What to Watch -- Movie Reviews of 3 Netflix Rom Coms You Haven't Already Seen!

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I'm squeezing in this non-holiday post right before the allure of pie and tinsel becomes TOO irresistible... Lately my husband and I have had some good luck finding new movies to watch on Netflix, and I thought I'd share!

The "Watch" recommendations below are all romantic comedies currently available to stream free on Netflix -- but you can always check your local library too!  The links are to amazon so you can check them out there as well if you prefer.  The "Don't Watch" recommendation isn't currently streaming (I suffered through it in the theater a few months ago) but since I'm telling you NOT to watch it, I thought you wouldn't mind.  ;)

What to watch....

Timer -- This witty 2009 film showcases a tech-dominated world where implants known as "timers" count down to the moment when you will meet your soulmate, while those with blank timers -- whose soulmates have died, haven't been born yet, or haven't received the implant yet -- are left to struggle through an uncertain romantic landscape.  Timer qualifies as a romantic comedy, but it definitely isn't cut in the traditional mold!  My husband and I have watched this one at least a couple of times already, and are gearing up for another go now that I've been remembering how good it is!  (Note that it is rated R, so I wouldn't call it a family film, haha).


 Blind Date -- This 2015 French film is subtitled, but sweet and funny enough that even normally subtitle-resistant people (*coughMyHusbandcough*) should enjoy it!  My husband picked this one for us to watch on a whim, and we ended up surprised by how much we loved it.  An old and completely UN-soundproof apartment building plays matchmaker in Blind Date, when a concert pianist moves in to the apartment next to a reclusive puzzle-builder.  Their arguments over the noise turns into a friendship, and then blossoms into something more, all without them ever having actually seen one another (the "blind" part of the title).  Surprisingly, the plot totally works, ha!  It is a feel-good film in the best sense of the phrase, with some phenomenal piano performances as well.  (Since it is a foreign film it doesn't have an official rating, but Netflix calls it TV-14)



Sliding Doors -- This 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow film is actually two stories for most of the movie... the reality in which the heroine catches a particular train one morning, and the reality in which the train door slides shut on her, and she has to wait for the next.  Siding Doors has more dramatic ups-and-downs than a typical rom-com, but it is a clever and emotionally-resonant film that will leave you thinking.  (Rated PG-13)




Other romantic comedies currently streaming on Netflix, that you HAVE to see if you haven't already, include Princess Bride, 13 Going on 30, and While You Were Sleeping.  SO GOOD.  ;)  

What NOT to Watch:

 Cafe Society -- Had I known this movie was directed by Woody Allen I wouldn't have gone in the first place, cuz he's a total creeper... but I did go, and suffered through the whole thing from start to finish. The funniest part of this tedious, morally ambiguous non-funny "comedy" is making comparisons throughout to the Twilight series... it might seem like a strech, rofl, but hear me out!  Both star Kristen Stewart.  In both she falls for an off-limits "older man."  In both she is torn between him and a more wholesome, age-appropriate love interest.  In both she chooses the "forbidden" option, and changes dramatically as a result.  DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE??  Toooo funny!  

One other critique I have of the movie is that the Steve Carell character is supposed to be this dynamic, charismatic figure (he's the off-limits older man), but for the whole movie he seems constipated and anxious -- completely unappealing!  If he had just reprised his role of Michael from The Office in a 1930s setting it even would have worked better... but instead you spend the whole movie wishing someone would get him some alka-seltzer and a xanax.  I'm pretty sure what happened was... he read the script.  Haha!  He read the script, and was so depressed as a result that he just couldn't muster a more convincing performance.  Poor Steve Carell... we feel for you.

Your turn!  Got a recommendation for me, either just an awesome movie in general or something currently streaming on Netflix??  Let me know in the comments!

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