I'm a sucker for emotionally real films that usually reside on the Woody Allen-esque side of cinema. Occasionally there's the odd film replaying on Sky Movies that fits this bill, usually with a fairly good cast and more often than not one that has fallen into obscurity before it's even been released. This weekend I discovered The Romantics.
The cast was brimming with famous faces, Candice Bergen, Josh Duhamel, Elijah Wood, Anna Paquin, Diana Agron, that dude that played Seth in the OC (let's face it he's adorable but if I placed his real name here I'm pretty sure you'd have "who the hell?" faces on, this way we're all on the same page) and Katie Holmes, whom also produced it. Despite it's celebrity friends I have never heard of this movie, I'm pretty sure it's one of those "straight to DVD job-ees" and as my sister, who took her film AS level today, kept on emphasising in some random, revision, research attempt, it's only ever made $106,000 to date.
I'm really selling this for you aren't I?!
The synopsis on Sky Movies is as follows:
"A group of old friends attend a wedding, reigniting a love triangle between bride Anna Paquin, groom Josh Duhamel and writer Katie Holmes."
This was enough to seduce me on Saturday night to record a later showing for the following day.
Upon viewing, it was everything I expected it to be, dark, emotionally tortured and disappointingly honest, aka it didn't stick to the Hollywood ideals of love, romance and happy endings. For the most part it was awkward too. The relationships weren't the only honest facets of the film, there was a particularly cringeworthy scene at a rehearsal dinner when everyones drink fuelled speeches are horrifically tense and generally defy social acceptability. Refreshingly nobody looked particularly glamorous or visually beautiful either, another trait of these "say it how it is" movies that I happen to like.
Spoiler Alert!
The ending was one of those unresolved cliffhanger types, take from it what you will. Or maybe it really did just have no ending. I'm still on the fence with this.
Tune In...
If you like Hannah and her Sisters, Closer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, hand held camera movies that give it that "you're really there" vibe and emotional disappointment.
Tune out...
If you despise all the things above which most people I know do.
This film really only caters to a specific type. Personally I enjoyed it, enough to watch it again and to own on DVD. My recommendation would be to cosy up to this stark look at romance and friendships on a rainy Saturday afternoon, with a blanket, hot tea, sticky cinnamon buns and a "love sucks" attitude.
The Romantics is showing on Sky Movies until they stop playing it.
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