Isn’t It Romantic? feels like a rhetorical question
Movie review: Isn’t It Romantic?
Rebel Wilson leads a revolutionary effort through the red taffeta jungle of rom-coms, but fails to topple the upper tier of icing-covered couple expectations. And that’s probably just the way we want it. “Somewhere deep down, we crave a fairy tale ending for a relatable character — just as we do for ourselves,” writes movie critic Katherine Monk.
Juliet, Naked strips romance down to nagging self-doubt
Movie review: Juliet, Naked
Director Jesse Peretz brings alt-rock authenticity to Nick Hornby’s story of a singer-songwriter who fell off the map, only to be rediscovered by the long-suffering partner of an obsessive fan. Ethan Hawke and Chris O’Dowd offer pure performance, but it’s Rose Byrne’s quiet navigation of personal desire that redeems the ego-fest.
Crazy Rich Asians takes rom-com for a luxury ride
Movie review: Crazy Rich Asians
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Kevin Kwan bestseller proves money trumps ethnicity and genre is universal as we watch a Romeo and Juliet romance unravel in the middle of Singapore.
Southside With You takes rom-com in new direction
Film: Sundance Film Festival
Movie about Barack and Michelle Obama's first date takes the frame off the official portrait to paint a tender picture of two people falling in love
By Katherine Monk
PARK CITY, UT — There’s a good chance this year’s Sundance Film Festival will be defined by a larger, and perhaps more honest, discussion about race in America. And if it is, we can look at Richard Tanne’s debut feature Southside With You as a beautiful example of a paradigm shift. It’s not just an accessible romance starring two rising African-American stars in Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers, it’s a fictionalized take on the first date between would-be First Lady Michelle Robinson and a young Harvard law student named Barack Obama. We knew the two met at a corporate law firm. We knew she was his advisor. And we knew she wasn’t eager to get involved with a junior, fearing it would erode her professional edge and play into white expectation. The rest became the ...
