Thursday Movie Picks #398: Romance Tropes / TMP Television Edition: Workplace Romance

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Romance Tropes / TMP Television Edition: Workplace Romance

 

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Hey it's February and it's time for the Romance Tropes Edition. Take a look at what's in store for the rest of the month. 

 

February 3 - Romance Tropes Edition: Enemies to Lovers
February 10 - Romance Tropes Edition: Famous Person and Non-Famous Person Romance
February 17 - Romance Tropes Edition: Second Chance Love
February 24 - Romance Tropes / TMP Television Edition: Workplace Romance

 

This is the last of the Romance Tropes Edition, I hope you've enjoyed it. Today's theme isn't that hard. Almost every workplace series has some romantic relationship in it. My picks are some of my favourite series and I do enjoy the romantic side stories, though I would say for most of them not much romantic stuff actually happens especially with the series that are still ongoing. One of the characters is usually unavailable, they are either engaged or married and even when they eventually get divorced or their spouse dies from a disease, the characters still don't get together (yet for the ongoing series) because even though it's clear they have great affection for one another they're afraid it will destroy their friendship.

 

Superstore (2015 - 2021)

I love this series. It is so much fun. The employees at this store are just so wacky so it's very funny. I haven't seen the final season and the last one I saw, the characters were still in the friendzone, but I've always love the banter between both of them and they've been tiptoeing around the prospect of something more between them for a very long time.

C.B. Strike (2017 - )

This is one of my favourite new crime TV series based on JK Rowling's books. The two main characters are a private detective and his assistant. There's clearly something there between them but neither crosses the line. He is her boss, who just ended a long relationship, and she is engaged though her fiance is a shit and there were moments that it seemed she was going to call off the wedding. I do hope the two of them would get together eventually.

 

The Chair (2021 -)
I picked this a month ago for 2021 Freshmen Series. This was a fun comedy too. Sandra Oh plays the new chair of an English department who has a major crush on her best friend at work and everyone at work knows this though I'm not entirely sure if it had been reciprocated then, because he was married. But his wife has since died and he is coming out of I think a year long depression over her death so even though I think they eventually share a kiss in one of the episodes they still seem more in the friendzone but if we get a new season, their relationship might evolve.

 

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Thursday Movie Picks #397: Romance Tropes Edition - Second Chance Love

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

---

This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Romance Tropes Edition - Second Chance Love

 

---

 

Hey it's February and it's time for the Romance Tropes Edition. Take a look at what's in store for the rest of the month. 

 

February 3 - Romance Tropes Edition: Enemies to Lovers
February 10 - Romance Tropes Edition: Famous Person and Non-Famous Person Romance
February 17 - Romance Tropes Edition: Second Chance Love
February 24 - Romance Tropes / TMP Television Edition: Workplace Romance

 

 

I love the Second Chance Love trope. I think it's because the characters are older, they have more life experiences with a lot more baggage and they are also more reflective as well as the romance is no longer puppy love, it's more serious with more at stake. There are at least two sub themes I could go with, with this theme. I could do a theme where someone has gone through a failed relationship or lost someone, and now just when they thought the romance ship has sailed for them, they meet someone new and has a second chance at love. Or the other theme is ex lovers meeting again after years apart and have their second chance at love. My picks today will be the latter because I enjoy their stories more as the characters have more history with each other; a lot of unspoken things and hurt feelings between them which all makes for good drama.

 

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

The Gist: After seven years of separation, a woman returns to her home town to get a divorce from her husband. Saw this when it was released and saw it again about a year or two ago because I had forgotten how the movie went. It is not a favourite, but I did enjoy it. I was quite funny and the two leads had some entertaining banter.

Before Sunset (2004)

The Gist: Nine years after a romantic chance encounter, two people meet again while the other is on a book tour. I've picked this countless times before because I love this movie. Before Sunset is one of the best just-people-talking movie ever. And the two actors are great in portraying these two people who are meeting again after so long and who are still clearly (to the audience) attracted to each other but sort of trying to not show their interest to early for fear the other is not as interested.

