Romantic comedies make for a kinder, gentler summer
Summer is usually associated with blockbusters — big, bombastic action movies that sizzle with explosions, gunfights, special effects and hot babes.
But there’s a sweeter side of summer that’s often ignored, at least by younger moviegoers. The season of month-long flings and under-the-stars sleepovers is also the perfect time for light, breezy romantic comedies.
This year, we’re seeing a bumper crop of promising films. Here are six of summer’s most anticipated flicks.
“The Brothers Bloom” (Opens Friday)
I’ve been waiting for this movie ever I saw director Rian Johnson’s brilliant debut film, “Brick.”
Whereas “Brick” dealt with murder, conspiracy and high school, “The Brothers Bloom” revolves around a pair of sly, sexy confidence men.
Together with their explosive sidekick Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi of “Babel”), the Brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo) have swindled scores of millionaires with complex schemes of lust and intrigue. Now the team is ready for one final con.
They set their sights set on Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz), a beautiful, eccentric and delightfully daffy heiress. But as the brothers take Penelope on the romantic globe-trotting adventure of a lifetime, she may also be taking them for a ride.
“The Brothers Bloom” looks like a bright, breezy throwback to con men comedies like “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “The Lady Eve.” It’s the perfect cure for those sunless summer doldrums.
“Whatever Works” (Friday)
Woody Allen revisits one of his favorite subjects — May-December romance in the City That Never Sleeps — in the new comedy “Whatever Works.”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” crank Larry David serves as the Allen stand-in here, playing elderly, eccentric physicist Boris Yellkinoff.
By Boris’ own admission, he’s not a “likeable guy.” He’s mean to neighborhood children. He talks to himself. He worries constantly about aging and death.
Then Boris discovers a teenage runaway (Rachel Evan Wood) camped out on his Greenwich Village doorstep and falls head-over-heels in love.
Soon Melodie’s divorced, deeply religious parents (Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr.) are also banging on his door. How will the couple, her Southern family and Boris’ crazy New York City friends ever get along?
“Whatever Works” is familiar Allen territory, and that’s a problem. The premise is dull. The comedy seems tired. Plus, David — so deliciously acid-tongued and disastrously rude on “Curb” — seems a bit uncomfortable repeating someone else’s words.
I’d prefer see latter-day Woody Allen overseas — plotting murder in London or matching up sexy singles in Spain — not treading the same old sidewalks at home.
“Away We Go” (June 26)
British director Sam Mendes seems to excel at movies about disastrous relationships.
His most famous film, “American Beauty,“ revolved around a marriage-threatening mid-life crisis. “Road to Perdition” dealt with imperfect father-son relationships. “Jarhead” explored wartime dillusionment.
2008’s “Revolutionary Road” garnered a handful of Oscar nominations for its raw, painful portrayal of a couple stifled by ’50s suburban life.
Mende’s latest film, “Away We Go,” finds him surveying the subtle bonds between partners, parents and children from a new perspective, the romantic comedy.
John Kransinki (“The Office”) and Maya Rudolph (“Saturday Night Live”) star as expecting couple Burt and Verona, two aimless, rootless 30-somethings terrified by the prospect of parenthood.
Unfortunately, Burt’s parents have just decided to move thousands of miles away to Antwerp. Burt and Verona decide to travel the country in search of the perfect place to start their family — connecting with friends and relatives along the way.
“Away We Go” has a hipper-than-thou pedigree. It’s directed by Mendes and co-written by McSweeney’s editor Dave Eggers, author of “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” and his spouse, Vendela Vida.
But the movie really shares more with Zach Braff’s “Garden State,“ a charming comedy with the same mix of quirky, deadpan humor, Generation X anxiety and indie soundtrack.
Here’s hoping that “Away We Go” — unlike Mendes’ darker movies — will have that same hopeful spirit.
“(500) Days of Summer” (July 17, limited release)
To paraphrase the omniscient narrator, “(500) Days of Summer” is not a love story. It’s a story about love.
It’s the story of the brief relationship between two cute, cuddly 20-somethings. It’s a story about hope and heartbreak, about promises and uncertainty. It’s a story about risks, rewards and disappointment.
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt of “Brick”) believes in true love, the kind of sweeping romantic feeling that melts hearts, weakens knees and inspires Disneyesque dance numbers in downtown Los Angeles.
Summer (Zooey Deschanel), a disillusioned pragmatist, doesn’t. She counters Tom’s idealism with questions like “You don’t believe that, do you?”
“It’s love,” huffs Tom. “It’s not Santa Claus.”
“(500) Days of Summer” plays with our expectations about onscreen romance in predictably adorable indie fashion. The pop culture references, old school soundtrack and quirky storytelling come courtesy of director Marc Webb, a music video veteran.
“Funny People” (July 31)
Stand-up comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is dying.
The rare blood disease that’s wracking his body is terminal. It is unoperable. And it could end his life in a matter of months.
George, who’s reached the peak of his career only to find himself friendless and alone, realizes it’s time for a change.
He takes fledgling comic Ira (Seth Rogan) under his wing as an opening act and personal assistant. And he begins reconnecting with “the one that got away” — smart, beautiful Laura (Leslie Mann), who’s now married with kids.
Then George discovers that he’s going to make it after all. What will he do with his new lease on life?
For writer-director Judd Apatow, “Funny People” marks a return to the softer, sweeter side audiences glimpsed in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.”
Don’t expect a sappy sob story, however. The movie balances its tender moments with hilarious interludes by such funny folks as Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Ken Jeong, Sarah Silverman and Norm McDonald.
“Julie & Julia” (Aug. 7)
One thing unites the two fierce female protagonists of “Julie & Julia”: the love of food.
The first woman mentioned is intrepid blogger Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who vows to spend a year whipping up all the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s classic cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
The second is her idol and inspiration, quirky, lovable and fearless chef Julia Child (Meryl Streep).
Writer-director Nora Ephron adapts two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s “Julie & Julia” (the first blog to be made into a movie) and Child’s autobiography “My Life in France,” written with the help of her husband’s grandnephew, Alex Prud’homme.
I predict that audiences will be salivating by the end of this film, even if they cringe a little at Ephron’s potentially heavy-headed direction.
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Image courtesy of MovieWeb.com.
She Likes to Watch 
What does “potentially heavy handed” mean? Was it heavy handed or not?
Chuck,
I haven’t seen “Julie & Julia” yet. Nor have I seen the other films, with the sole exception of “The Brothers Bloom.” I have, however, watched the trailers for all of these films and read reviews, interviews and background information relating to them. That’s what I’m basing my analysis on.
Thanks,
Sarah