13 Going on 30 (2004)
13 Going on 30 is one of my favorite romantic comedies. It has everything going for it. Fun music, a familiar but always entertaining premise, love and romance, an awesome villain to loathe (Judy Greer’s snobby and conniving Lucy Wyman) and the adorable Mark Ruffalo to root for. I don’t think I even need to mention the sheer enjoyability of Jennifer Garner’s performance as time traveling Jenna Rink. It’s just so much fun to watch Jennifer in this role because it’s so obvious she had a blast doing it. C’mon, watch the Thriller dance scene and tell me she wasn’t loving that!
13 Going on 30 is clearly not the first movie to use the premise of a teenager wishing to be older and waking up in the morning to find that they are (Hi ‘Big’, I’m talking about you, here), but what it lacks in originality it makes up for with heart. You are practically on your knees in front of the screen begging for the happy ending you know you’re going to get. You fall in love with the characters and the movie rewards your affection.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
I just need to take a moment to collect myself. May I just say Adrian Grenier is one of the sexiest men on the planet? I have no idea what it is about him that sets me ablaze so when I see him, but seriously, the man makes me sweat. He really does.
Okay. Moving on.
The Devil Wears Prada pairs the incredibly talented Meryl Streep with the also incredibly talented and unearthly beautiful Anne Hathaway, and what a tremendous movie we get as a result. These two work amazingly together and Emily Blunt is absolutely adorable.
The Devil Wears Prada is a bit predictable, but it is entertaining. The comedy is smart and sharp. The drama is emotional and engrossing and I loved the way Meryl Streep’s Miranda was slowly revealed to be something more than an evil ice queen. And how can you not love Anne Hathaway as Andy? Sure she may not always make the right choices, but you feel for her even if you don’t agree with what’s she’s doing.