 

Persuasion (2007)
The Gist: 8 years ago, Anne was persuaded by family and friends to reject Wentworth's proposal of marriage as he was of a lower class and was an undistinguished naval officer with little money. Now years later their paths cross. He has a shining naval career and is now a wealthy man while her family has become one those cash poor gentry. I love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice because it's a fun romantic comedy, but if you're looking at just romance...Persuasion is it. It is this lovely aching romantic tale of second chances and enduring love and this TV movie adaptation of it is wonderful. Sally Hawkins was just amazing as the lead character Anne; those scenes where Anne is both excited and anxious to see Wentworth again after so long because she fears that not only does he no longer have any affection for her, but that he might hate her for rejecting him, was performed so well. Also there's that letter that Wentworth sends to Anne at the end (is that letter not the most swoonworthy letter ever - you can read the letter here) and the reaction from Anne...just a great closing. By the way there's two new Persuasion adaptations in production. One is by Netflix with Dakota Johnson as Anne which has completed filming while the other is still in development with Sarah Snook attached to star.

 

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Thursday Movie Picks #396: Romance Tropes Edition - Famous Person and Non-Famous Person Romance

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

---

This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Romance Tropes Edition - Famous Person and Non-Famous Person Romance

---

 

Hey it's February and it's time for the Romance Tropes Edition. Take a look at what's in store for the rest of the month. 

 

February 3 - Romance Tropes Edition: Enemies to Lovers
February 10 - Romance Tropes Edition: Famous Person and Non-Famous Person Romance
February 17 - Romance Tropes Edition: Second Chance Love
February 24 - Romance Tropes / TMP Television Edition: Workplace Romance

 

 

I'm doing a theme within a theme and I don't think I've ever picked any of these movies before for previous themes.

 

Rock Star (2001)

I haven't seen this in like 20 years but I remember liking it. The gist is Wahlberg plays a guy playing in a tribute band when he gets scouted to replace the lead of a popular metal band and he now has to navigate his life and romantic relationship through his new rock star status. The whole rock star thing with Wahlberg playing a guy in one of those 90s long stringy hair rock band was fun and funny.

Music and Lyrics (2007)

Hugh Grant plays a man famous for being in a popular Wham-like band in the 80s, who is now a songwriter and has been paired with a lyricist to write a hit song for a pop princess. I don't really care much for the romance aspect of the story, but I thought the whole ex-80s pop star thing as well as them having to write for a Britney-like teen star was a lot of fun.

 

Beyond the Lights (2014)

I don't remember much of the romance aspect, but I think it was ok. What I did like was the scenes of  Gugu Mbatha-Raw being this pop star character and the story of her buckling under the pressure. Minnie Driver also plays the character's rather young mother who is the momager and has a lot of control over her life/career...both of the actors were great on screen together.

 

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Thursday Movie Picks #395: Romance Tropes Edition - Enemies to Lovers

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

---

This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Romance Tropes Edition - Enemies to Lovers

---

 

Hey it's February and it's time for the Romance Tropes Edition. Take a look at what's in store for the rest of the month. 

 

February 3 - Romance Tropes Edition: Enemies to Lovers
February 10 - Romance Tropes Edition: Famous Person and Non-Famous Person Romance
February 17 - Romance Tropes Edition: Second Chance Love
February 24 - Romance Tropes / TMP Television Edition: Workplace Romance

 

 

Today is the start of the Romance Tropes Edition which will run the whole of February. This is the second year I'm running this annual special edition. The Romance Tropes Edition, if you weren't here last year is very much inspired by the sub-genres and popular tropes in the romance novels I've read and today's theme is a very popular trope in the world of romance. Here are the movies that immediately came to mind:

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

The best thing about the Enemies to Lovers trope is the banter between people who thinks they hate each other but secretly like each other and Pride and Prejudice is a classic, the original romantic comedy. Now while Darcy is socially awkward and rather tongue tied, Elizabeth makes up for it with all her quick witted responses to everyone...she has the best lines.Even though this isn't my most favourite adaptation (the 1995 mini-series is) this is still good.

 

Leap Year (2010)

A naive misguided romantic meets a surly innkeeper and they sort of reluctantly travel together across Ireland. I really enjoyed Leap Year; it is a super cute fish-out-of-water travel movie.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

One of the best teen romantic comedies. There's a lot of fun banter between the leads...like I think every time Kat rebuffs Patrick's advances.

 

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If you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs, spread the word about this series, and also link back to my blog on your own Thursday Movie Picks post :)

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