One True Loves
Showing little regard for the intelligence of its audience, One True Loves stretches the suspension of disbelief until its final fray.
Romcom
Stars Fell Again
In Stars Fell Again, the extra-cheesy follow-up to 2021’s decidedly unfunny Stars Fell on Alabama from returning director V.W. Scheich, suffers from many of the same flaws as its predecessor — weak characterization, poor pacing, and a lead couple that’s about as interesting as a stack of wet cardboard.
Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls
I wish I had a movie like Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls as a kid in elementary school. Aside from its terrific LGBTQ-friendly presence, it sports such self-confidence and reassurance in its characters; all wholesomely written and directed by Julianna Notten making her feature-length debut as a filmmaker. Making as big of a splash is Elliot Stocking, who plays the titular Erin. Stocking, in a breakout acting debut, hits a sweet spot with their co-stars…
Bros
The marketing campaign for Bros was based around its groundbreaking elements, reminding viewers that the LGBTQ+ cast on screen were out and proud and that everyone involved was working on telling an honest romance from the queer perspective. It’s also, reportedly, the first widely released rom-com of its ilk. That’s great and I’m elated for the production but, at the end of the day, what’s the word on the movie itself?
Ticket to Paradise
By: Jeff Ching When I first saw the trailer for Ticket to Paradise, opening with that scene of George Clooney and Julia Roberts as two divorcees who don’t want to sit beside each other on the plane, I wondered whether this was some kind of spin-off of Oceans 11. How interesting of an idea for these characters to get their own movie; an aftermath of what happened to their relationship after that big heist…or multiple heists….
The Nudels of Nudeland
Despite The Nudels of Nudeland being one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen, it did expose me (pun intended) to naturist filmmaking. That’s right, naturist filmmaking. That translates to a movie performed by actors who are entirely in the buff, embracing nudism and using it to tell a story as well as to enlighten viewers on this chosen lifestyle. Distracting? Sure. A bit awkward? You betcha. Heavy-handed in its persuasion that it teeters on…
A Week in Paradise
A Week in Paradise is not so much a movie as it is a template. This is a paint-by-numbers rom-com, but nobody has bothered to colour anything in. I would say the film relies on clichés, but that would suggest director Philippe Martinez (co-producer of My Dad’s Christmas Date) made an effort to find existing tropes to lift. I have a hard enough time believing Martinez was even on set.
Marry Me
Twenty one years ago, over the weekend of the Superbowl, Jennifer Lopez won over audiences with the innocuous yet likeable rom-com The Wedding Planner. History repeats itself with Marry Me, an equally sweet ’n satisfying date night flick that will surely act as successful counter-programming for this weekend’s Superbowl.
Love, Weddings & Other Disasters
Romantic comedies can get away with just about any sort of off-the-wall, clichéd nonsense as long as the film sports genuine charisma. The power of uplifting attitudes and chemistry can help viewers go along with unusual plots and characters, and also convince the audience to root for silly love stories.
Love in Dangerous Times
Written and directed by Jon Garcia, Love in Dangerous Times is among the first of what is sure to be a plethora of pandemic-themed projects that will emerge over the coming months, and even years. Written and filmed entirely in lockdown, the film follows Jason (Ian Stout), a struggling playwright searching for love in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.