Welcome to the first movie in our DB Movie Madness series. EVERYONE is welcome. The rules are simple:
Romantic movies – Comedy, Melo, Slice of Life or whatever
It should end with a happy ending of a bride and groom variety.
English is welcome, but other languages preferred.
If you want to join, just drop a comment asking to be tagged πŸ™‚ The list of movies we are currently watching is at the bottom of this post.
 
 

Love at first sight (English)
 
 


 

First, @koatatown, thank you for this recommendation. This was exactly the kind of movies I meant when I had first suggested the idea.

While watching Rain or Shine/Just Between Lovers, the conversation between Moon Soo and Kang Do caught my attention. Moon Soo playfully ribbed Kang Do about his taste in books, and with a straight face, he replied, ‘Yes, I like books that have a happy ending. I like the high of predictability.’ It was such a candid moment.
 
 


 
 

It got me thinking.

By nature, I am a cerebral person whose brain runs at 100% speed, even at 5% fuel, almost 24/7 (my father-in-law jokes that my brain is like an overworked corporate servantβ€”on call even when asleep! 😂). I like my words and logic, and I thrive in the unpredictability of life, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. But with all that mental buzz, it also means I tend to overthink everything and have surprisingly long-term reactions to emotional stimuli.

So, it made me ponder. What kind of books do I like (not what I have read, but what I liked and am likely to re-read)? What are my favourite movies?

Turns out, I have a soft spot for stories that give me that same ‘high of predictability’ Kang Do was talking about. The stories that give me hope. For tomorrow. For us. For everyone around me.

Not just sedentary happy endings but those that move me to tears and make me laugh. Those have messy storylines, high-octave emotions and even higher decibels sappy-endings, sappier the better. Those that put me on the edge of my seat, but at the back of my mind, I know it will also cruise me to safety. For example, I would love to skydive. Every time I try, they refuse to guarantee my parachute and try to make me sign a waiver. The audacity! So I turn up my nose and walk away; I like guaranteed happy landings, thank you very much.

Coming to this little gem, it starts in a flight and lands with a bang. Within that journey, you have an adorable American and a handsome Brit with an accent to die for; a girl who is perpetually late and a phone that keeps dying on her, and a guy who lives his life by the statistics and his phone is always charged.

The interplay of fate and chance in the movie is fascinating; showing how what seems randomness could actually be destiny’s hand at work, the key element of a grander plan, provided you make at least some effort to recognize and grab it.

Also, two adults divorcing can make a child lose faith and trust in a relationship and fear broken promises so much that they could be afraid to make any. Without the proper context -‘ love needs work’ – they could forever live life thinking just making a promise is enough to see to its end.

Ultimately, it leaves you with the question – despite all the randomness, is it fate, or is it the choices you make?

Haley Richardson is delightful, Ben Hardy is cute, and Jameela Jamil is fun as Ms Fate. But Sally Phillips as the Mum stole my heart. I bawled at the Mom-son scene.

I, for one, love surprises, the good ones. For me, it was the music. The retro music took me by surprise, and I sang along. I mean, ‘Video Killed My Radio Star?’

I was definitely in dance with somebody – Buggles! You bet!

I loved the theme of fate. I do believe in it. A LOT. Else, what’s the probability of you walking into a salon one random day, the owner takes one look at you, and decides you would be the perfect choice for her cousin brother (in my culture all cousins are brothers and sisters), and lo and behold, it turns out she was right! Yup, that’s me and my hubs. If I had not chosen that salon that day…well, who knows.

I watched it twice. The first time by myself, and the second time, I persuaded my husband to watch it with me.

He liked it. His comments: ‘It’s quite silly but cute.’

The only time his brows furrowed was when there was that almost kiss on the plane.

*Husband*: ‘Already? So soon?’
*Me*: ‘You are old and have been watching too many K-dramas.’
*Husband*: Scoffs. ‘They barely, if ever, get to holding hands.’ Then. ‘But one thing I have to say, when they do get to it, it’s pretty hot.”
*Me*: I smile.

