New RomComs Review
Someone at Netflix got the romcom bug and released three romantic comedies in the past few months. I thought it would be fun to compare and contrast them in one post. The following sections contain spoilers.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before: This is based on a book by Jenny Han. Lara Jean and Peter's relationship is believable. Although it starts as a fake ploy, Peter falls quickly for Lara Jean (this becomes obvious if you watch the movie a second time), and she soon has feelings for him as well. The actors have chemistry, and Lara Jean and Peter have deep conversations about self-esteem and losing parents (Lara Jean's mother died, while Peter's father left his family.). He helps her to come out of her shell, and she learns that people can be better than one's first impression of them. Lara Jean also learns to be honest about her feelings. This lesson comes about in an odd scene with one of her former crushes listening to her read notes from Peter. If you like romantic comedies aimed at a high school aged crowd, you'll like this movie. I liked To All the Boys I've Loved Before the most out of the three.
Sierra Burgess is a Loser: This is based on an Italian play. I have seen the play, and I liked it more than this adaptation. I struggled to like the ending because I thought that the writers didn't tie up Sierra's friendship with Veronica. After all, Veronica did help convince Jamey to forgive Sierra for her cat fishing scheme.
There is some cute dialogue between Jamey and Sierra, and I think people may appreciate that Sierra looks "normal" and struggles openly with her self-esteem. The cat fishing element has been rebuked by many in reviews, and I think that it didn't translate well to this current era. I don't know if that is a writers' issue or perhaps the subject matter couldn't be helped because they wanted to use the original story. Sierra Burgess is a Loser falls somewhere between the other two for me.
The Kissing Booth: This is based on a book by Beth Reekles. I've watched this the most recently out of the three, and I think that we don't see enough growth in their relationship. Sure, Elle and Noah have sexual chemistry (which is shown frequently) and the forbidden romance trope in their favor, but they have few serious or deep conversations. This is the only one of the three to hint strongly at a sex scene. (To All the Boys I've Loved Before hints at sex, but this is a source of controversy for the characters themselves, and the characters give the situation a negative connotation.)
The movie ends with the audience uncertain whether or not their relationship will last. Elle gains self-confidence, which could be the point of the story, but as a romantic comedy, the audience expects a certain ending. I think that Elle and Noah have a short-lived fling that attempts to be a loving romance.
Aside: I thought that the fact that Noah looks at least 3 or 4 years older than Elle made their romance odd. However, I appreciated that Elle is shorter, as I am a short girl myself.
Elle and Lee's friendship is tested through Elle's romance with Noah. This could give the movie some depth, as they have to learn to let one another make choices for themselves rather than relying on a list of rules. I liked The Kissing Booth the least out of the three.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before: This is based on a book by Jenny Han. Lara Jean and Peter's relationship is believable. Although it starts as a fake ploy, Peter falls quickly for Lara Jean (this becomes obvious if you watch the movie a second time), and she soon has feelings for him as well. The actors have chemistry, and Lara Jean and Peter have deep conversations about self-esteem and losing parents (Lara Jean's mother died, while Peter's father left his family.). He helps her to come out of her shell, and she learns that people can be better than one's first impression of them. Lara Jean also learns to be honest about her feelings. This lesson comes about in an odd scene with one of her former crushes listening to her read notes from Peter. If you like romantic comedies aimed at a high school aged crowd, you'll like this movie. I liked To All the Boys I've Loved Before the most out of the three.
Sierra Burgess is a Loser: This is based on an Italian play. I have seen the play, and I liked it more than this adaptation. I struggled to like the ending because I thought that the writers didn't tie up Sierra's friendship with Veronica. After all, Veronica did help convince Jamey to forgive Sierra for her cat fishing scheme.
There is some cute dialogue between Jamey and Sierra, and I think people may appreciate that Sierra looks "normal" and struggles openly with her self-esteem. The cat fishing element has been rebuked by many in reviews, and I think that it didn't translate well to this current era. I don't know if that is a writers' issue or perhaps the subject matter couldn't be helped because they wanted to use the original story. Sierra Burgess is a Loser falls somewhere between the other two for me.
The Kissing Booth: This is based on a book by Beth Reekles. I've watched this the most recently out of the three, and I think that we don't see enough growth in their relationship. Sure, Elle and Noah have sexual chemistry (which is shown frequently) and the forbidden romance trope in their favor, but they have few serious or deep conversations. This is the only one of the three to hint strongly at a sex scene. (To All the Boys I've Loved Before hints at sex, but this is a source of controversy for the characters themselves, and the characters give the situation a negative connotation.)
The movie ends with the audience uncertain whether or not their relationship will last. Elle gains self-confidence, which could be the point of the story, but as a romantic comedy, the audience expects a certain ending. I think that Elle and Noah have a short-lived fling that attempts to be a loving romance.
Aside: I thought that the fact that Noah looks at least 3 or 4 years older than Elle made their romance odd. However, I appreciated that Elle is shorter, as I am a short girl myself.
Elle and Lee's friendship is tested through Elle's romance with Noah. This could give the movie some depth, as they have to learn to let one another make choices for themselves rather than relying on a list of rules. I liked The Kissing Booth the least out of the three.
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