So I’m no longer ashamed to admit that I’ve never watched The Notebook or Titanic. There, I said it. We read… and we don’t judge!
Now that that’s out in the open, let me defend myself. I would absolutely watch Titanic for its historical significance; the scale, the tragedy, the cinematic masterpiece of it all. What I cannot do is pretend the entire legacy should be reduced to a woman who somehow couldn’t make room on a floating door for her so-called soulmate.
History deserved better. Jack deserved better. And frankly… so did that door.
In an era where audiences are more critical than ever, even the most beloved love stories are up for debate. But beneath the online discourse, what actually makes a romantic film iconic and not just another over hyped love story?
To help us unpack it all, I spoke with one of the UK’s most respected film critics, James King.
“Hype is a very dangerous thing. I think in my industry part of what I do, unintentionally, is hype a film,” King said. “I was speaking to someone yesterday who saw Marty Supreme recently and I’ve been saying how amazing it was. She saw it in February after it’s been out 6 to 8 weeks and she said yeah it was good but I would’ve preferred to have seen it before the hype kind of descended upon it. And in a way, I killed it for her because I was hyping it so much.”
He also goes on to kind of defend my views on Titanic.
“Titanic is an interesting one, obviously I’ve watched it but I don’t feel I’ve watched it since it came out. I think partly for the reasoning you were mentioning. The romance for me… is actually the least interesting part.”
King even admits he’s never watched Gone With The Wind, yet still believes it belongs on the Mount Rushmore of romance films, which proves that love stories, at their best, leave a cultural imprint that goes far beyond personal viewing.
And when it comes to modern romance, he argues that rom-coms succeed not just because of the predictable meet-cutes or happy endings, but because of the performances at their centre.
“I’m a big fan of Reese Witherspoon. She’s done a lot of rom-coms in her day. You could argue they’re a little cheesy, a little predictable but she always delivers a great performance.”
I can’t argue with him there…
But if his take on romance films, from Mount Rushmore classics to so-called “cheesy” rom-coms, has sparked your curiosity, he has a place for you.
The BBC Radio 2 film critic has his very own film club, The James King Film Club, a space for people who genuinely love film and who want to discover, discuss and celebrate storytelling in all its forms.
So if you’re interested in hearing more of James’ thoughts, debating the great love stories of our time, or simply finding your next favourite watch, you can learn more about what James King film club offers here.
Written by Debra Oh, Edited by Noah Blackham, Photography by TheWaterMeloonProject, Published by Debra Oh at Insanity Radio 103.2FM