Though this isn't a review of any movie in particular, I want to bring up a very touchy subject, something you may want to watch your words with. I am positive someone with much more research and experience has covered this topic, but I just want to put in my two cents. You may or may not agree with anything I say, but it is nothing personal if you don't like what I say. It may offend some, it may not.
Now, we've have romantic stories ever since the dawn of time; you've had your Much Ado About Nothing, your All's Well That Ends Well, your Pillow Talk, your Breakfast at Tiffany's, your Annie Hall, your Four Weddings and a Funeral, your America's Sweethearts... and then you have junk like Fool's Gold, The Ugly Truth, and Bride Wars.
I can't help but wonder what happened to us. I mean, really. Rom-coms are a form of escapist entertainment for most women (and the occasional men, even though I hardly know any guy who enjoys them), and yes, there are some great movies like that (see the last paragraph, even though I haven't seen them all). However, when one looks at the overall quality, it's no wonder the men roll their eyes whenever they're dragged into a "chick flick"!
The world obviously has better taste than stuff like The Ugly Truth; I may be killing my credibility, but even though I haven't seen the film, I read up on it and watched some reviews, and frankly, it's sexist, misogynist, misandrist trash. The female lead is portrayed as an upright workaholic who has to be liberated by the "big, strong man", and the male lead is a total sleaze and jerk in every way possible. If anyone asks, no, I won't watch something like that. EVER. Don't even ask me. I'll just turn you down flat.
Then there's Fool's Gold, which I HAVE seen. Now, it's quite tame compared to The Ugly Truth; there's no misandry, and it's more of an adventure story than a rom-com since it's about a treasure hunt for a Spanish ship's cargo. However, I couldn't really stand the leading lady, even though my mom takes her side. For those of you who haven't seen it, the main characters are an archaeologist and a historical researcher who are getting a divorce because the researcher thinks the archaeologist is too immature and stretches the truth too much. I could SLIGHTLY understand her frustrations, but she should at least WAIT for him to come to the divorce hearing before making the ultimate decision. For that, I think she's a bit of a witch.
There will be more evidence to come, and I'm incredibly sorry I'm rambling this late of an hour. I should be going to sleep instead of delving into stupidity such as this. I don't like today's rom-coms (500 Days of Summer is an exception; I highly recommend it), but I like the older stuff better. Until then, let's see what happens. Tell me your thoughts on the subject, and I'll tell you if I agree.
My thoughts? Well, I was worried when you started out by saying I'd have to "watch my words." But, your screed on Romantic Comendy doesn't resonate with me too much becuase I was unaware of the controversy. I like all genres, provided their done well. It Happened One Night, a good example of what was referred to as a "screwball" comedy was once one of my perennial offerings in film class. So, tell a story and do it with style, and I'll go.
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