funnest part of watching most of these movies is the memories that come with them. For this one, I remember asking someone (I want to say it was either my dad or my sister) why the gym teacher confiscated some kid's Cheetos in detention right after he confiscated another kid's pot. I didn't get the joke and whoever I asked responded by telling me that pot gives you the munchies. I still didn't get it. Pot give you the munchies, he confiscated pot, then confiscated Cheetos from someone else. Did he think that kid had pot? Was he punishing him? It was years before I realized that the gym teacher was George Michael: 


Just kidding. I was George Michael. That's why it never even occurred to me that the teacher would do drugs. 

This movie also reminds me of being 14. My sister and I were on a road trip and forgot to grab any music (back then you had to bring CDs [each one containing about 12 songs] in the car if you wanted to listen to anything other than the radio) and all she had was a single tape (a small, plastic rectangular device that had a film like roll inside which would play music) with maybe 8 songs on it. Three of those songs are featured in this movie. Two at the prom and one in the end credits. I still can't hear those songs without singing along, even in the middle of a movie. 

The worst thing about watching this movie is remembering yet again that I haven't read The Taming of the Shrew. Will I find it funny or horrifyingly sexist? 


Wednesday, December 13, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 11: You've Got Mail


This is definitely my favorite Norah Ephron movie, and that's saying a lot. The woman was responsible for Mixed Nuts for crying out loud! And we're finally getting into the thick of movies that I own. I think from here on out I only don't own two of them, which is weird because I love those two movies. Like I love this one. F-O-X.

You want to know what else I love? This soundtrack. I liked listening to it when I was in high school and pretending I was in my late 30s and successful. What constitutes late 30s anyway? 36? 37? Cause I only have 6 or 7 years until that happens. Ugh, not even that long! I'm almost 31! Sigh... 

Back to the movie. What's with Rose from the grocery store? She melts when Joe Fox tells her a knock knock joke? Come on. 

Apart from that, you know what this movie is? It's downright charming. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are freaking adorable and two people have never been more pleasant on screen. (Of course, only one of those people has been allowed to continue to be adorable. Hollywood is not kind to women women over 40.) Part of Meg Ryan's charm is her wardrobe. This movie is probably the reason I love cardigans so much. 

Watching this (and thinking of Mixed Nuts) makes me miss Parker Posey. "Where are my tic tacs?!" is one of my favorite things to shout. 

Sigh... (happy sigh this time, not like the one when I started this post). Seriously, this movie is just so, so cute. I may have rated this one too low. The main problem I had when making the list was I hadn't seen some of the movies in years and had forgotten just how great they are! Though I still stand by my top four (which may or may not be coming in time for Christmas. I'm trying - I really am!). 

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 10: Easy A


I love this movie, but it shouldn't be on my romcoms list. It's not a romcom. It's a comedy where a girl talks to her crush a couple of times. But I still like it. Even though it's TOTALLY not believable. Forget for a moment that everyone in this movie is in their mid-20s. What high school is like this one? I mean, I went to Mormontown High and to the best of my knowledge, people didn't care when others had sex. Or maybe that was just me. In any case, I can't imagine students in a southern California high school in 2010 would care. I also want to know what gay kids stopped being bullied en masse. Does that still go on? Even in liberal places like southern California? Did it happen in my high school? I had gay friends but I don't remember them being bullied. Though, maybe that was just me again. Maybe I really was in a thick little Daria bubble.  

In any case, whoever wrote this movie thought high schoolers in 2010 really hated gay kids and girls who had sex and made a movie about it. Not a romantic comedy, a comedy with 45 seconds of romance. I would be tempted to hit the redo button on this one, but I'm already 3 days behind and the two weekends between now and Christmas are chock full of travel, so I will have zero time to make this up, let alone the three I'm behind on plus the 6 I'll get behind on over the weekends. Good thing I'm only working half a day tomorrow! 

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 9: Overboard


It's been a crazy long time since I've seen this movie, but it was a lot of fun to rewatch. Yeah, it's CRAZY problematic (which is putting it lightly), but still. Goldie Hawn is hilarious and Kurt Russell is dreamy. Just teach your kids to not trick people into being their spouses when they have amnesia so you can get back at them for a job they didn't pay you for. 

I should have been writing this as I watched it, but I was too busy watching results from Alabama's senate election come in. Thanks for not electing a pedophile, Alabama!

