B R I T I S H L O V E and jokes
September 2, 2017 4:36 PM Subscribe
I LOVE BRITISH ROMCOMS. Please give me more movies and tv shows to inhale.
I am familiar with almost all things Hugh Grant and Colin Firth and I love them very dearly. What I'm looking for here are tv shows/movies on Hulu/Netflix/Amazon or otherwise findable that are charming or hilarious in that special British way and also contain a nice love story that are not Colin or Hugh.
Things that scratch the itch:
About Time (one of my favorite movies of all time!! makes me feel warm just thinking about it)
Lovesick (WHEN WILL THE NEXT SEASON COME OUT)
Bridget Jones's Diary (this is an ultimate comfort movie for me)
The Holiday (including because I like it a lot but I'd like things to be EVEN. MORE. BRITISH)
Was just ok/didn't like that much:
Love Actually (I didn't really like any of the characters)
Leap Year
Catastrophe (was fine to good, but didn't hook me like the others)
Ideally it would be a British production, not just set in Britain, but I'm open-minded! Please! What do you love in the British romcom department?
I am familiar with almost all things Hugh Grant and Colin Firth and I love them very dearly. What I'm looking for here are tv shows/movies on Hulu/Netflix/Amazon or otherwise findable that are charming or hilarious in that special British way and also contain a nice love story that are not Colin or Hugh.
Things that scratch the itch:
About Time (one of my favorite movies of all time!! makes me feel warm just thinking about it)
Lovesick (WHEN WILL THE NEXT SEASON COME OUT)
Bridget Jones's Diary (this is an ultimate comfort movie for me)
The Holiday (including because I like it a lot but I'd like things to be EVEN. MORE. BRITISH)
Was just ok/didn't like that much:
Love Actually (I didn't really like any of the characters)
Leap Year
Catastrophe (was fine to good, but didn't hook me like the others)
Ideally it would be a British production, not just set in Britain, but I'm open-minded! Please! What do you love in the British romcom department?
Detectorists (Netflix) is completely charming.
posted by davebush at 4:59 PM on September 2, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by davebush at 4:59 PM on September 2, 2017 [9 favorites]
This is from the 80s but Experience Preferred... But Not Essential. Usually mentioned in the same breath as Gregory's Girl and Local Hero. Less rom and more gentle com.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2017
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2017
The Decoy Bride? Bonus: David Tennant!
posted by basalganglia at 5:08 PM on September 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by basalganglia at 5:08 PM on September 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
What we did on our holiday is an entirely delightful, very British comedy. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Fair warning, it made both me and my fiance cry like little babies.
On preview, seconding the decoy bride. I love that film, and I think I might have similar taste to you!
posted by bored_now_flay at 5:11 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Fair warning, it made both me and my fiance cry like little babies.
On preview, seconding the decoy bride. I love that film, and I think I might have similar taste to you!
posted by bored_now_flay at 5:11 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Death at a Funeral is very, very funny and, while not really a rom-com (although it has romance in it, sort of) but rather more of a black comedy, has that sort of quintessential British charm similar to Four Weddings I think.
posted by Dext at 5:22 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Dext at 5:22 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Gavin and Stacey
posted by legendarygirlfriend at 5:38 PM on September 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by legendarygirlfriend at 5:38 PM on September 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
As Time Goes By is a gem. Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, playing a couple separated by WWII and reunited in their seventies. You really can't go wrong.
posted by tully_monster at 5:41 PM on September 2, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by tully_monster at 5:41 PM on September 2, 2017 [6 favorites]
Oh! The original UK version of The Office is a genuine actual masterpiece in two tight series and, I would say, to the extent that there is a through-line plot, it's really one about the romance between Tim and Dawn (equivalent of Jim and Pam in the US office).
