On February 18th 2012, I listed my “Top 5 Rom-Coms Ever” on Facebook. This was the first time I ever changed my original “Top 10 Films” of the year Corzie formula. I post the raw, unedited result below for your reading pleasure:
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Corzie, does a cynic like you really watch rom-coms? Haven’t you called them the most formulaic and sickly-sweet genre of them all? And wasn’t Valentine’s Day four days ago?
In answer to your questions: Yes. Yes. Shut Up. The good people of my friends list (I hesitate to call you all friends) deserve to watch quality movies, damn it! You don’t have to settle for drivel like The Vow. Now without further ado:
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
#5
Heart-throb (ahem.. or so I’ve heard) Ryan Gosling falls in love with an inflatable sex doll. It’s a sweet, endearing film that overcomes its absurd premise with a totally committed, yet restrained, performance from Gosling.
Chasing Amy (1997)
#4
Ben Affleck had his breakout role in Kevin Smith’s opus. The brilliant chemistry between the leading trio puts this film above the rest. And despite the coarse language, it has a surprisingly mature outlook on relationships.
Annie Hall (1977)
#3
I could hardly leave this out. Rom-coms had been dead for the best part of two decades before Woody Allen re-invigorated the genre with this Oscar-winner. Annie Hall deserves its praise: it’s funny, influential and memorable. And it’s aged incredibly well: if you’re one of those people who won’t watch a film that’s older than you are, give this one a shot.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
#2
Zooey Deschanel is perfectly cast the dream girl in this fresh, original film. It bravely abandons formula, using a non-linear narrative to tell its “story about love, but not a love story”. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is immensely likeable as the lead in this subjective, honest, touching recollection of a relationship.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
#1
‘Can men and women ever be “just friends”?’ That’s the age-old question this film sets out to answer. When Harry Met Sally DEFINES the genre, and no film since has surpassed it. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are flawless, setting the bar for every Matthew McConaughey- or Jennifer Aniston-vehicle that was to come. And just wait until you get to the diner scene. Oh boy.
There you go, five crackers for the price of one. I’ll be back on St. Patrick’s Day for the five best Irish films ever. Over and out.
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I never did get around to listing my favourite Irish films. Maybe it was because I had never seen The Committments in full. (But its West End premiere indicates that there’s never been a better time.)
As for this list… In retrospect, I could have switched out Chasing Amy for Bridget Jones’ Diary. (I suppose I appreciated the former’s emotional honesty over the latter’s witty charm.) But that’s life. I still haven’t seen Love Story, Working Girl, Pretty Woman and many other genre classics – so consider this list a work in progress. And one recent film would have certainly made the list…
It’s interesting what’s happened in the two years since this piece was written. Ryan Gosling memes have cemented his sex symbol status. Kevin Smith has ostensibly quit films after Red State flopped. Woody Allen went on to make the terrific Blue Jasmine. Joseph Gordon-Levitt became a bona fide movie star with Looper, as Zooey Deschanel found success on the small screen with hit comedy New Girl. Finally the legendary writer Nora Ephron passed away, leaving us a rich legacy of romantic comedies and an undeniable impact on the genre as a whole.
Corzies 
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