Hello, dear reader!
During the tenure of this blog, several of my friends and acquaintances have requested that I do a post on the top 10 best romantic comedies - I haven't kept count, but I'm pretty sure it's the single most requested topic so far. And, with Valentine's Day approaching this week, what better time to grant this wish?
Please note that I've ranked these films specifically based on how good they are in the context of the genre. The order of these films isn't the same as if I'd rank them based on how good they are cinematically, but rather how well they succeed as rom-coms. Without further ado, these are my all-time favorite romantic comedies!
Here are my honorable mentions: Amélie (2001), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Notting Hill (1999), Penelope (2006), Pretty Woman (1990).
10. Some Like It Hot (1959)
This whimsical cross-dressing extravaganza from the late 50's has stood the test of time with its well-timed comedy elements and heart-melting love story. While posing as woman in order to get away from the police, Joe (Tony Curtis) falls for singer Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), leading to all sorts of hijinks. In between the film's shenanigans, the chemistry between Curtis and Monroe is startling as the viewer becomes invested in their romance. A true classic of the genre if I ever saw one.
9. The Terminal (2004)
The romance element isn't quite the strongest suite of this underrated Spielberg flick - that would have to be the sheer premise of an immigrant temporarily living in JFK airport, due to a legal loophole not allowing him to leave before his paperwork is processed. This allows for a fantastically chill and cozy atmosphere throughout the film, as the airport becomes an unlikely home for protagonist Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks).
However, a close second in the film's greatest elements is the sweet love story between Viktor and flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Their slow-burning romance is wonderful to follow, as the two gradually fall for each other and she becomes the reason for Viktor's ridiculously long layover being worth it.
8. Wild at Heart (1990)
I wanted to place this David Lynch film much higher on this list, because I feel a compulsion to praise my favorite director whenever I get the chance. But I had to face the facts: as a rom-com, Wild At Heart isn't quite as impressive as the films that ended up forming my top seven. It still made my top 10, because it truly is a surprisingly awesome rom-com despite all of the Lynchian dialogue and various witch sequences making it into a rather unique film within the genre.
Nicolas Cage, the actor with the world's greatest range (when talking about range from terrible performances to amazing ones, that is), is wonderfully cheesy as leather-jacket-wearing cool-guy Sailor Ripley, while Laura Dern is absolutely fantastic as Lula, the young woman who runs away with Sailor despite her mother's (Dianne Ladd) objections. Cage and Dern make for an odd couple, but certainly a memorable one, as their unconventional chemistry makes for the perfect love story in the context of a David Lynch film. Wild At Heart is wildly bizarre, excessively entertaining, occasionally supernatural and ultimately quite uplifting.
7. About Time (2013)
This magnificent film would be even much higher on this list, had I ranked these movies based on how good they are as overall pieces of cinema - as a mere romantic comedy, it doesn't quite measure up to some of the greats, but still manages to be deserving of seventh place. The film is written and directed by Richard Curtis, who does a great job balancing the conventions of the genre with a rather fascinating fantasy element that makes the movie stick out.
The aforementioned element isn't just a fun gimmick, but is rather used to its full potential as the story taps into some major philosophical questions - if I made a list of the films most likely to teach one the key to happiness in life, About Time would honestly make the top three. There is a lot of wisdom and a lot of emotion to this peculiar film, and the love story at the center of it all is a sweet and delightful one.
6. It Happened One Night (1934)
My grandmother from the Finnish side of my family is one of this blog's most avid readers, and I often feel bad for her as my texts feature so many films that aren't familiar to her. Today's list should be a delight to my Mummi, as it features many old-time classic that she very likely has seen and hopefully remembers them fondly. Those films undoubtedly include this 1930's classic, as I recall discussing the film with her after watching it for the first time some years ago.
In addition to being an astonishing piece of cinema (one of the three only films that have won the "Big Five" Oscars of Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Lead Actor and Lead Actress), It Happened One Night is an excellent romantic comedy - one of the pioneers of the genre, in fact. Claudette Colbert does a great job playing a rich heiress escaping from the expectations of her parents, while Clark Gable is his dandy self as a reporter who tries to get a story out of the heiress but ends up falling in love with her. Laughs, smiles and heart-warming moments ensue.
