Task 2 - Reserach into Existing Products

Comparison Between Rom-Coms

• 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days':

Directed by Donald Petrie - Paramount pictures

• 'Just like Heaven':

Directed by Mark Waters - Dreamworks

These films are of the romantic comedy genre, also known as ‘chick flicks’ Both of the openings of these films follow the typical conventions of a romantic comedy. Before the film has started, you are able to guess the genre through the use of such things. For example, there is a sound bridge, where the music starts straight away, even before the film does. The music in both instances is a real life song, sung by a female, and is generally upbeat. Through this, you can see that the film will be a ‘feel good’ film.  In How to lose a guy in 10 days, the opening titles are constructed in a way which looks like magazine pages and articles are literally being dragged and dropped into the screen, which show that the main character is the writer of these articles, because her picture is used on the pages. The articles are all about how to do something, which fits well with the title of the film. The beginning of just like heaven also fits well with the title, the camera floats down to show the main character sitting in a garden-like place, surrounded by flowers and clouds, this place looks almost heavenly. When it is shown that she is sitting on a plastic chair, it is obvious that she is not really there, she is just day-dreaming. In both films, the opening titles are feminine, cheerful, vibrant. The colour of the fonts used are ‘feminine’ there is a lot of pink used which is typically a ‘female’ colour, this shows that these films are more suited to women than men. The titles carry on, and linger into the film, however, they are not the main focus. This is a convention that would not be used in a horror film as it would create more of an effect if the titles stopped and allowed the film to play without the distraction of text. The last name to be shown is the directors name, because this is the most important person within the realms of filmmaking.

Both films are based on best-selling novels. This is important because an audience as already been established for the film.

In both films the main women are established career women, who have created a successful life for themselves independently. In how to lose a guy in 10 days, the main woman is a journalist, where as the main woman in just like heaven is a doctor. The way both of these women are dressed gives the impression that they are important – kate hudson’s character in a suit, reece wetherspoon in a doctors uniform. This is known as ‘power dressing’ , equal but almost superior to the men in the film.

In this type of film, it is conventional to have a typically good looking guy playing a lead role, who the main woman falls in love with. In both films, the guy is opposite to the women. how to lose a guy in ten days – man is dressed in leathers, more casual than kate Hudson, portrays a rebellious image. In just like heaven, the man is the type who sits on the couch for copious amounts of time drinking beer, which is contrasting to reece wetherspoons character because she is a busy and committed doctor.

The fact that both of the women in the films are established career women is empowering for other women watching the film, they may be inspired by these roles and aspire to be like this. Particularly young girls. Both are hardworking characters, particularly reece wetherspoon, where her career is her life. The song “lust for life” – Iggy pop, which is playing during the montage of busy scenes in just like heaven shows this clearly. The comedy aspect in just like heaven is where an old man’s rear is shown in the hospital where reece works. This shows the audience that this film will be light-hearted.

One main difference between the two films is the fact that how to lose a guy in ten days is about a love story between two people who are alive, where as in just like heaven, reece’s character has passed away – the love story is between a girl who has died, and a guy who is still alive! The idea behind just like heaven, could be a direct reference to the film ‘Ghost’ which is also a love story between someone who is alive and someone who is deceased.