The Rom Com Catalog

Tag: Suki Waterhouse

  • ‘The Broken Hearts Gallery’ (2020) Review

    ‘The Broken Hearts Gallery’ (2020) Review

    There is a reason why romantic comedies have endured over the years, despite their many detractors. When they’re done right, they’re incredibly warm and funny, not to mention emotionally honest in an age when it seems like there’s so much cynicism and darkness in the world. I will admit that, for me, it’s difficult to find a modern rom-com that hits all the right beats and really nails what a romantic comedy should be. But, oh boy, The Broken Hearts Gallery is one of those movies.

    When gallery assistant Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) is dumped by her recent boyfriend, she’s suddenly inspired to create a gallery for the broken-hearted, featuring mementos from past relationships they’ve held on to. She persuades Nick (Dacre Montgomery) to let her use the space he is renovating for his dream hotel for her exhibit, and the two work side by side to achieve their goals.

    A big part of what makes The Broken Hearts Gallery so successful is Geraldine Viswanathan’s Lucy. She is an instantly lovable rom-com heroine. She is messy, emotional, and earnest in a way that never threatened to become a caricature. Her sensitivity isn’t treated as a flaw to be corrected but as a strength, and Lucy’s vulnerability makes her very easy to root for. Viswanathan’s performance is warm and genuine, and I think she has fabulous comedic timing.

    As Nick, Dacre Montgomery provides the ideal romantic counterbalance. Nick is patient and genuinely nice, but he also challenges Lucy’s beliefs about love and letting go. Montgomery is a fantastic leading man, and I sincerely hope he finds himself in more movies like these. He has the charm and the talent.

    The chemistry between Montgomery and Viswanathan is effortless, and their romance builds gradually through banter, shared glances, and quiet moments, rather than relying solely on grand gestures – though, of course, we do get one of those. Their relationship feels believable, which makes the romantic payoff all the more satisfying.

    I have to give a shoutout to the supporting players as well. As Lucy’s best friends, Nadine and Amanda, Phillipa Soo and Molly Gordon elevate the movie’s humor. Nathan Dales has very few lines as Amanda’s quiet boyfriend, Jeff, but when he finally does speak, it’s one of the movie’s comedic highlights. Every side character feels purposeful, and each adds to the romantic journey between Lucy and Nick.

    One of my favorite moments in the movie is the breakaways to the various interviews with the broken-hearted, in which they explain which item from a past relationship they’re contributing to the exhibit. It had a very When Harry Met Sally feel to it and gave more weight to the movie’s overall themes of heartbreak and starting over.

    Ultimately, The Broken Hearts Gallery is a rom-com that understands exactly what it is and embraces it without shame. The jokes land consistently, often in small, character-driven moments, and the romance is genuine, without being overly sentimental. This was the first romantic comedy I’ve watched in a long time that really drew me in and had me smiling from ear to ear from beginning to end. Definitely a must-watch for any lover of the genre.

    Watched: 01/15/2026
    Notable Song: everything i wanted by Billie Eilish

    Rating:
  • ‘Love, Rosie’ (2014) Review

    ‘Love, Rosie’ (2014) Review

    Love, Rosie Synopsis: Rosie and Alex have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn’t possibly be right for one another…or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies.

    Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since the age of five. On Rosie’s 18th birthday, the two share a drunken kiss before Rosie passes out. The next day, when Alex comes to check on her, she tells him she’s embarrassed by her behavior and never wants to talk about what happened again.

    Alex takes this as her wanting to forget their kiss, and he begrudgingly and silently accepts that they’re just friends, despite his feelings for her. From that moment on, and over the next twelve years, a series of miscommunications, uncertainty, other loves, and missed opportunities keep the two from finally admitting how they truly feel about one another.

    As with Practical Magic, I’m inclined to call this movie a romantic dramedy rather than a straight-up rom-com. The movie is imbued with subtle humor instead, which is very much needed in the midst of the angst our two main characters suffer through for the entirety of the film.

    Let’s get this out of the way right now. Love Rosie is full of rom-com cliches. If they had just communicated with one another from the beginning, the whole mess that became their lives could have been avoided. But that would have given Alex and Rosie their happily ever after about twenty-two minutes into the movie, and where is the fun in that? There are distant, cheating, or shrill partners, the ‘hidden’ letter of confessional love, secrets, misunderstandings, etc., etc. Essentially, any roadblock the writer could have thrown at these two characters, they did, and with relish.

    But you know what? I don’t even care. I recognized every single trope, and I still enjoyed the hell out of Love Rosie. I think most of my enjoyment is due to the chemistry between Claflin and Collins. The movie was better when they were on screen together, and while I understood the need to separate them, those were the only times I felt the story dragged on a bit.

    They managed to capture the heart and soul of what it means to be in love with your best friend, effectively projecting sexual tension and affection with near kisses and longing looks. I couldn’t even be annoyed with the all too familiar montage of two people who should be together roaming the streets of a beautiful city from dusk ’til dawn.

    There is nothing overly special about the supporting cast. The highlight was Jaime Winstone, who plays feisty Ruby, Rosie’s actual BFF – which she thankfully points out to Rosie in the latter half of the film. We don’t see much of her family, and none of Alex’s except for his sister in a couple of scenes. The rest are simply distractions and detours to the happy ending. Their exes and spouses are vapid, obnoxious, and sleazy, something we see right away, but it seems to take Alex and Rosie an embarrassingly long time to figure it out for themselves.

    I admit it; I am a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope, especially when there is drama involved and despite the rather obvious solutions to the conflict. I would say my biggest annoyance with this movie was that the film spanned twelve years. Rosie has a twelve-year-old daughter, and she and Alex never seem to age. Yes, she has her daughter very young, making her, I believe, around 30-31 when the movie ends, but she still looks twenty years old despite her newer, shorter haircut with cutesy curls. Love Rosie’s makeup team didn’t even attempt it. Boo.

    Watched: 02/07/2019
    Notable Song: Son of Sam by Elliot Smith

    Rating: