There has been a shortage of decent romantic comedies in recent years. Rye Lane was a charming exception, featuring two twenty-somethings getting over bad break-ups from toxic relationships while putting the world to rights. It feels genuinely authentic, and the humour works really well too.
Arriving in cinemas this spring, Finding Emily is a delight. Nothing in the plot was particularly surprising, but it was undeniably charming. A lovesick musician (Spike Fearn as Owen) takes down a girl's number as she breezes out of the nightclub where he works in her fairy wings, only to realise when he goes to send her a WhatsApp message the next day that he's a digit short. He enlists the help of another Emily (Angourie Rice) to track her down, using some slightly questionable podcasting and breaches of the Data Protection Act.
It's a modern twist on a well-worn format, but it's hugely enjoyable viewing and never feels anywhere near as long as its 110-minute running time. Much of the filming took place across the University of Manchester campus, as well as on Canal Street and at the fabulous Peveril of the Peak pub. It's essentially a love letter to Manchester. One hilarious scene involving a Tom Tom Club track was apparently entirely off-script, but it works a treat. Well worth a whirl. It's wholesome, warm-hearted and fun, and you'll find yourself rooting for the central characters to get their happy ending. A treat.
Power Ballad stars Paul Rudd as former rock star Rick, who now makes his living as a wedding singer with the band Bride n' Groove. He ends up bumping into a boyband member from the fictional group Impossible at a gig. The pair perform a duet of Stevie Wonder's I Wish, strike up a rapport, and end up boozing and jamming together into the early hours. Long story short, Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) ends up having a global hit with a song he's lifted from Rick, who first hears it being piped around a shopping centre while splashing out £90 on a pair of football boots. It's a bit like the moment when the main melody of My Lovely Horse is playing in the lift in Father Ted.
Rick goes on a mission to secure a songwriting credit, at the very least, and swaps Irish weddings for a trip to LA. This was another thoroughly enjoyable film ("We're not rock stars, Rick, we're human jukeboxes"), and it evoked both good and bad memories of my two decades DJing wedding discos. I really liked the ending, and both Jonas and Rudd were strong performers, both as actors and vocalists. A fun ride.
Some big new releases are coming up, including Toy Story 5 and a new Minions & Monsters movie in the next month. You can also catch the new Masters of the Universe and Tuner in Ashton this weekend, with reviews to come next week. Scarily, Bridesmaids is 15 years old, and it's back on the big screen for a limited time too.
