Love and Other Disasters

Love (and Other Disasters) is not a typical romantic comedy, primarily as it pokes fun at the various aspects of the genre - predictable plot, grand romantic finale, happy coincidences etc. It is a light-hearted tongue in cheek movie that has all the spunk of a good romantic comedy with enough self-effacing genre-specific humor to keep it fresh and non-cloyingly sweet.

Other viewers have noted that Brittany Murphy is stiff and unbelievable, and that other characters are overly dramatic. But as the film draws attention to its very fictitious, theatrical nature, the characters fall into place as humorous fabricated, sensationalized versions of human nature in this light satire.

Also worth noting is the film's lovely approach towards homosexuality. Admittedly Peter's love life is a side-line plot, but what is shown has a ring of sincerity to it and avoids sensationalizing or stereotyping homosexual characters. While this movie is unlikely to win any Oscars, it is definitely one of the best romantic comedies I've seen.