Flashback Friday: Three to Tango (1999)

Love triangles have for the most part, been a staple of the romantic comedy or romantic drama. For this narrative to succeed, the screenwriter(s) have to make this very basic and predictable story their own.

The 1999 movie Three to Tango stars three 1990’s television stars in the lead roles. Charles Newman (Dylan McDermott) is a businessman who asks Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) to be a companion of sorts for his mistress, Amy Post (Neve Campbell). Charles thinks that Oscar is gay. But Oscar is straight. As Oscar spends more time with Amy, he begins to fall in love with her.

As rom-coms go, there is almost nothing revolutionary about this film. Charles is a dick, Oscar is a nice guy, and Amy is the woman in between them. I certainly appreciate that it is a small step in the direction of a realistic portrayal of LGBTQ characters. But in 2021 terms, its not exactly the ground breaking moment it could have been. My major issue is that Amy has no agency or life other than being a figure of romantic and sexual attraction. Granted, this movie is twenty two years old, but it has not aged well in my opinion.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Advertisement

Throwback Thursday: Fools Rush In (1997)

When it comes to love and romance, it has been said that opposites attract. However, that does not mean that compromise and putting in the hard work to make the relationship last can be put aside.

In the 1997 romantic comedy Fools Rush In, Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry) and Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek) are as mismatched a couple as you can get. Fate brings them together in Las Vegas. Three weeks after a one night stand, Isabel discovers that she is pregnant. Before they know it, Alex and Isabel are married. The ceremony was the easy part. Now they have to learn to live with each other and get along with their new in-laws. Which as many married couples may tell you, is a battle in and of itself.

This movie is cute. It is the type of rom-com I would watch on a day that I needed to relax and get out my head for a little while. The comedy is also helped by the cultural differences between the main characters. It would be easy to present Alex as a typical uptight suburban white guy and Isabel as a saucy and spicy Latina. While the stereotypes are there, they are merely the backbone of who Alex and Isabel are. They are given ample room to grow well beyond the expectations the audience has for who they are and where their story will go.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Throwback Thursday- Television Edition -Friends (1994-2004)

The 20’s are a very interesting time in our lives. We are adults, but brand new to the adult world. There is often a lot of growth, maturity and heartache in these years.

The classic 90’s sitcom, Friends, is about six friends who live in a Manhattan apartment.

Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) is the suburban princess. Monica (Courteney Cox) is the type A chef. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is the quirky musician/masseuse who is smarter than she looks. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) is the wannabe soap actor. Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) is the sarcastic one of the group. Ross (David Schwimmer) is  Monica’s older brother and a paleontologist.

This sitcom still has a major fan base for a reason. There s something universal about being in the early adulthood stages and the growth that leads us to the next stage of our lives.

I recommend it.