PS: I wasn’t too fond of the number 5787. That number is too low. 😂😂😂😂😂

Sept 1st – Love at first sight ; English. Netflix; Host: @minniegupta1 (rec by koalatown)
Sept 15th – Jab We Met ; Hindi; Amazon Prime, Tubi, Sling, YouTube. Host: @claire2009 (rec by Minnie)
Sept 29th – Once Upon A Star ; Thai; Netflix (rec by Cera)
Oct 13th – My Happy Marriage ; Japanese; Netflix (rec by skiee)
Oct 27th – Rye-Lane ; English; Hulu/Disney Pus; (rec by tabong)
Nov 10th- Tune In For Love ; Korean; Netflix (rec by Sonai)
Nov 24th – TBD (rec by Claire)

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    @claire2009 @seeker @Skiee @Koalatown @sonai @enriquequierecagar @minniegupta1

    Looking forward to your thoughts ❤️❤️❤️

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    I love this review! I’m going to add this to my list and recommend it to my mom 🥰

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    Great write up! I love your description of your cerebral self and the lovely fated set up with hubby.

    I wrote this after rewatching and before reading yours so apologies for a redundancy.

    I hope everyone enjoyed this movie as much as I did. I rewatched it for this CW and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen it still made me cry, laugh and smile broadly like a fool.

    The narrator telling us all the statistics was cool and especially when it turned out she was a bit of a fairy godmother helping “fate” along. I especially liked the statistics at the end, which gave you a sense of what happened after that kiss. Was their relationship perfect? No, they still had xx number of fights, but they also had xx numbers of kisses, xx bedroom action. Also how touching that Hadley was the one who held her MIL’s hand when she last took her breath, both of them held their daughter’s hand after she was born, and Olver held Hadley’s had when she took her last breath after living a good life.

    The statistics also served to highlight some key themes in this movie. The number of tears, and the word love were far fewer in the wedding of Hadley’s dad than the memorial for Oliver’s mom. I don’t think the writer is diminishing 2nd change love marriages but instead really promoting how meaningful that celebration of life memorial was as a chance for the mom to love and be loved by her family and close friends and be embraced by that love before bravely choosing to accept her fate (death which awaits all of us).

    As a person who works in oncology, I think too frequently we are running our rat race and delaying things we think we will have more time for in the future (like traveling, spending quality time with friends and family) but then suddenly it’s taken from us, and we can’t get it back. It’s true that people get too ill too quickly to do those things they had been putting off. It’s also so hard to accept your own mortality and choose to go do those bucket things when you find out you are sick. Too many times people think if they do that they are “giving up” and so they keep “fighting” until they are too tired/sick to even go. Sorry I will now get off my soap box, but I thought this movie really highlighted this well and the struggle for close family members to understand why sometimes the ill choose to stop therapy. Also, it really is hardest on the ones left behind, but it isn’t something that the person why is dying is choosing to do. In a perfect immortal world, they wouldn’t leave either.

    The tension between the leads was so great from the beginning including the awkward nerd jokes and double entendres. I also liked how in this short period the couple seem to be able to see each other’s soul and what drives each of them. Oliver doesn’t skirt around the fact that Hadley is clearly upset/mad/disappointed at her dad for giving up on their original family, but he wisely says…

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      that I can tell you had a deep bond, and you will likely forgive him in the future so maybe you should now. Hadley quickly figures out that Oliver uses stats and math to hide his true feelings and calls him out on it.

      I recently had a conversation with a friend who did not believe that you can know you’re with β€œthe one” without dating for at least 6 months. The other couple there disagreed as that hubby knew from nearly the moment he met his wife. Of course in the end love is still a daily commitment, conscious choice, and work. Side note that other couple is the super cutesy ones that are pretty affectionate in front of everyone that make couples like the one in Doctor Slump believable for me. They even call each other cutie. 😊

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        Awesome awesome points. Going out on a Labour day excursion with family on that much talked about – ‘let’s get on to it please’ bucket lists, so will be back with more thoughts on these because it’s so thought provoking.
         

