And behind door number 22... a guide to some music of the more traditional kind
Catherine Munn and Jacob Martin list their Top 5 programmes to watch over the festive period.
And behind door number nine... some dazzling musical delights
The complete arts guide, for week 9
The bane of men and the guilty pleasure of many more, belittled by some and loved by others, the chick flick is essentially a marmite genre for understandable reasons.
The plots are often cheesy and predictable and of course we all know that in the end the guy will get the girl and all will be happy families but this does not make the journey there any less enjoyable. For me, chick flicks provide the perfect blend of humour, hot men and sweep-me-off-my-feet romance that never fails to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Despite the waves of truly dire rom coms, such as 2009’s Couples Retreat, once in a while there comes along a chick flick destined to be a classic, played at girly sleepovers and forced on unsuspecting boyfriends everywhere…
- 10. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
A typical ugly-duckling-becomes-a-swan scenario with an interesting Greek twist. My favourite character has to be the Windex-obsessed dad who insists on finding the Greek root to every word. This film will make you want to be part of a huge Greek family shouting "Opa!" whilst smashing plates.
- 9. The Holiday (2006)
Jack Black shuns his usual ‘goofy guy' role to show an altogether more sensitive side in this film about a house swap in which the participants get more than they bargained for. I’ll look forward to getting this one out around December to get more into the festive mood. (Also, Shallow Hal [2001] is another heart-warming and hilarious Jack Black rom com that should definitely be watched.)
- 8. P.S. I Love You (2007)
Although not a personal favourite, not including this film would result in a flat full of very angry females! (Although, to be honest, I think they only like it for Gerard Butler and his ‘Irish’ accent.) However, it does provide a unique take on the genre, as the premise of communication with a dead lover avoids clichés and makes the audience wonder where the plot will go as there can be no real happy ending.
- 7. Legally Blonde (2001)
Inverting the chick flick’s typical plot-line, this film actually starts with the lead actress being dumped and then pursuing her dreams of a high-flying career as a lawyer. I have no doubt that Legally Blonde has spawned a generation of women who now want to be lawyers and will excite the feminist in us all.
- 6. The Notebook (2004)
For some indescribable reason we seem to enjoy films that make us cry and The Notebook takes full advantage of this fact. The plot gives us all you could want from a love story and epic romance, with a bittersweet tearjerker ending that will have even the burliest of men reaching for the Kleenex.
- 5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Although I’m not entirely sure if this film can really be classed as a chick flick, it falls into the romantic comedy genre that chick flicks mostly frequent. Pursuing a plot based around flashbacks and memory loss it provides a quirky take on the genre and its philosophical and fantasy elements have gained it a cult following and almost make me forget about my intense dislike for Jim Carrey.
- 4. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Injecting a bit of girl power into the list comes Anne Hathaway. Here she plays an aspiring news writer, thereby differentiating herself from the waves of airhead rom com divas. The conflict between her superficial fashion career and her own aspirations gives us the message to follow our own dreams and is therefore a chick flick with a bit more substance.
- 3. Sex and the City (2008)
The clothes, the shoes, the parties, the men and the fierce female friendship. These girls have it all and we all want a piece of it. (It is also one of the only films for which the sequel is just as great and maybe even funnier than the first.)
- 2. Mean Girls (2004)
An unspoken code between guys seems to list this film as one of the only chick flicks that it is socially acceptable to admit liking. You wouldn’t think a film that plays so blatantly on high school stereotypes could contain as much wit and charm as this one does. Mean Girls has provided us with a large number of genuinely great and memorable quotes, a personal favourite being "Did you have an awesome time? Did you drink awesome shooters, listen to awesome music, and then just sit around and soak up each other's awesomeness?"
- 1. Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)
A list of chick flicks would be incomplete without a Hugh Grant film…and Renee Zellweger plays the ultimate ‘bachelorette’ in this perfect feel good movie. If you’re feeling fat, unloved or generally useless Bridget Jones provides a realistic heroine to look up to and realise that someone else knows exactly what you’re going through. Plus, someone really needs to give Zellweger a Grammy for her rendition of ‘All By Myself'!
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