Contrary to popular opinion, I will willingly watch and enjoy a rom-com if it’s exceptionally good; such a film only comes along once every 2-3 years, and happily this one’s fits the bill 🙂 … A fresh take on the rom-com formula, with sassy Juno or Little Miss Sunshine-like script and dialog, two very appealing leads, and great acting from the whole cast (including Robert De Niro in his best recent role, and Bradley Cooper going from strength to strength), but the standout has to be Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar-worthy performance. Even included a meta reference to her Hunger Games alter ego via a speech about The Lord of the Flies. Though I have to say we particularly enjoyed Cooper’s diatribe about Ernest Hemingway which invited parallels to the recent disappointments of Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey.

Oscar predictions: Lawrence deserves best actress (but it could go to the 86 year old French actress of Amour). Bradley Cooper an outside chance of best actor (if the Academy gets a bit tired of Daniel Day-Lewis’ monty haul), and De Niro for best supporting actor. For best picture (and best adapted screenplay), very remote possibility if the Weinsteins pull out their Shakespeare-in-Love-style vote-buying ploys to overpower Argo and Lincoln …

In any case, no matter what the Academy thinks, a must-see!