just_speak_up

Given the well-known reputation which precedes romantic comedies as a film genre (materialistic, stereotypical, completely devoid of any real depth or humanity), I was quite surprised to learn that Natalie Portman was starring opposite Ashton Kutcher in an upcoming rom-com, No Strings Attached–let alone a rom-com that, upon first viewing of the trailer, literally made me cringe before it was even over. Maybe I’m harsh, but…

Issue #1: How those two were ever cast together in the same movie, I’ll never know.

Issue #2: Based on the topic of the film, I was almost certain that this was going to be a glorification of overgeneralized gender differences (’cause, you know, men see the world through a tint of blue while their female counterparts view the same world as purely pink….or is that fuschia?).

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I read that not only does she carry strong, valid opinions on the lackluster quality of female roles in romantic comedies but, also, that her character in the film should not give us reason to worry. A recent interview captures her thoughts on both of these, beginning with her reasoning for having never done a romantic comedy before:

“I’ve always wanted to do one….but the girls are always in fashion, and it’s always about their clothes. They always want to get married at the end. There’s some kind of makeover scene. That stuff offends me.”

“[Screenwriter] Liz ...