Romance lovers are spoilt for choice this June with a range of great romances hitting our cinemas and our streaming channels.
My first advanced screening of the month was to see the British film ‘Finding Emily’. This one is from the makers of ‘ Love Actually’ and ‘ Bridget Jones Diary’ so I knew I was in for a treat. It’s a very modern take on love with the hero, Owen (Spike Fearn) playing a lovesick musician who was given a girl’s number at a party only to find a digit was missing. Here begins his search for Emily.
He teams up with another Emily (Angourie Rice) who helps him in his search. Emily is a psychology student who is secretly using him as a case study to prove that love is obselete. However, the two grow closer as the search widens.
It’s a lovely film with two convincing leads and has much to say about social media and dating in a modern landscape. We laughed along and found it very endearing. Loved the English setting and also the appearance of Minnie Driver. If you are looking for a cool film to warm your heart this winter ‘ Finding Emily’ might just be for you.
‘Off Campus’ is the ice hockey romance taking the world by storm. Everyone I know is talking about it and with good reason. It’s a steamy, topical and believable fake girlfriend romance with great performances from its ensemble cast. I binged the whole season in a couple of days and look forward to the next instalment.
Jennifer Lopez is back in her romance era, this time as an airline CEO and pilot, Jackie Cruz in the new film, ‘ Office Romance’. Enter Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein) who is thrown into the role of saviour when the top lawyer at the firm chokes on a burrito. Daniel impresses Jackie with his prowess in a deposition and as they work closer together their attraction grows. The only problem is that the airline has a zero tolerance for office romance. Will they be able to fight their growing chemistry? This one is charming and funny and shows why JLO is one of the most beloved rom com stars on the planet.
My last romance pick is set in my hometown of Brisbane. ‘ Two Years Later’ is a comedy drama that follows two friends, Emily (Phoebe Tonkin)and Ryan (Brenton Thwaites) who meet on the bus to work every day. When the pandemic hits they don’t see each other for two years and Ryan surprises Emily by dropping to one knee and proposing. He vowed to propose if he ever saw her again. The only problem is that Emily already has a boyfriend.
They have dinner together and Emily is fascinated by the gentle Ryan, who lives with his grandparents to help with their care. He proposes that they have eight dates to find out whether or not they are compatible. The series shares the ups and downs of relationships while our main characters face personal challenges. Emily is very guarded and Ryan’s problems seem to have been left in the past. he is more open and carefree. Could it be a case of opppsites attract?
This is a nuanced story which focuses on the two leads. The actors have a wonderful chemistry which moves the story along. It’s deeper than a lot of romances and explores the topic of human connection and all life’s messiness in the day to day. Watch it for the Brisbane scenes but stay for the romance.
michellebeesley.com 