So yesterday I did the laziest thing and watched two RomComs in a row. Literally back to back...
As you may have guessed the first was The Wedding Date and the second was What Happens in Vegas.
So I thought I'd do something a bit different and compare them.
1. Male Protagonist: Dermot Mulroney Vs Ashton Kutcher
It's a toughie... As actors both are pretty talented, yet pretty typecast. Although in the Wedding Date Dermot Mulroney actually manages to avoid his awkward man in an important business suit character and has a little fun with this part. So in this film Mulroney plays a male escort, not just a "hooker" as he refers to himself during the film, but he actually "escorts" ladies/women to their respective events that they feel they cannot face alone. Mulroney's character (Nick) is a cool and collected kind of guy, but you can tell he cares. What makes this character attractive is that he is the one man in all the world that understands women and why they act the way they do. He is definitely a 7/10 as good guys go, not quite as hunky as Kutcher, but his body is quite satisfactory, as I'm sure Debra Messing (his co star) would agree. Also it might just be me but I like a little bit of hair on a mans chest... it's more manly, Ashton Kutcher although he has a small amount of hair is almost too perfected. So anyway onto Kutchers performance as an actor. He plays the part very well and when his character is given the twist of actually having a soft, sensitive side you have to give credit where credit is due and say you just want to melt into his puppy dog eyes. He does manage to play the obnoxious bachelor bit a tad too well though, which leads me to wonder is he just sooo used to playing these parts, because of his playboy good looks, or is he just playing himself? Either way, you are not drawn in by his character as with Mulroney's, but he certainly wins you over in the end and definitely gets an 8/10 for his "nice guy". He only scores one more point than Mulroney because he turns himself from an absolute Tw*t into a guy you could definitely bring home to your mum. Whereas Nick (Mulroney) still has this cool air as if he's been through it all before and he's just going through the motions, maybe it's the script rather than the actors that just pip this one. Overall a tough competition.
2. Female Protagonist: Debra Messing Vs Cameron Diaz
The problem here is that I've only ever really seen Debra Messing's acting ability in this film (I know I haven't seen a single episode of Will and Grace! Shock!), also I love Cameron Diaz so I'm bound to be a bit bias, but I'll try my best to be fair...
Both incredibly attractive women, in very different ways, but very well cast for the parts they play. Messing's character is a little neurotic and the little one liners are delivered perfectly by Messing. The problem with Messing's Character - and this is no fault of her own - is that she is written in such a co dependant way that you feel mostly sympathy and part "pull yourself together women!", you never really "root" for her, although obviously you are rooting for her to get with Mulroney's character. You kind of feel like she needs to stick up for herself sooner. Diaz's Character Joy is quite the contrary and although you get a similar sort of feeling, when she's always trying to live up to someone else's ideal, you also have her back the whole way against Kutchers character (or is that just me, because I'm female?). Then when Kutcher finally changes his ways you're devastated to find a mistake he made when he was a -excuse my language- Tw*t comes back to haunt her. I believe that it's the writing more than the acting ability but in The Wedding Date I'm backing Mulroney's character to turn Messing's Character into a slightly less neurotic able-to-love-again woman, whereas in What Happens In Vegas - I'm behind Joy (Diaz) all the way backing her in her fight against getting over Mason whilst struggling to be married to Jack (Kutcher). You're also backing her when she starts to fall for him as you realise they do belong together etc. (trying to avoid too many cliché
3. Storyline
Interesting, obviously most people can relate to feeling the pressure to turn up to a party etc. with a date, particularly if you've been to prom - so The Wedding Date definitely has that on its side, as opposed to What Happens in Vegas - which I'm sure some, but much less, can relate to.
Without wanting to sound negative, the problem with the Wedding Date is, it all happens too fast and jerky, there's never a smooth bit. For me there is too much going on at the end, when the build up is relatively slow. The problem is we know they're going to get together - It's a RomCom for goodness sake, it's just that when it happens, she's drunk and he's initially just doing what he's being paid to do - So it's kind of anti climactic.
Whereas with What Happens in Vegas, for me the turning point happens twice. Once when Joy realises she's falling for him when she sees him with all the children and then a second time when Jack basically owns up to falling for her by making a little speech at her work party and asking her for their first dance. The latter moment being a brilliant moment in a RomCom where just as it's all going right, you think "oh no He's going to ruin it!" - and then he goes and does something wonderfully romantic like that. Again What Happens In Vegas Just about wins here.
4. The Comedy
Okay so many people (particularly men) think that RomComs are silly romantic clichés that women like to watch to satisfy some sort of Prince Charming fantasy - Wrong! If it's all Rom and no Com it's not a RomCom it's a "Chic Flic" and if you don't want a lovey dovey happy, albeit predictable Hollywood ending... don't watch a "Chic Flic". Now that's cleared up we can discuss the Comedy side of these films. Yes the films are still a little chliché and yes they do have a happy ending, but the comedy makes the predictability much more bearable to the Romancephobes out there. I'm a sucker for a happy ending in love anyway, but if I'm watching a film and it's classified as a RomCom I'm expecting to laugh out loud at least once. This is where The Wedding Date let me down slightly, I smiled appreciatively at many of the one liners and character "Faux Pas" but nothing really made me giggle, so it's not a film you can say to your boyfriend "hey its romCOM, you'll like the funny bits" when he complains that you're making him watch yet another "Girly Film". Whereas What Happens in Vegas definitely is. It has more than the edge in this competition and made me chuckle more than once. The point in the comedy element is to make it more lighthearted whilst you struggle with the characters through their trials and tribulations and I feel What Happens in Vegas has a good balance without making the film too silly and far fetched.
Overall if you're looking for a good film to watch with your girlfriends, boyfriends or even family What Happens in Vegas is definitely the better choice here, don't get me wrong the wedding date is a good film for people like me who thrive on the happy ending where the kiss finally happens and the whole reason you watch the film - to see the couple finally get together - comes to a head. But What Happens in Vegas is much more universal and overall in my opinion - a better script and screen play.
That's All Folks...
Fay♥
Disclaimer: In this blog copyright/plagerism is unintended - the content is original. Please note that this is just a fun blog and these are only opinions - no harm or offence is meant.
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