The weirdest things for me were the fact that Dean starts to fall in love with Joanna after he sees how clean and organized his house is thanks to her and Joanna responds to blatant misogyny by spraying everyone with a hose rather than kicking someone in the balls and leaving forever. I'm sure he'll treat her better now that he loves her, cause you definitely don't need to be nice to women you don't care about.

But really, this movie still gave us some fantastic moments.

"I just -- ate a bug!"



I really do love her. 

Sunday, December 10, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 8: Sleepless in Seattle


Before get started, remember in the early days of DVDs when they gave you the option of watching the movie in widescreen or full screen? This is a relic from that era and I love it.

Number 18 on my list is Sleepless in Seattle, but it should be a bit higher. I'm 35 minutes into it as I write this sentence and I forgot how much I like this movie. Jonah is adorable. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan always have phenomenal chemistry. Rob Reiner is hilarious.

"First you have to be friends - you have to like each other. Then you neck. This could go on for years. Then you have tests and then you get to do it with a condom. The good news is you split the check."

"Hello Diane, take a look at these swatches!"

I'm also very partial to Rob Reiner because he looks like a heavier version of my dad when my dad has a beard. He hasn't had a beard for years, so watching Rob Reiner is very comforting.

Side note, I really didn't appreciate Nora Ephron while she was alive. She did some amazing movies. Maybe I'll add a Nora Ephron fest to the list of movies I'm going to watch.

Every time I watch this movie I have a memory from when I was a kid and watching this with my mom. There's a scene where Meg Ryan and Bill Pullman are getting ready for bed and I asked my mom if it was okay to live with someone when you're engaged. She said no and I asked why. I have no idea what she said next, but whatever it was, it didn't satisfy me. I remember thinking, "but you're getting married anyway. What's the big deal?" I probably said that out loud, too.

Thus began my heathenism. But it turned out fine because I can buy ice cream on Sundays for family dinner when they forget to buy it on Saturday.

Watching this as a 30 year old is pretty different than it ever was. Specifically with Jonah going to NYC on his own. Every other time it's been just kind of cute and funny and it's only sad towards the end when he's at the top of the Empire State Building by himself. But not now. I don't have kids, but I have several nieces and nephews right around Jonah's age and holy crap it made me sick to my stomach watching him on the plane and walk through the airport and into the building all by himself. I actually cried a little bit when Sam came and got him. I don't think that's ever happened.

Unlike The Wedding Singer, The music in this movie is perfect. I'm not sure if I've ever noticed it, but as Annie is going to the top of the Empire State Building and when Sam and Jonah come back up and find her, the theme song from An Affair to Remember is playing. Every moment that hails back to that movie is amazing. Especially Rita Wilson describing the plot through tears.

Rita Wilson: hilariously spoiling An Affair to Remember since 1993.

Man, I really should have rated this movie higher.

Friday, December 8, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 7: Love Actually


It always kind of bugged me that this movie is Love Actually and not Love, Actually

I've had to rent most of the movies I've watched so far. I own a lot of them, but they're higher up on the list. This movie was on Netflix for a long time but it recently left. I was glad I owned this one because I was tired of renting movies from iTunes. But then I opened the case and this happened: 


See, once upon a time, I didn't watch rated R movies. Way back in high school there was a video rental store close to my house that rented edited movies. Rumor was the guy that did the editing ended up addicted to porn because of all the R rated movies. I'm sure that's a thing that happened. Anyway, I can't remember if I bought it or it was a gift or what, but I have it and from what I remember, I never want to watch the edited version again. Turns out other people do, though. After posting this picture in an online community I'm a part of, I've received two requests for copy. Who has a DVD burner I can borrow? 

Changing the subject, where did the "at Christmas you tell the truth" thing come from? It comes up in two different stories and I just don't get it. Is there a thing with Christmas and open communication that I didn't catch onto growing up? Should I be more closed off during the rest of the year? 

Two movies in a row with both Emma Thompson and Colin Firth. 2003 Colin Firth could get it, but Emma Thompson hasn't aged a day. 

Also, Alan Rickman (RIP) can eat my shorts. Emma Thompson is too good for this world and she's too good for you! 