You really have to watch all the way through to the end to get to any sort of payoff for the characters, be it positive or negative, but it's only 14 episodes total and the payoff is so, so good.
posted by Dext at 6:02 PM on September 2, 2017 [6 favorites]
You really have to watch all the way through to the end to get to any sort of payoff for the characters, be it positive or negative, but it's only 14 episodes total and the payoff is so, so good.
posted by Dext at 6:02 PM on September 2, 2017 [6 favorites]
Also 80s, but brilliant: The Tall Guy, with Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson.
posted by mollymillions at 6:04 PM on September 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by mollymillions at 6:04 PM on September 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
I came to post As Time Goes By and am so glad tully_monster suggested it. Such a delightful show.
posted by deezil at 6:08 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by deezil at 6:08 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Not sure if I'd call it a rom-com, but it's hard not to fall in love with Educating Rita
posted by Mchelly at 7:16 PM on September 2, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 7:16 PM on September 2, 2017 [7 favorites]
Seconding Coupling. It's more raunchy but not less gentle. The episode where Jeff tells a little white lie to a lady on the train is one of my all-time favorite TV episodes ever.
posted by bricoleur at 7:27 PM on September 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by bricoleur at 7:27 PM on September 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Sliding Doors is the only Gwyneth Paltrow film I recommend because it is absolute fluff and delightful.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 7:50 PM on September 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 7:50 PM on September 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
Geez, it's crazy how many movies and shows fall out of the running when you 86 Hugh and Colin.
I'll second Coupling. It was actually a show created to be a later-night version of "Friends," (pub instead of a coffee shop, natch) and succeeded marvelously, at least for 3 seasons. (4th season sees the departure of Jeff, and the arrival of Oliver, a Welsh version of Jeff, but also a lot of baby drama that took hold enough for me to drop the show.) Some of Steve's rants will live on in my mind until my dying day, and both episodes "The Girl with Two Breasts" and "The Man with Two Legs" qualify as high-concept comedy of the first order.
I'm going to suggest Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility" but there is an excellent made-for-TV version too. It's a good story, it's typical of Austen's comedy-of-manners, and while the Ang Lee version has Hugh as the love interest for one of the Dashwood sisters, it also has the awesome Alan Rickman, playing Colonel Brandon as only he can. The TV version has far less star-power, but is just as charming.
I really loved the TV series "May to December" about a comedic romance between a divorceé PE Teacher in her 30s and a widower soliciter in his 60s. My only beef with that show was the jarring recasting of the teacher after season 2, but the show ran 6 seasons.
"Lost in Austen" is an interesting take, in which a modern 21st century woman trades places with Elizabeth Bennett of P&P. Mostly works.
There's also "Chalet Girl," in which working-class Felicity Jones starts working for her well-off friend's family at a ski lodge, which allows her to pursue her snowboarding and a handsome gentleman. Bonus Bill Bailey has Jones' father.
"A Live Less Ordinary" is Danny Boyle's take on the romcom genre. I barely remember the movie, but I remember like it. The couple meet amidst a kidnapping plot.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:52 PM on September 2, 2017
I'll second Coupling. It was actually a show created to be a later-night version of "Friends," (pub instead of a coffee shop, natch) and succeeded marvelously, at least for 3 seasons. (4th season sees the departure of Jeff, and the arrival of Oliver, a Welsh version of Jeff, but also a lot of baby drama that took hold enough for me to drop the show.) Some of Steve's rants will live on in my mind until my dying day, and both episodes "The Girl with Two Breasts" and "The Man with Two Legs" qualify as high-concept comedy of the first order.
I'm going to suggest Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility" but there is an excellent made-for-TV version too. It's a good story, it's typical of Austen's comedy-of-manners, and while the Ang Lee version has Hugh as the love interest for one of the Dashwood sisters, it also has the awesome Alan Rickman, playing Colonel Brandon as only he can. The TV version has far less star-power, but is just as charming.
I really loved the TV series "May to December" about a comedic romance between a divorceé PE Teacher in her 30s and a widower soliciter in his 60s. My only beef with that show was the jarring recasting of the teacher after season 2, but the show ran 6 seasons.
"Lost in Austen" is an interesting take, in which a modern 21st century woman trades places with Elizabeth Bennett of P&P. Mostly works.
There's also "Chalet Girl," in which working-class Felicity Jones starts working for her well-off friend's family at a ski lodge, which allows her to pursue her snowboarding and a handsome gentleman. Bonus Bill Bailey has Jones' father.
