The Best Romcom You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Some part of me always wants to say I’m a fan of romcoms - after all, I like romance, and I like comedies, so logically…? Except that in reality, so many romcoms manage to fail on both fronts, with jokes that don’t quite get laughs and a chemistry that feels rushed at best and forced at worst. Luckily, though, there is one true diamond among the dollar-store gems, one that has sadly gone unappreciated for far too long : Down With Love. In a sea of basic, honestly kinda trashy films, it’s the only one I’ve found to truly hit the mark both in its humour and romance.

The premise of the plot is as old as time itself - the battle of the sexes. The war is mostly centred on the two leads: Renee Zellweger is Barbara Novak, a novelist whose new book hopes to dissuade women from falling in love so that they too can have sex “a la carte” like men; and Ewan McGregor is Catcher Block, a journalist who seems to spend more time being a playboy “ladies’ man, man’s man, and man about town”. While their goals for 60s-style “free love” might align, their perspectives differ greatly, quickly causing them to become mortal enemies. Down With Love isn’t your typical battle of the sexes, though. Instead of being an all-out head-to-head showdown, this film takes inspiration from its setting and delves into a story of sexy, silly espionage.

I’d say more, but trust me, this is a film you REALLY don’t want to be spoiled for.

It might sound impossible to make such a politically charged theme like “battle of the sexes” truly funny - it’s the kind of topic that’s really hard to find a humorous balance for . But what makes this film work is that despite its timeless and politically charged conflict, it doesn’t seem to be on anybody’s side. Neither Barbra Novak nor Catcher Block are in the right, and neither are in the wrong - the power constantly shifts, and it’s clear that both are ridiculous. There are some sharp moments, of course, with men complaining not about their wives but rather their mistresses and Novak suggesting chocolate as an adequate replacement for sex, but what matters is that everyone is equally attacked in the end.

In fact, it’s exactly these equal-opportunity jabs that make the film so enjoyable to watch. A lot of laugh-a-minute films get old after a while, it’s true, and even Down With Love can’t fully escape this fate with some moments that feel a little bit forced. Still, though, the movie is so wickedly quick that the less stellar moments are gone as soon as they’ve arrived, so it’s easy to forgive. In the end, most of the jokes make a perfect landing, eliciting full-out laughs rather than simple snorts of recognition. It’s all thanks to the wit of the writing and the complete dedication of the actors to their ridiculous characters, resulting in performances that are campy in the most complimentary use of the term.

My favourite part of the jokes, though, is that despite being a sex comedy, Down With Love manages to stay just barely on the right side of the line between raunchy and crass. The comedy is sexual, for sure, but it’s flirty rather than distasteful. One of my favourite scenes in the entire movie is when Catcher Block and Barbara Novak are on a phone call and the screen splits in ways that just so happen to make their words and actions appear to be a bit more than they actually are - if you’re not afraid of spoilers and want to see just what I mean, you can watch the scene below.

All told, Down With Love is an iconic romantic comedy whose middling reviews absolutely don’t do it justice. I would even go so far as to say that a lot of modern writers could learn a thing or two about being socially relevant without being heavy and uncomfortable from it. There’s so much I wish I could say, especially one moment that literally had me screaming the first time I saw the film, but I wouldn’t want to ruin that moment for you. So please, go watch this film and bask in its hilarious glory yourself, then come back and let me know what you thought about the big twist. I promise you, it’s a Valentine’s Day pick you won’t regret.