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 6: Bridget Jones's Baby


This movie is the near-perfect follow up to a near-perfect classic. Perfect except for the fact that Mark has aged faster than Bridget. In the original movie, he was 4 years older than her. "Did I really run around naked in your paddling pool?" "Oh yes, you were four and I was eight." Then in this movie, when Mark is checking their compatibility on a horribly interfaced dating website, he enters his age as 50. Bridget turns 43 at the beginning of the movie. Did he go on some light-speed galactic trip? Or would it be her that would need to? I never really understood how that worked. Either way, it's probably better that they did that because while Renee Zellwiger can pass for 43 at 47, Colin Firth probably can't pass for 47 at 56. 

The only thing I don't like about this movie is all the ragging on Millennials. I'm very much over it. I like making fun of lunches on Instagram and curly mustaches as much as the next person, but no one in my generation is going to look impressed when you use the word "hashtag" in a sentence. 

What I do like is Bridget so much better when she's a little bit of a basket case but also successful and has two great guys after her instead of one great guy and one pit stain. 

And what I love is that Mark's middle name is Fitzwilliam. It's making me regret I excluded period movies from this little adventure.

I also love Emma Thompson. Both in this movie and generally. Her character is the superior character. 

I think I've watched this movie at least 3 or 4 times since it came out last year. It's a great pick for when life is terrible and you just need a cute, un-lifelike pick me up. Which has been pretty much this entire year. 

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 5: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Part 5 and it's day 7. School is life sucking, but as of tonight it is slightly less life sucking and after I finish a few quizzes this weekend, it will be significantly less life sucking, so hopefully no more skipped days. 


First of all, I don't think I ever disliked Julianne Moore's character in this movie. You're probably not supposed to. But you probably are supposed to identify more with Steve Carrell. BUT he's kind of an ass in the beginning of the movie. Yes, his wife out of the blue asked for a divorce and told him she had slept with someone, but whenever she brought up their relationship and tried to talk and communicate, he shut her down. She absolutely should have brought it up before it got to the point of having an affair, but still. Be a grown up and talk to your wife.

Second, Ryan Gosling tells Steve Carrell to meet him at 3:00 on a Thursday. Who is free at 3:00 on a flipping Thursday?! Cal wasn't even at work when he left. He just took a Thursday off. And what does Ryan Gosling do? He's got a giant house and buys $5,000 massage chairs but does nothing during the day. It's weird.

Also, what's up with the teenage sexual harassment? Robbie, bud, once a girl tells you that you're making her uncomfortable, you stop doing whatever it is you're doing that is making her uncomfortable. I don't know if I picked up on that before.

Okay, done with rants.

Best part about this movie BY FAR is Ryan Gosling. I mean LOOK at that!

 

And he has the best judgy looks in this movie. 


And he's just the right amount of douchey to pull off a v-neck and be sexy. 


Come on. COME ON! 


That man was made for the female gaze and I am here for it.

That actually seems like a pretty good place to end.

Monday, December 4, 2017

25 Days of Romcoms pt. 4: Only You

I'm watching this movie and writing this post instead of grading tests, writing a paper, and reading one of the billion readings I have to do by the weekend. This is what the last week of school is. 


Number 22. My sisters hate this movie but my mom and I enjoy it. I can't say no to Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., or Bonnie Hunt and all three of them are in this movie. So you know, duh. 

I miss Bonnie Hunt.

Also, what is it with Romcoms where the male lead lying to the female lead? Six of my 25 include that very device as a major plot point. Of course, there's one movie where the female lead lies to the male lead, but it's more of a misunderstanding that she doesn't immediately correct, not something she says to get into his pants. Totally not as bad.

And speaking of Tomei and Downey (we were doing that, right?), they have both aged phenomenally.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:


Exhibit C: 


Seriously, who ages that way?!

Back to the movie. Secondary couple is Bonnie Hunt (Kate) and Fisher Stevens (Larry). Larry is introduced as an awful person who demands his wife get home and make sandwiches for him and his friends. Why is she with him and why is it that when she tells Faith that she's leaving him, the big thing is that she thinks he's having an affair, not that he's a terrible person. Joaquim de Almeida is the superior person for Kate, even though he just wants in her pants. (Apart from the "My wife's in It'ly" scene.)

Of course, Peter is also a terrible person. Not for lying to Faith, he did that for "good" reasons. No, at the end of the movie Peter is sitting on an airplane, shoes off, feet up on the top of the chair in front of him. Only a monster would do that.

All things considered, we're still hanging out towards the bottom. It's got a couple good lines (maybe just one) and Bonnie Hunt is always amazing, but there's a reason it's number 22. I guess even with romcoms I have a hard time buying into the whole destiny and soul mates thing.