The rom-com is one of those genres which seems to have been pretty much beaten to death, and it's increasingly difficult to find ones which aren't sentimental, simplistic stories we've already seen dozens of times before. Perhaps the word to best describe the genre as a whole at this point is "safe", since risk-taking isn't generally something that one finds in romantic … [Read more...]
Review: Notting Hill (1999)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B001DTKXVI][/pullquote] The dream team of lead Hugh Grant and writer Richard Curtis reunite following the staggering success of Four Weddings and Funeral with the slightly more tempered, although equally high concept Notting Hill. Sharing more than a few similarities … [Read more...]
Review: That Awkward Moment (2014)
Bros before Brains [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00IJVM4GA][/pullquote] With the popularity of bromance comedies on the rise, it's nice to see That Awkward Moment straying away from the tried-and-tested cast members from Judd Apatow's stable of comic actors. By casting the excellent Michael B. … [Read more...]
Review: Cuban Fury (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00IE5B7S2][/pullquote] Based on a drunken email that Nick Frost sent to his producer, Cuban Fury marks the first time he's been on screen in the sole lead role and gives him the opportunity to have a go at something other than playing the supporting role to Simon … [Read more...]
About Time (2013) review by That Film Student
One would expect nothing less than a charming and quintessentially British romantic comedy from Richard Curtis, and that is exactly what you get from About Time. Underlined with subtle humour, Curtis surpasses our expectations with this wonderful story involving time-travel managing to get the balance right between a Doctor Who sci-fi side and a sentimental romance without … [Read more...]
Much Ado About Nothing (2012) Review by That Art House Guy
Picture the scene. It's October 2011, and Joss Whedon is taking a holiday from post-production work on The Avengers. Having spent a a lengthy period working on one of the most hotly anticipate movies for years, dealing with the stresses of huge expectations from the legions of fans (and as we know, expectation is the root of all heartache*) and working all the plot strands into … [Read more...]
Warm Bodies (2013) review by That Film Guy
The zombie genre has been one of the most prolific sub-genres in horror film-making in recent years. After the advent of mainstream walking dead in George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead we've seen numerous interpretations of the standard narrative from road trip horrors like 28 Days Later¦ to romantic comedies like Shaun of the Dead via Zombieland. The key to a successful … [Read more...]
I Give it a Year (2013) review by That Film Student
Everyone says that the first year of marriage is the hardest, but it doesn't help when your previous girlfriend, who you never officially broke up with, is still on the scene; or when you're so embarrassed by your husband's 'dancing' that you refer to him as Beyonce, and deny all prior knowledge of him. Another British romantic comedy, we have high hopes that we can place Dan … [Read more...]
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) review by That Film Guy
Films can be predictable things. Romantic comedies as a genre are one the most formulaic there is. Guy meets girl, they hit it off, some small obstacles are placed in their way, they overcome them, usually involving a big gesture and the live happily ever after. Then, every once in a while a romantic comedy comes along that goes a different route. A more realistic route. These … [Read more...]
Ruby Sparks (2012) review by That Film Brat
Directed by husband and wife team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Ruby Sparks is a 2012 comedy-drama, based around a struggling writer named Calvin (Paul Dano), suffering writer's block in attempting to write the follow-up to his big success. His therapist (Elliot Gould) suggests he writes something regardless of it's quality. So, he invents a girl, his dream girl, in fact. … [Read more...]