"A Live Less Ordinary" is Danny Boyle's take on the romcom genre. I barely remember the movie, but I remember like it. The couple meet amidst a kidnapping plot.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:52 PM on September 2, 2017
I very much enjoyed Man Up, starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell. Available for streaming on Netflix right now, but leaves September 4!
posted by ejs at 8:27 PM on September 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by ejs at 8:27 PM on September 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
I enjoyed Their Finest, which is sort of a workplace romantic comedy-drama set around the production of a propaganda film about the events of Dunkirk. Fair warning, this is a movie about war and thus has some very sad moments... but the banter is snappy and sparkling, and there's a deeply moving romance. It stars Sam Claflin doing his best Grant/Firth impression and Gemma Arterton, and Bill Nighy & Jake Lacy are absolutely hilarious as actors in the film within the film. Bonus-- it's a very interesting companion piece to the movie Dunkirk.
Also... you mentioned Leap Year, which is set in Ireland and Boston, so I'll throw out a suggestion for Brooklyn, which is set in Ireland and Brooklyn (which is where the similarities to Leap Year end). If you loved About Time and enjoy period pieces (this is set in the 50s) I think you'll love this.
posted by acidic at 9:08 PM on September 2, 2017
Also... you mentioned Leap Year, which is set in Ireland and Boston, so I'll throw out a suggestion for Brooklyn, which is set in Ireland and Brooklyn (which is where the similarities to Leap Year end). If you loved About Time and enjoy period pieces (this is set in the 50s) I think you'll love this.
posted by acidic at 9:08 PM on September 2, 2017
Also Irish not British is Sing Street. About high school students who start a band in Dublin in the 80s mostly so the lead guy can win over his crush. Just so earnest and delightful!
Also teen centered is Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging. Super cute rom com based on a YA book. The same director as Bend it Like Beckham, which you should also see if you haven't!
posted by wsquared at 9:23 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Also teen centered is Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging. Super cute rom com based on a YA book. The same director as Bend it Like Beckham, which you should also see if you haven't!
posted by wsquared at 9:23 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Not a standard romcom, by any stretch, but it is British and I totally loved it: Being Human, a UK tv series. There is romance, but it should really be described as a supernatural dramedy. But give it a try; you might well like/love it.
It's about three young people who share a house. The twist: one is a ghost, one is a werewolf, and one is a vampire. The vampire is played by Aidan Turner (Poldark, swoon).
Just be sure to watch the UK version, not the American version.
posted by merejane at 12:52 AM on September 3, 2017 [4 favorites]
It's about three young people who share a house. The twist: one is a ghost, one is a werewolf, and one is a vampire. The vampire is played by Aidan Turner (Poldark, swoon).
Just be sure to watch the UK version, not the American version.
posted by merejane at 12:52 AM on September 3, 2017 [4 favorites]
Educating Rita, there will be quiet sobbing, I assure you
posted by ouke at 4:08 AM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by ouke at 4:08 AM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
The ITV series Cold Feet.
It came back to Tv last year after a considerable (decade plus?) break.
Comedy, dramedy, well rounded characters - British to the core.
posted by Faintdreams at 4:44 AM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
It came back to Tv last year after a considerable (decade plus?) break.
Comedy, dramedy, well rounded characters - British to the core.
posted by Faintdreams at 4:44 AM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
Possibly The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. There's also a sequel that I haven't seen.
posted by sianifach at 5:10 AM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by sianifach at 5:10 AM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
Some of the actors are American, but it is primarily British in setting, and I think Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day might work for you. An older Scottish movie Gregory's Girl (more bittersweet from the same director is Local Hero). Also, we really enjoyed In A Day. Primarily set in Ireland, with an American lead, I have a soft spot in my heart for The Matchmaker. Also, maybe the older but wonderful Australian movie Flirting. And finally, maybe ..... another much older (and a little dated) movie, primarily set in Scotland: I Know Where I'm Going.
posted by gudrun at 7:06 AM on September 3, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by gudrun at 7:06 AM on September 3, 2017 [2 favorites]
It's Scottish rather than British, but Not Another Happy Ending otherwise fits the bill.
posted by blerghamot at 9:37 AM on September 3, 2017
posted by blerghamot at 9:37 AM on September 3, 2017
OK, very dim memories of fluffy eighties series, genuinely no idea if they'll be available in your area on those platforms, but keying on "charming" and "British", try Butterflies, and Just Good Friends.