        Side note that other couple is the super cutesy ones that are pretty affectionate in front of everyone that make couples like the one in Doctor Slump believable for me. They even call each other cutie.

         
        I know quite a few of them 😂 I know a couple who wear matching outfits, feed each other chocolates and and coochie coo when no one is looking (they think).
        They have been married for thirty five years and recently become grandparents (quite young I must add.) They have been setting relationship goals for ages. So yes, Doctor Slump was absolutely believable for both hubs and me.

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      I want to chime in and say thank you, @minniegupta1, for sharing the lovely story of you and your husband!! ❤️

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    I have just noticed two things: this is available on Netflix and I already had added it to my list, but I didn’t remember it 😅

    This is a good occasion to watch it.

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    I didn’t specially like this movie.

    I had issues with some recent romantic movies like this one or Anyone but You or Upgraded.

    The writing didn’t make me believe they could fall in love just with one first encounter. There is no building up in their feelings, I didn’t feel any romantism.

    In this movie, I didn’t like the FL. She was childish. She wasn’t a kid anymore when her parents divorced. She wants to be treated as an adult but she’s not mature enough to go to the airport on time when there is a lot of people waiting for her.

    The mother’s ceremony was touching.

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      One thing I would say the movie would not win any awards for the actual craft of moviemaking. It was, though well put together, was quite average in every other respect – be in camera work or cinematography, story or even dialogues, which, while having a couple of gems, was still pretty meh. But everything together, it made for a cute, happy watch, the kind of mood uplifter you need when the chips are down.

      Also, divorce can be hard for many children, irrespective of age, especially if they didn’t see it coming. I personally know a couple whose teenage boys were so depressed at the thought of their parents separating that they withdrew even after filing for divorce. Happens.

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    Wait, the movie needs to end with a wedding?
    I didn’t see that when I recommended Rye Lane. 😬 Sorry.

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    I will try and join in as I am travelling however jabwe met and love at first sight are both movies that I loved, so count me in.

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    Ohh!! I watched this movie just a couple days ago and love it!!
    I even thought about mentioning it here because I feel like romcom drama lovers might enjoy this too!! 😊

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    If you need a movie rec –
    Leap Year (english)
    Eiffel I’m in Love (indonesian, teen-centric)
    Both on Netflix.

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    Ohhh missed this..I’ll come back to this later 😇

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    Thank you, Minnie, for the great review 🩡 I love how you referred to Kangdoo’s words. Yes, I love books and movies with a happy ending too, not neccesarily a wedding but just some hint at a happy ending is more than enough.

    (Before I go on, I must say I had thought “TBD” rec by Claire is a movie that I recommended, and couldn’t decipher which movie it was, until I realised it means “To be decided” 😂 In case I can’t choose one, please help me with the rec ☺️ If I must come up with one, I could only think of “Before sunrise” and “Before sunset”, but everyone must have watched them many times and been bored by now?).

    Talking about skydiving, I have a friend who said “If I had to choose an adventurous game to play, it would be skydiving, because if it doesn’t end well, then at least it’ll end quickly and you won’t feel a thing 😂).

    I am someone who believes in second chance happiness, so I appreciated the show depicting Hadley’s dad to be a decent dad who truly cares about his daughter and that he is truly happy with his second wife, and he is someone who means what he says. I’m upset with the fact that Hadley was late out of a habit on her father’s very important day. To me, when our habit affects someone else’s business, that’s quite irresponsible. On the other hand, I totally understand her resentment towards her dad. It doesn’t matter you’re 20 or 40, your parents’ divorce is always a hard pill to swallow. I like her journey to (mentally) reconcile with her dad, because they’ve always been on speaking terms, right? Apart from other factors, a good relationship takes the effort from both sides, and I’m happy to see her finally being happy for her dad and understanding him. And I believe her dad knew all along how Hadley felt about him, but as a dad, he just did what he needed to, being honest and sincere with his daughter, and made decisions for his own life.

