demo

TimeOf Rev iews

ROMANTIC COMEDIES GET A BAD

rap. It’s never been the most pro-

gressive genre—how many times

have we watched a hero save the

damsel, or a high-powered execu-

tive lirt with his secretary? And

the odds are stacked against the

rom-com: box-oice grosses are

down; audiences are increasingly

wrestling with traditional gen-

der dynamics; and there’s a per-

sistent belief in Hollywood that

women, the genre’s target demo,

will enthusiastically go see super-

hero movies, but men have to be

dragged kicking and screaming to

romantic comedies.

And yet, slowly but surely, the

rom-com is making a comeback.

And the ilm industry is starting

to get it right. A few of this sum-

mer’s most enjoyable movies—the

Nick Hornby adaptationJuliet,

Naked; the box-oice smash Crazy

Rich Asians; and the sleeper Net-

lix hitSet It Up—attempt to re-

solve the tension between what

we emotionally need and what

we intellectually know is best.

All three movies refocus on what

women want—beyond a man—

and celebrate equal partnerships.

ROM-COMS ARE TYPICALLYthe

playground of 20-somethings,

butJuliet, Naked doesn’t shy away

from the problems that come with

growing up. Ethan Hawke’s aging

musician Tucker Crowe is a mess,

juggling a handful of exes and

even more children. Crowe’s hap-

lessness might have been charm-

ing in his 20s, but at this stage, his

love interest Annie (Rose Byrne)

is contemplating having a baby

on her own and is wary of getting

mixed up with a man-child.

Set It Upsimilarly presents fe-

male protagonists with modern

priorities. Two personal assistants

MOVIES

Three splashy summer ilms

refresh the romantic comedy

By Eliana Dockterman

‹.HOORJJ1$&R SET IT UP: NETFLIX

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