Dave here, lowering the tone slightly as he chimes in on 2003. But we all have our pets, don't we? Those films that we know aren't masterpieces, or perfect, or are going to appeal to everyone, but are besotted with regardless.
Down With Love is one of those for me. It's become one of my favourite comedies of the 2000s, and, not to be sacrilegious, but I find it infinitely preferable to the Doris Day/Rock Hudson sex comedies it's based on. I think maybe that's because
Down With Love has those films as an extra base to riff on; it mines the same territory while also lovingly mocking
Pillow Talk et al. It may also be the last time Renee Zellweger was charming, funny, attractive and altogether a very pleasing presence in her movie. I'd quote her remarkable expositionary monologue, but that's really something you should
see (spoilers, however), so instead, enjoy this brilliantly basic wordplay. ('Know' and 'Now' are, rather hilariously, magazine titles.)
Barbara Novak: Another ruse, Catcher? You know I have no interest in seeing you.
Catcher Block: But you know you have to, and you know I know you have to. I'm sure you know how things are at KNOW ever since your new NOW.
Barbara Novak: I have no way of knowing how things are now at KNOW. I knew how things were at KNOW before NOW.
Catcher Block: Then you should know now at KNOW things are a lot like they are at NOW, we have to interview every applicant for every job, and so do you or you'd be going against NOW's definition of discrimination and you wouldn't want the readers of NOW or KNOW to know that, now would you?
I'm not sure how it well it works on the page. So go and watch it now, won't you? There's good readers.
Barbara Novak: Another ruse, Catcher? You know I have no interest in seeing you.