    Although I didn’t feel that Haley Richardson and Ben Hardy had sizzling chemistry, they were totally believable as a nerdy young man and a lonely young woman who is a little lost, who found love in each other by that fateful encounter. It’s been quite a while since I last watched a Western movie, and watching this one gave me a very strange feeling. I felt like I had to get used to it again, because my brain is now conditioned to Kdramas. I found Hadley’s random smiles at times quite weird (I am always put off by random smiles, such as those of Jennifer Ehle’s in Pride and Prejudice 1995, or of Park Minyoung’s in all her shows that I’ve watched), but after a while, I took it that it was Hadley’s coping mechanism, so I was ok.

    That kiss at the end was on another level compared to a typical Kdrama, I have to give them (Hadley and Oliver) that 😁.

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    So I watched it. I love your summary and your love story actually feels like a romcom. I liked this cute story. There wasn’t any surprises but still very enjoyable. It’s how they excute the story and I think they did well on this one. It made me question if it’s the fate or choices that I made is the reason where I’m now. Probably I should get out of my house more so that fate could work it’s magic.😂. This was silly but emotionally build and I liked the numbers they gave through their lives. Yes I agree 5787 is very low😂😂😂

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    I watched this movie last night, and I liked it! I wish it had been a miniseries because I find most of movies are not enough (I’m too used to dramas, I guess).

    I loved the music. The selection of songs was wonderful.
    The cinematography maybe was too color saturated to my liking, but I understand that’s a style choice.

    The script is quite good, and Jameela Jamil was perfect as the incarnation of fate.

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    Minnie thank you for a beautiful, beautiful post. Not that we don’t already know but each of your posts has the subtext of *writer at work* which I totally and absolutely love!! 😊❤ It is something to look forward to and so inspiring. As @claire2009 beautifully said (as only she can 😂) our “reading” involves not just subtitles but DB too.

    Minnie, Claire – Full disclosure I have been called out more times than I can remember about my *smiles*. I sure hope they are not random or creepy but 🤷‍♀️ who knows. Anyways I have no intention to stop as it comes from the heart or not at all. 🥰❤

    @Koalatown thank you for the great recommendation. Incidentally I happened to watch it the day it was released on Netflix in September last year. It was as hilarious and heart wrenching as I remembered and if anything I may have shed a few more tears on the rewatch for this CW than last time. 😢🤧😂

    @IsaGC We have absolutely been spoiled by dramas. Movies seem too short a time to tell a story. I 💯 agree we needed to be a part of the conversations on the plane over the course of which they fell in love. 😅😍

    @Skiee yes do give Fate a chance after all someone is 💯 Fated to Love You. 💘🥰🧚‍♀️

    The movie had such a lot of heart and was so engaging that it would be almost churlish to call out the technical inadequacies or the narrative beats or the 20 year old FL’s immaturity or the 22 year old ML’s suppressed emotions which still don’t stop him for researching about The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

    It was a perfect movie to start our Movie Watch.

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    How did I miss this….Let me watch them. Be right back!

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    @claire2009 @seeker @Skiee @Koalatown @sonai @enriquequierecagar @minniegupta1

    Hiya friends, I wanted to apologize for being MIA from something I proposed. I watched Once Upon A Star but struggled to find sometime to put my thoughts together, and have My Happy Marriage on the list this weekend. Can we please push the rest to after November 16th weekend?

    So the new dates would be:

    Nov 24th – Rye-Lane ; English; Hulu/Disney Pus; (rec by tabong)
    Dec 15th – Tune In For Love ; Korean; Netflix (rec by Sonai)
    Jan 5th (New year Yay!) – TBD (rec by Claire)

    Meanwhile, I am going to get my act together and jot my thoughts for Once Upon a Star and My Happy Marriage.

    Please let me know your thoughts.

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