ranting about romcoms, no big deal

[tempestsarekind]

Sigh. I watched Leap Year the other day, and I knew, I just *knew* that it was going to be bad, but I thought that maybe at least an actor that I like, Matthew Goode, would get the chance to be charming in it. But of course, it turned out to be one of those romantic comedies where the male lead is a jerk for no reason, for basically the first hour

Comments

[spacklegeek]

I confess I liked that movie when I saw it, but only, once I was completely honest with myself, because Matthew Goode was scruffy and Irish in it.

Also, did you notice how they seemed to traipse all around Ireland in the space of a few days? I think the filmmakers were going for Maximum Dramatic Scenery Effects and hoped no one knew a thing about Ireland's geography.

Great rant. While I don't watch many movies, I do read an awful lot (gee there's a surprise), and I've had similar feelings towards romance novels. There are similar problems - and/or shortcuts - within the romance genre as you've described in rom-com films. It's gotten to the point where I put the book down if the author's doing the Alpha Hero (TM) = Jerkface Rwar! thing, especially if the heroine was a middling-to-decently Strong Female Character (TM) prior to meeting Alpha-A-Hole, only to become simpering, sighing, and submissive. Bleh. Some of these so-called Happily Ever Afters leave me predicting divorce in 3-5 years, you know?

On the other hand, when I encounter an author who takes the genre's conventions and uses them creatively (and, importantly, can also write without excessive use of adverbs omg people), and who takes the time to create chemistry between her characters (srsly ppl True Wuv =/= Fifty Million Steamy Scenes!), I tend to read everything she's (it's usually a she) ever written.

Unfortunately there are far fewer of these authors than the other, taking-shortcuts-and-following-formulas kind. Oh well.

[tempestsarekind]

Ireland: simultaneously enormous and incredibly small. Who knew?

I think the reason I was so miffed about this movie is that I *know* how ridiculously easy it is for Matthew Goode to be charming - talk about a wasted resource! You have to be doing something really wrong if I don't like his character.

I haven't really made a foray into romance novels, partly because of this problem: I'm sure there are romance novels out there that I would actually find romantic, but how does one find them?