“Nick? Nicky?”
“What?”
“You asleep?”
“Yes!”
“Good. I want to talk to you.”
— The Thin Man
The cure for anything, as far as I'm concerned, is a film. When a bit down and needing a guaranteed pick-me-up, I turn to one of these. They’re not taxing, some are a mite predictable, but they’re reliably comforting and cheering. Best watched under a cosy quilt, wearing silk pyjamas, with or without a tray of chocolate truffles at arm’s reach.
The Thin Man (as well as the first two sequels, though a blissful weekend can be passed with all six in the series)
William Powell, Myrna Loy and, of course, Asta the dog solve mysteries while drinking copious amounts of cocktails in these irreverent crime caper comedies. Glamorous, fabulously witty and joyous.
An Affair To Remember
Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet on a cruise. One of the most famous cinematic love stories (Grant was apparently nursing a broken heart after an affair with La Loren while making this – so, he's more convincing than usual), and better than all the other versions of it. Sentimental towards the end, but sharp from the start.
More reassuringly cheering options from the classics: Sabrina, The Philadelphia Story, How to Marry a Millionaire.
You’ve Got Mail
If you pick apart this story, it should absolutely not work nor be remotely appealing, so it’s to writer–director Nora Ephron’s credit that she makes this remake (original: The Shop Around the Corner) work so well you don’t notice the holes at all. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, at the height of their romcom heyday, play their respective bookshop owners with sparkle and heart.
Julie & Julia
Another Nora Ephron offering that’s a failsafe feelgood, the story switches between Julia Childs in 1950s Paris and a food blogger, Julie, in modern day New York, based on their respective memoirs. When I’m rewatching it for the nth time, I’ll usually speed through the Julie parts and only watch the Julia segments, with Meryl Streep at her most effervescent.
Bridesmaids
Not as “gross out” as the initial hype had led me to believe, but a very funny film grounded in real warmth by the characters’ friendships that splinter over an upcoming wedding. With now–iconic scenes and lines, this made a star out of Melissa McCarthy. I use scenes from this film to demonstrate good storytelling in the way a protagonist eventually realises they’re the one who’re standing in their own way.
What Happens in Vegas
The contemporary archetypes of romantic couples are the anal-retentive woman and the perpetually-adolescent guy (see: any film with Sandra Bullock, Katherine Heigl et al). This is no exception but it has a little more zing than most. Curiously satisfying, despite the predictable ending.
More favourites
Catch Me If You Can Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks play cat and mouse in Spielberg's spirited adventurous tale inspired by a true story.
In Good Company A wry look into corporate culture as Dennis Quaid tries to hold on to his job as youngblood Topher Grace enters the picture. With Scarlett Johannson.
Guess Who An updated gender-switched version of the 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, where Zoe Saldana (surely the most beautiful woman in the world?) brings home Ashton Kutcher to face her father, Bernie Mac.
The Rebound Catherine Zeta-Jones playing a rare likeable character, opposite Justin Bartha in Bart Freundlich's look at life after divorce.
The Holiday Nancy Meyers's film where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet switch homes.
Friends with Benefits A fast, funny, fresh rom com with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.
Best to avoid all by Mike Leigh if feeling low, except Happy-Go-Lucky (though this is surprisingly polarising – I loved it) and my favourite, Secrets & Lies.
Keeping The Faith I love it when nobody apologises for the woman being strong; a surprisingly tame directorial debut choice from Edward Norton about a love triangle, with Ben Stiller and a perfectly cast Jenna Elfman.
The Very Thought of You Despite the clumsy original title (Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence) , it’s a fun and breezy rom com, with a great supporting role by Ray Winston.
Midnight in Paris Owen Wilson travels back to 1920s Paris in Woody Allen’s affable tale.
Just Like Heaven Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo pick a cute but clever rom com.
The Family Stone Great ensemble cast, from Diane Keaton’s all-knowing matriarch, Sarah Jessica Parker’s uptight guest and, especially, Rachel McAdams’s sarky daughter.
Amélie Audrey Tautou's quirky, romantic waif tries to help other people find joy in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's fabled version of Paris.
When all else fails: The Sound of Music.
“We all fear death and question our place in the universe. The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.”
— Gertrude Stein in Midnight in Paris
• Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons