5 Favorite Movies for Stay-at-Home Date Night. (Dramatic Comedy/Romantic Comedy edition)

Craig and I recently watched American Hustle, which spurred inspiration for this post.  I’m not one of the official Thumbs-up Givers, and I’m probably going to fail fabulously by trying to describe these, but that’s what I’m good at, so, onward!   These are my fave picks for Dramatic and Romantic Comedies.

Please note: this selection of my faves are for a Mom & Dad movie date night, after the little ones are in bed.  I’ll try to give warning about the language/nudity/drug/violence in the films as well.  I always hate it when someone highly recommends a movie, but then I’m accosted with graphic scenes or language I didn’t expect that person to recommend with that knowledge in mind.

–1–

American Hustle.

I have a new favorite director: David O. Russle. Something funny about us Americans is that we tend to celebrate the actors over the directors of the film.  The rest of the world, when talking about movies, are likely to mention films by director, in lieu of favorite films consisting of their favorite actor.  But we’re ‘Murica and we do things backwards sometimes.  The people who created the film? Not nearly as interesting as the way our favorite actress wears that Dior dress.
Digress, Carolyn, digress please. okay.

 American Hustle.  It’s a dramatic comedy with an Ocean’s Eleven heist plot.  There is a plethora of eff words. There’s a scene explaining a backstory to one of the characters with an unnecessary shot of a woman’s bare chest, implying that she had previously worked as a stripper.  Just so you know.

What stole my heart is how Russle depicts each character’s adaptations of the perceived (secular) social survival in America. “The art of survival is one that never ends”
I fully appreciate Russle’s sharp realization of what is a dramatic comedy:
All contained within a few moments, I found myself rolling in laughter while in complete serious empathy as the vulnerability of Bradley Cooper’s character -exposed as an underappreciated federal agent, who perms his hair and lives in a small apartment with his mother and homely fiancée- is now suppressed as he struts down a main street, dressed to the nines (a fabulous twist of 70’s & 80’s which is somehow humorous), with the socially perceived beautiful woman at his side;  The other characters never suspecting of his true identity: not only in being a federal agent attempting a sting operation, but, at the most fundamental level, a dude trying to socially survive in America, suppressing his shame of the ordinary.

I have no idea if I used my colons/semicolons correctly there.

The musical selection is just excellent in juxtaposition to the subtly hilarious, yet dramatic scenes.
It was so refreshing that the sexual encounters were not gratuitous, but laced with a subtle humor,  instead of your typical, obnoxiously crude The Hangover-type films (or really any kind of comedy these days).
And I love Jennifer Lawrence’s character. and I loved the cleaning scene with McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.” And I’ll be attempting that hairdo very soon.

If you like Quentin Tarantino but without the gore, and without the abrupt, masturbatory scenes, I really think you’d love American Hustle.

How excited are you that I actually got to use the word ‘juxtoposition’ in proper, unforced context?  Cause I am. I started to write it, and I was like “wow this is really happening.”  Such a fun word.  Such a big nerd.

Okay, now that I’ve embarrassed myself by pretending I know anything about film criticism… I’ll just keep chuggin’ on.

–2–

Stranger Than Fiction

Another dramatic comedy.  It’s my favorite Will Farrell movie.  See? there I go, talking about the actor, not director. Marc Forster.  That’s who the director is. Never heard  of  him. ‘Murica.

Along walks Harold Crick, and he realizes his life is being narrated by a woman’s voice. “And with a better vocabulary!”
The woman is an author, suffering writer’s block, struggling to design the death of Harold Crick. When real life and literary worlds collide, it’s hilarious -again, in a more subtle way which apparently, I appreciate-, it’s sweet, and it’s my favorite.

 –3–

It’s Complicated.

 

A romantic comedy, at first seemingly appealing to only an older crowd, My husband and I laughed and laughed through the whole thing.  I love Meryl Streep, and I want her character’s bakery for mine.  Even though I can’t contemplate baking macarons.
The humor hints at crude at times, revolving around the plot that Streep’s character finds herself sleeping with her ex-husband, many years after the divorce, coupled with her insecurities about growing older.

There’s a scene containing marijuana use. Maybe because the characters are old geezers as opposed to the exhaustive portrayal of young people trying to find themselves while grotesquely intoxicated, I found the scene funny.

Despite those things, the movie is a light-hearted depiction about growing older, and Streep and Baldwin make for some cute older peeps.
…says the almost 30 year old, who might as well be 40, which means she’s only 10 away from 50…  the middle is nigh, my friends.

 

–4–

Moonstruck

Now it’s time to throw it way back.  Whether you care for Cher or not, or like throwbacks at all, it’s remained a favorite of mine since I saw it over 10 years ago.
What I appreciate the most: the portrayal of Italian culture in America, and how it reminds me of my mother’s side of the family. Nicholas Cage in his young-dom.  Cher’s big hair.  VAVOOM.
I love it.

–5–

And, wow, I thought I could easily come up with five dramatic, romantic comedies, but here I am drawing a complete blank.  So, now that I gave youse all an idea of the kind of movies we like, anyone have suggestions to fill this numba 5 spot?

Plus, I’m certain you’ve had your fill of the acclaimed film critic, Carolyn Svellpqjtepisgjs;ogn-ger, or however you pronounce it.
Linking up with Mrs. Hallie today.