5. Palm Springs (2020)
One of the very best movies of any genre from last year, Palm Springs is more than just a romantic comedy - I won't give any specifics away, as it is the kind of film you should watch for yourself without knowing anything about the plot beforehand. Let's just say that it's an odd and creative blend of genres that works wonders. But here's the cool thing: despite my love for creative and norm-defying storytelling such as the premise and plot of this film, my favorite part of Palm Springs is just how well it works as a rom-com.
Sure, the imaginative twists and unexpected turns are a delightful plus, but the film's strongest asset is its sweet and real-feeling love story. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti have impeccable chemistry together, and watching their characters grow together is an absolute joy. Two thumbs up for this film!
4. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
I feel like I should briefly address the elephant in the room - Mickey Rooney playing side character Mr. Yunioshi, the most offensive Asian stereotype I've ever seen, in full-on "yellowface" is one of the more extreme examples of a movie aging poorly that I have seen. That diminishes the re-watch value of this otherwise flawless film, every other aspect of which deserve to be praised.
Breakfast at Tiffany's is as impressive as an overall piece of cinema (it won two Oscars and got nominated for several more) as it is as a fun romantic comedy. Audrey Hepburn provides what is probably my all-time favorite female lead performance from this particular genre, as she is equal parts funny, complex and unique as Holly Golightly, an out-of-touch-with-reality member of New York's "café society". George Peppard is delightful as male lead Paul Varjak, and the romance between the two will make you believe in a better world.
3. City Lights (1931)
This early Charlie Chaplin flick is one of the most pure and wholesome movies I've seen. Chaplin plays his iconic Tramp character, who in this film falls in love with a blind woman, played by Virginia Cherrill. The film consists mainly of the Tramp taking part in various hilarious activities in order to gain enough money to help the woman medically.
One of the earliest examples of romantic comedies in cinema, this trailblazing film set the mood for the genre and hasn't been bested by hardly anything that came afterwards. The film is sweet and funny, and its ending is a groundbreaking tears-of-joy occasion that took the use of emotion in cinema to a whole new level back in the day of its release. Outstanding and beautiful.
2. The Big Sick (2017)
Written by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon, and closely based on their real-life love story, The Big Sick gains a lot of points for just how realistic it is. Unlike many other movie buffs, I don't have a problem with cliché rom-coms where everything goes well in a fantasy-like way - but that being said, it felt like a fresh change to see a romantic comedy where everything feels so much like real life. The interactions between the characters are awkward, and not over-the-top quirky-awkward like in many Hollywood films, but awkward in a way very present in our everyday lives and almost never present in blockbuster movies that fail to capture the feeling.
The film's realism is most apparent in the central love story, as main characters Kumail (played by Nanjiani himself) and Emily (played by actress Zoe Kazan) have incredible chemistry together, but it isn't the same sort of chemistry that most rom-com leads have - it's possibly the most accurate and believable depiction of true love that I've ever seen in a movie. The characters have their awkward moments of not seeing eye to eye, yet their overarching connection with one another becomes more and more evident throughout the film.
Also, bonus points for balancing comedy with more serious elements so well! The film deals with a variety of heartbreaking subjects, from Emily dealing with a serious illness to Kumail and Emily's families dealing with the culture clash at hand. In the end, it's all very heartfelt.
1. Love Actually (2003)
I think that the Top 2 of this list says a lot about the variety in my movie taste. I enjoy The Big Sick for how down-to-earth and realistic it is, yet I also love Love Actually for being the exact and literal opposite of down-to-earth and realistic. In the field of feel-good, entertaining popcorn cinema, you can't do any better than this modern yuletide classic. Every cliché in the book can be found in this film, but as I mentioned in my list of the best Christmas movies, I really don't care. If you turn the cynical part of your brain off (as we all should do from time to time), this film is incredibly fun, immensely cozy and just an overall good time. And we need movies like that.
Most of the movies on this list feature one awesome love story, or maybe two. Love Actually features several. Sure, some of them are better than the others, but a vast majority of the romances in the film are sure to leave a smile on one's face. Whether it's Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) hilariously fending off their language barrier, Prime Minister David (Hugh Grant) fighting the norms after falling for staff member Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) or the heart-melting affection between little kids Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Joanna (Olivia Olson), the movie has a love story for pretty much everyone ('everyone', as it happens, is also the answer to the question "Which Hollywood actors appear in Love Actually?").
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for a peculiar and specific list: the top 10 stranded-in-the-woods TV episodes!
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