Ah, the romantic comedy, it's an enduring genre that truly has stood the test of time. Many of us have grown up with classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's or colourful musicals such as Easter Parade or My Fair Lady. These movies capture the beauty of romance. They have idealised ideas about finding 'the one'; Boy meets girl on a chance encounter, boy and girl must overcome obstacles to be together, girl is eventually swept off her feet - cue long, lingering Hollywood kiss.
Romantic comedies today adopt a similar plot structure. However, the 'boy meets girl' part is shown to be decidedly more difficult. Modern romantic comedies take a more cynical view of the trials and tribulations of finding someone to love. Below are some of the best modern romance movies.
No.1 - Bridget Jones (2001)
When Bridget Jones was adapted to the big screen from Helen Fielding's book of the same name, it seemed to define an entire generation of thirty-something women haunted by their loudly ticking biological clock and 'smug married' friends. Bridget, played by Renee Zellweger, is single and desperately looking for love. She's overweight, her biological clock is ticking and she records her hopes, dreams, frustrations and failings in a journal. She also sleeps with her philandering boss, blinded by his charm. She then meets a handsome family friend, the aptly named Mr (Mark) Darcy (Colin Firth), a man she immediately detests, but who she comes to realise is just the kind of man she was searching for all along.
Bridget's search for love demonstrates how hard it can be to meet people in a modern society and the stigma once attached to single men and women of a certain age, while simultaneously liberating them to embrace their singleness - which if we're to believe Bridget, will eventually lead to love. After all, she makes many mistakes along the way, but she still gets her man in the end!
Romantic comedies today adopt a similar plot structure. However, the 'boy meets girl' part is shown to be decidedly more difficult. Modern romantic comedies take a more cynical view of the trials and tribulations of finding someone to love. Below are some of the best modern romance movies.
No.1 - Bridget Jones (2001)
When Bridget Jones was adapted to the big screen from Helen Fielding's book of the same name, it seemed to define an entire generation of thirty-something women haunted by their loudly ticking biological clock and 'smug married' friends. Bridget, played by Renee Zellweger, is single and desperately looking for love. She's overweight, her biological clock is ticking and she records her hopes, dreams, frustrations and failings in a journal. She also sleeps with her philandering boss, blinded by his charm. She then meets a handsome family friend, the aptly named Mr (Mark) Darcy (Colin Firth), a man she immediately detests, but who she comes to realise is just the kind of man she was searching for all along.
Bridget's search for love demonstrates how hard it can be to meet people in a modern society and the stigma once attached to single men and women of a certain age, while simultaneously liberating them to embrace their singleness - which if we're to believe Bridget, will eventually lead to love. After all, she makes many mistakes along the way, but she still gets her man in the end!