The American romantic comedy film The Valet, directed by Richard Wong and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher, was released on the streaming platform Hulu on May 20, 2022. The film is a remake of the 2006 French film “La Doublure,” by Francis Veber. The Hulu original film stars Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving and follows the story of a famous actress who hires a parking valet to pose as her boyfriend in order to protect her reputation after a viral photograph is taken by paparazzi. The film has received positive reviews so far and in a review published by Los Angeles Times, they gave particular praise to the film’s screenplay and wrote, “Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg‘s screenplay updates Francis Veber‘s French film “La Doublure” with texture and warmth. The earned sweetness is particularly evident in its fond familial eye and taste for flavors of L.A. only longtime Angelenos would recognize.” In the same article, they commended Wong’s direction as well as the lead performances saying, “Richard Wong’s deft direction is crisp, funny (he knows just how to time an insert of Antonio’s cousin punching a mannequin) and, most importantly, trusts its performers to deliver. Of course, starting an ensemble with Derbez and Weaving helps.” If you enjoyed The Valet as much as we did and you’re looking for the next rom-com film to watch, here are five of our movie recommendations that are fun and light-hearted
Notting Hill
The closest plot that comes to mind when watching The Valet is the 1999 romantic comedy film Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The film was directed by Roger Michell with a screenplay by Richard Curtis and also stars Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, and Hugh Bonneville in supporting roles. The film follows a budding romance between a bookshop owner in London and a famous American actress and just like in The Valet, the two try to navigate their very different worlds. The film received positive reviews from critics and even became the highest-grossing British film of all time. It garnered several nominations including Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor and Best Actress, two BAFTA nominations and won the British Comedy Award and a Brit Award for the soundtrack. The Guardian reviewed the film and wrote, “The Englishness of this film is what strikes you now: the insouciance, the irony, the emotional reserve, all of it illumined by the American love affair.” They added how easily watchable the film is saying, “It’s a year-round indulgence, not just for Valentine’s.”
Marry Me
Similar to The Valet’s plot, the 2022 American romantic comedy-drama film Marry Me stars Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson as a pop star and a math teacher respectively. The film centers on the romance that develops when Kat Valdez decides to marry a math teacher holding a “Marry Me” sign during her concert after a painful revelation from her on-stage fiance. The film is directed by Kat Coiro, with a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher, and Harper Dill and is based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby. John Bradley, Sarah Silverman, Chloe Coleman, and Colombian singer Maluma also star in supporting roles. In a review by The Hollywood Reporter, they described the film as a good throwback rom-com film saying, “Coming in an era when rom-com films seem more often than not to take the form of subversions, genre hybrids or bittersweet dramedies, Marry Me‘s old-fashioned romanticism feels in some ways like a throwback. Yet it does not feel stale, because Marry Me demonstrates a shrewd understanding of the way modern celebrity operates, and in particular of the way Lopez’s does.”
The Proposal
Another fun film from the genre that is worth watching is the 2009 American romantic comedy film The Proposal directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli. It stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Åkerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, and Betty White. The film follows Margaret Tate, a Canadian book editor who asks her assistant Andrew Paxton to temporarily act as her fiancé. The two come to an agreement setting conditions that will benefit them both. The film received mixed reviews but has received some praise from critics, particularly Bullock’s performance which received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. In a film review by Common Sense Media, they commended the lead performances and wrote, “ Bullock and Reynolds have a breezy chemistry that most on-screen couples never achieve. They’re equally believable as boss-and-subordinate as they are as reluctant lovers. Both have finely honed comedy skills, and they’re bolstered by scene-stealing supporting actors, particularly Betty White as Andrew’s grandmother and Oscar Nuñez (The Office) as a jack of all trades (including exotic dancer).”
Maid In Manhattan
Two people coming from very different worlds and finding themselves falling in love has been part of the romantic comedy formula just like the 2002 romantic comedy-drama film Maid in Manhattan directed by Wayne Wang and based on a story by John Hughes. It stars Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. The plot centers on a senatorial candidate who falls for a maid in the Manhattan hotel he is staying at after he mistakes her for a socialite. The Guardian published a review of the film and wrote, “In a year of popular romcoms that at least attempted to incorporate the nuances of reality. Maid in Manhattan stands out as a curious, absurdist fairytale. It deserves another watch because of its fantastic ignorance to the context of its making. It is the unexpected death knell of the romanticised American dream onscreen; it is the last gasp of old-fashioned romcom idealism in a different world.”
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in the lead roles and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, Laura San Giacomo, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. The film’s title Pretty Woman is based on the 1964 song “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison and is a modern take on the Cinderella story. It follows a wealthy businessman from New York who hires a prostitute he meets in Los Angeles to accompany him in his weeklong business and social events. Eventually, the two start to fall in love with each other following the basics of a romantic comedy film. Pretty Woman was a commercial success despite receiving mixed reviews and Roberts received a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance and landed several lead roles in romantic films soon after. In a review published on RogerEbert.com, the film praised the lead performances saying, “Gere plays new notes here; his swagger is gone, and he’s more tentative, proper, even shy. Roberts does an interesting thing; she gives her character an irrepressibly bouncy sense of humor and then lets her spend the movie trying to repress it. Actresses who can do that and look great can have whatever they want in Hollywood.”
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