For many years, romance has been a seductive genre. What could be better than escaping to the idyllic world of romantic film when real-life relationships aren’t always the stuff of fairytales? Combine that with comedy elements to create the ideal blend of genres that the viewer and the plot can lose themselves in for hours on end.
The genre of romantic comedies, or “rom-coms,” has dominated the cinema industry, giving rise to hit films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Roman Holiday. Some rom-coms, on the other hand, are criminally underappreciated and ought to be made available for general viewing. These undervalued rom-coms are enhanced by their lovely resolutions, which range from the friends-to-lovers cliche to LGBTQ+ love stories.
‘Fools Rush In’ (1997)
Matthew Perry’s character, Alex Whitman, is a New Yorker who is in Las Vegas to oversee a construction project. There he meets Salma Hayek‘s character Isabel Fuentes, and their one-night fling is ignited by some strong chemistry. But Isabel conceives a child. On a whim, Alex asks Isabel to marry him, but as Alex and Isabel soon learn, marriage also means compromising one’s own cultural norms.
Fools Rush In simply enables the presentation of some of the funniest and best characteristics of each culture by fusing Mexican and American culture as well as the west coast and the east coast. The movie is particularly exceptional because of Hayek and Perry’s powerful performances. You will cry at the conclusion because of how unorthodox and off-the-wall their relationship has been throughout.
‘Imagine Me & You’ (2005)
Luce (Lena Headey) catches Rachel (Piper Perabo), who is getting marriedattention ,’s when she is spotted in the audience. The two women become close friends, and when Rachel learns that Luce is a lesbian, she realises that, although being happily married to Heck, she is falling for Luce (Matthew Goode). As she struggles with her sexual identity, Rachel is forced to decide between her serious relationship with Heck and her exciting new connection with Luce.
Imagine Me & You is the epitome of what a romantic comedy should be: lovable, original, packed with amusing and heartwarming situations, based on a strong plot, and featuring a terrific ensemble. The film, which centres on a lesbian relationship, handles it delicately and presents an ending that, while it could offend some viewers, is the best one for everyone involved.
‘Leap Year’ (2010)
According to Irish custom, a man must accept a marriage proposal made on a leap day, so a lady (Amy Adams) devises a complex scheme to ask her lover to marry her on that day. However, her intentions are interrupted when bad weather makes the trip to Dublin unavoidable. But with the help of a grouchy innkeeper, she might end up getting engaged as a result of her cross-country journey (Matthew Goode).
This romantic comedy is adorable and fun. It is occasionally ludicrous. On the other hand, Leap Year’s conclusion is something so lovely to behold, with two polar opposites ending up together in such an improbable way. The audience will also be motivated to travel to Ireland as a result.
‘Love & Basketball’ (2000)
Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) both grew up in the same neighbourhood and have known one another since they were kids. As they mature, they experience romantic love, but they also have a second, as fervent passion: basketball. They eventually pursue various career paths with the goal of becoming major league professional ball players after playing basketball in high school and college.
Audiences entering the theatre with the misconception that Love & Basketball would be a conventional jock-flick with the love aspect taking a backseat could not be more mistaken. Love & Basketball does a fantastic job of combining all the various components of a conventional romantic comedy while refusing to be categorised as just one thing. A heartfelt resolution that makes sense for the folks involved in this true love story.
‘Love, Rosie’ (2014)
Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) and Alex Stewart (Sam Claflin) have been close friends since they were little. But as people go through life, they frequently find themselves breaking apart. The two are always dating the wrong people when it comes to partnerships. When it comes to choosing the proper path in life, love, and other areas, these two are each other’s worst opponents.
It’s a crime that less people are aware of this film. Love, Rosie is an incredibly underappreciated movie about the love between two closest friends. The main characters played by Collins and Claflin have a sincere love affair. When one of them is struggling, we witness both of them perform innumerable acts of selflessness for the other. When they ultimately come together in the touching conclusion, the audience may cheer because the love spills off the screen and into them.
‘Penelope’ (2006)
Penelope (Christina Ricci), a contemporary love story, is about a young girl’s inspirational journey, a mystifying family mystery, and the strength of love. Penelope must discover true love with “one of her own kind” despite all the difficulties in order to break the family curse. With countless suitors who are all a letdown, Penelope makes the decision to take matters into her own hands.
It’s a fantastic strategy for dealing with the common notion of accepting who you are rather than what you are. It has great visual appeal, lots of slapstick humour, and a well-written narrative. For an atypical fairytale movie, Ricci expertly portrays the lead role and maintains a strong acting presence through the fairytale resolution.
‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ (2012)
When it is revealed that a large asteroid would destroy Earth in less than a month, Dodge (Steve Carell) is left without his wife after she flees in a panic. He decides to travel to see his high school love interest. He goes on a road trip with his brave teenage neighbour Penny (Keira Knightley), who ultimately alters their perspective on the limited time they have left.
These are some of the adjectives that would best describe this dark comedy-filled film: quirky, odd, lovable, crazy, and clever. Despite the approaching doom of the world, Carell and Knightley manage to inject some hope into their gloomy futures. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, which also passes for a romantic comedy, is actually an incredibly moving film with a classic unhappy ending that ultimately proves to be the perfect one. The heart-wrenching conclusion hits you squarely in the place that matters.
‘Set It Up’ (2018)
Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), two exhausted assistants, believe they can make their lives easier if they set up their demanding bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs). The two must go to great efforts to maintain their ruse because their strategy is successful. In the meantime, Harper and Charlie gradually begin to feel a connection between them.
Powell has a strong performance as a man trying to figure out what he really wants in life, while Deutch impresses in her major part as a quirky wannabe writer who sobs during sporting events. Set It Up is a fantastic rom-com with lots of humour and terrific supporting characters, and a perfect finale that will make viewers feel content and satisfied.
‘The Proposal’ (2009)
When Margaret (Sandra Bullock), a forceful employer, is threatened with deportation due to an expired visa, she comes up with a plan to wed her assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). It is guaranteed to Andrew that he will advance. The two travel to Andrew’s hometown to celebrate his grandmother’s 90th birthday with an INS agent who is dubious on their story. Mom, Dad, and Grandma are eager to meet the new couple in Sitka, Alaska.
The Proposal is the ideal rom-com since it features a nice and beautiful romance along with plenty of laughter. Bullock and Reynolds bring the movie home with some hilarious yet heartwarming scenes, and the two have a fantastic conclusion that makes us all want to be proposed to simply so we can keep dating the love of our lives.
‘The Rebound’ (2009)
Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) relocates to the metropolis after finding out about her husband’s extramarital affair. She meets Aram (Justin Bartha), a labourer whose wife only wed him for a green card, in the coffee shop below her apartment. They get along great, so when she returns to work for the first time after giving birth, she asks him to watch her children. The two begin dating, but they both question if the relationship is sincere or just a way for them to get back together.
The Rebound, one of the greatest chick flicks available, largely focuses on the natural chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Bartha. The audience will enjoy the classic one-liners spoken by the children as well as the realistic treatment of the rom-com subgenre. Audiences can be satisfied that these two learn to live independently and accept their new lifestyles even though it’s uncertain whether they finish up together.