And for those above, not really my thing, but heard good things about both Coupling and especially Cold Feet.
posted by DancingYear at 10:44 AM on September 3, 2017
And for those above, not really my thing, but heard good things about both Coupling and especially Cold Feet.
posted by DancingYear at 10:44 AM on September 3, 2017
Chalet Girl on Netflix. Some people don't like it but I found it utterly charming, fun and light.
posted by darksong at 11:13 AM on September 3, 2017
posted by darksong at 11:13 AM on September 3, 2017
I really like Crashing, which should still be on Netflix.
posted by megancita at 1:01 PM on September 3, 2017
posted by megancita at 1:01 PM on September 3, 2017
Nuns on the Run. Two gentlemen gangsters take refuge in a nunnery after a bank heist and one risks being caught in his endeavours to see his girlfriend who takes theology classes in said nunnery. Silly fun but oh so British...
posted by jacobean at 2:52 PM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by jacobean at 2:52 PM on September 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
I concur with gudrun, I Know Where's I'm Going is awesomeness and ticks all your boxes! You might like A Matter of Life and Death too.
Another oldish one is Spring in Park Lane, it's a silly frothy post war romance. (And if you like it the pairing did a number of other rom-coms together, but this one is arguably the best.)
I love The Happiest Days of your Life, which if you like (and I do) can be watched as a delightful rom-com. Alisdair Sim + Margaret Rutherford 4EVA.
I would categorize Pygmalion as a rom-com too, GB Shaw fite me.
Going back even further in the past and away from your remit, The 39 Steps has a lot of rom-com banter in the midst of the thriller plot.
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 3:33 AM on September 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Another oldish one is Spring in Park Lane, it's a silly frothy post war romance. (And if you like it the pairing did a number of other rom-coms together, but this one is arguably the best.)
I love The Happiest Days of your Life, which if you like (and I do) can be watched as a delightful rom-com. Alisdair Sim + Margaret Rutherford 4EVA.
I would categorize Pygmalion as a rom-com too, GB Shaw fite me.
Going back even further in the past and away from your remit, The 39 Steps has a lot of rom-com banter in the midst of the thriller plot.
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 3:33 AM on September 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Nuts in May Candice Marie & Keith go camping in the 1970’s Dorset countryside.
I think the full movie is available for free, if you live outside the UK, where I’m sitting though, I’m getting a message saying BBC have blocked it on YouTube.
posted by ben30 at 1:54 PM on September 4, 2017
I think the full movie is available for free, if you live outside the UK, where I’m sitting though, I’m getting a message saying BBC have blocked it on YouTube.
posted by ben30 at 1:54 PM on September 4, 2017
I just remembered the excellent 2014 movie Cuban Fury. Nick Frost is a mid-level industrial-sales drone who was a competitive salsa dancer, with his sister, when he was a kid, until something destroyed his dream. He's bullied at work, but he meet-cutes with his new American manager, Rashida Jones, and she inspires all kinds of things in him, including a return to salsa, so he can win her over from the office prick, Chris O'Dowd. Like any-good rom-com, it pushes the bounds of reality a little, but you'll never forget the parking garage dance-off, O'Dowd's amazing lack of charm (against type, obviously), and a cool finale. Olivia Coleman plays Frost's sister, and turns in a killer dance performance of her own. Ian McShane, Rory Cochrane,
posted by Sunburnt at 11:11 PM on September 8, 2017
posted by Sunburnt at 11:11 PM on September 8, 2017
Would Australian be close enough? I really love Offspring. The heroine struggles with anxiety and still manages to have a really fun love life. Crazy family, lots of people caring for each other.
posted by CathyG at 12:23 PM on September 14, 2017
posted by CathyG at 12:23 PM on September 14, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by benadryl at 4:50 PM on September 2, 2017 [2 favorites]