Can you go too far with art? Can you go too far in a movie genre that the medium as a whole is actually acting to kill itself, rather then meet the desires of its intended audience? I believe you can. And we're seeing this phenomenon unfold before our very eyes with current, sad state of the romantic comedy genre. Case-and-point, recent releases which include:
- "Warm Bodies" (2013: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer): a teen rom-com were a zombie boy falls in love with a female girl.
- "Her" (2013: writer/director Spike Jonze, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams): a man falls in love with computer operation system.
- "Don Jon" (2013: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johnansson): a man deals with a porn addiction while dating a good match for him.
Grading art can be tricky. And it is true that beauty is in the eye of the behold. But some sights are obscene. Case and point: I once saw a painted picture of a Crucifix of Christ in a urinal. Now what would ever possess a person to set his or her artistic skills to such a demented end? Now alone the two things are not bad. I LOVE the crucifix of Christ. I love Christ. And I wear a golden crucifix to identify with Jesus. And I use urinals everyday. But to put a crucifix in a urinal and depict that as art for others to see!?! That's profane. And if you cannot see the obsceneness in that, I truly pity you and hope that someday the Lord does a work in your heart so that you can once again define the acceptable from the profane.
I think where the rom-com genre has gone off the rails is at the studio, executive level. Someone is green-lighting this SHIT, and giving it their blessing to be funded, and mass distributed. Lack of taste at the highest level. Sad, very sad.
Now, SOME might argue that artists should be granted the freedom to test and explore the boundaries of movie-making. Push the envelope. Go where no one has gone before. In fact some might argue that these very same three movies raise key issue afflicting modern society. "Don Jon": men have a problem with pornography and that can affect their modern relationships. "Wam Bodies": we are romantically dead as society, and need the spark of life to get us going again. "Her": some people have taken the easy out with technology and let that replace their inherrent need for love by another person.
Okay, so maybe you see the themes of these three movies a little differently than me, but I'm on the trajectory with issues they raise, right?
Here' the basic inherent problem with all three movies. All three attempt to fuse elements which tear at the fabric of romance between a man and a woman. In fact one of them even challenges the notion that romantic love can be found outside the bounds of a man/woman relationship. And why does a traditional audience of a romantic comedy even go to see a romantic comedy movie in the first place -- to have their faith re-kindled in the love they could find in this world in the arms of a member of the opposite sex.
All three of these movies: "Her", "Warm Bodies" and "Don Jon" make me sick to my stomach. Makes me think that those making the movies have pushed the envelope to an obscene level. That which was once beautiful and inspiring, is now ugly and working against its core ethos.
The romantic comedy genre is not trending in the right direction. And you can blame those who greenlit these movies for that.
All three of these movies: "Warm Bodies", "Don Jon" and "Her" fail me at the premise level. I was able to determine upfront by what the filmmakers where attempting to fuse together was something I would not want to watch. So of all three movies the only one I've seen so far is "Her". Good recommendations on-line by people's who opinions I trust, and actors and actresses I admire pushed me over the edge to see it.
My original prejudice of the movie "Her" didn't change much as result actually watching this movie. Watching Joaquin Phoenix's character fall in love with his computer operating system made me sick to my stomach. His computer operating system wanted to become more human, and Joaquin Phoenix's character just wanted to get over his impending divorce. Lonely writer, meets eager computer voice ready to become human. A love to inspire the masses in 2013 and beyond right? Absolutely not!!! Never got over the creepiness of a man opening himself up to his computer -- and falling intellectually in love with it! Did appreciate the fine acting performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams tough. It's just this movie failed me at the premise level and the execution of the idea no matter how believable and well-thought out it was, was a very hard sell, and indeed, never won me over -- not for a second.
I love the romantic comedy genre, but I hate the direction it is going right now. Yes, "Silver Linings Playbook" and "About Time" were steps in the right direction in 2013, but "Warm Bodies", "Her" and "Don Jon" were all grave missteps.
I guess it all stems back to the reason why people go see romantic comedies in the first place. I'm of the belief that bedrock supporters of the romantic comedy genre to these movies to get their faith rekindled and sparked for romance. Why do you think women want to see rom-coms? They want their boyfriends or husbands (as the case may be) in real life to be romantic towards them in real life. Romantic comedies are meant to inspire, not be these science experiments taking two mismatched, opposing factions and forcing them to co-exist in the same movie together.
- Zombies do not belong with teenagers foraying into their first romantic endeavor.
- Pornography does not belong with romance and laughter.
- Advanced computer technology does not belong as a substitute for a flesh and blood human being in a romantic relationship.
So will Hollywood ever learn? I hope so. I LOVE all the hyper-talented people over there: directors, actors, film editors. I truly believe that if they want to they can still make romantic comedies of exceptional value that meet people's needs. What is needed is better taste from the people at the top. If you have the power to green light movies, you have the power to affect millions of people. With that power you can inspire them to live more happier and complete lives, or you used as a vessel which helps solicit disharmony and discontentment in society abroad.
I do not believe that romance is dead. And don't believe for a second that movies like "Her", "Warm Bodies" or "Don Jon" advance the genre to greater heights. Rather, I believe that obscene premise movies like "Her", "Warm Bodies" and "Don Jon" are dragging this beloved genre through the mud and taking it to new depths of depravity such has never been seen before. Just the fact that movies like these three get a wide release makes me sad. It makes me feel like those at the top of the Hollywood movie making chain are dead, dead inside. Hollywood needs to take to heart what they're releasing. Consider their legacy down the road. These three movies: "Her", "Warm Bodies" and "Don Jon" prove that you can think you're advancing the romantic comedy genre to a new level, but in reality you're undermining the entire ethos of the genre and dragging it to an obscene end, a grave valley of depravity.