Men: Women love romantic comedies. Certainly this is a generalization, but by and large romatic comedies are the female equivalent of a generic action films for men; we can always watch one even if it isn't that good. In this vein, we must occasionally endure a romantic comedy so our significant other will sit through Conan The Destroyer once in a while.
Ladies: Pay attention, your man might actually sit through these. What's more, he might even talk to you about them afterward!
Top Ten RoMANtic Comedies
10 - Original Sin is actually complete garbage, but it's got one hot, naked Angelina Jolie, so any man would love the movie for this alone- what? It's not a romantic comedy? Oh, I guess you are right; sorry, I was distracted. Hold on I need to rewind a second. Phew, Angelina. Okay, nope, one more second; now I can get back to the list.
Top Ten RoMANtic Comedies
10 - Train Man (Densha Otoko) was based on the true story of an otaku coming back from shopping in the Akihabara district of Tokyo that ends up falling for a woman he meets on the train. The support he gets from his own online community is worth the price of admission, though some of the content gets lost in translation for English viewers. The ending is also excessively cheesy. Still, the film appeals to one's inner geek, and mine is a big one.
9 - Roxanne is based on the play "Cyrano," where the leading lady falls for one man's personality and another man's physique. This is easily my favorite Steve Martin performance; his timing and delivery are perfect and the writing is solid. Daryl Hannah also has a brief nude scene at the beginning, though the audience never sees any of the good bits. Oh well, you cannot win them all, guys. Thank God for the internet.
8 - Groundhog Day is the story of a weatherman forced to relive the same day in perpetuity. This was Bill Murray at his peak, and his transformation from bitter and downtrodden lowlife to caring and warm gentleman is hilarious and funny. The humor ranges from dark to lighthearted, providing something for everyone.
Note: My wife does not like this film, though yours might.
7 - Chasing Amy was the movie that put Director Kevin Smith on the map. A comic book artist falls in love with another artist, only to find out she is a lesbian. Good writing but even better delivery make for some memorable moments, though it is so interlaced with vulgarity as to turn off some viewers. Still, it is genuinely funny, and both of you should enjoy watching it if you can get beyond the gratuitous swearing.
6 - Siam Sunset is a relatively obscure Australian film that never really got the recognition it deserved. Relative unknown Linus Roache plays the protagonist, a British design executive that loses his wife in a truly bizarre manner, is forced to take a respite. That trip results in any number of quirky and humorous situations that take the viewer by off-guard; I cannot even divulge the method of Roache's wife's death because it was so weirdly funny. Fantastic writing make this film a winner for men and women.
5 - Wedding Crashers borders on a buddy comedy, with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn playing off one another to great effect. While the film is intersperced with collegiate humor, the writing is generally solid. Further, the plot moves forward in unpredicatable ways, making for a surprising viewing experience.
Best line: "It was a gift, I'm keeping it."
4 - 40-Year Old Virgin might initially lead you to conclude this a comedy in the American Pie vein. Instead, you get witty dialogue and a genuinely understandable leading man. You truly sympathize with Steve Carell's character, who is not made stupid in order to be funny (e.g. Ricky Bobby from Talledega Nights or Ace Ventura from Ace Ventura). Some gratuitous nudity, particularly in the DVD extras, is a bonus for male viewers.
3 - Love, Actually a fantastically written English film that weaves the love stories of a number of couples together. The results are some random encounters, warm fuzzy moments, heart-wrenching betrayals, and cute scenes of puppy love. The naked couple is so adorable, your significant other might even forgive you for rewinding. Twice.
2 - Secretary is a well-written, romantic, dark comedy about a woman with a fetish for cutting herself who meets a man (her boss, no less) with a less dangerous - but much sexier - fetish for domination. The gradual displacement of her violence fetish for a new desire to be submissive to her new boss is both incredibly sexy and heartwarming (sometimes uncomfortably). One hot Maggie Gyllenhaal rockets this title to the top, though it has some intense fetish content that may make some viewers squirm, keeping it out of the top spot. The irony is that its fetish content also got it into the top spot. Go figure.
1 - Saving Face is a romantic comedy that follows all the traditional romantic comedy storytelling hooks, leaving you smiling after viewing. You have two people that meet, fall in love, are torn apart by unavoidable circumstances, then reunite in a love-conquers-all scene of joy by tossing their cares to the wind. The twist on this romance, however, is our protagonists are both Chinese women; beautiful Chinese women. The problem is that one has a traditional mother that wants her daughter married to someone successful and, you know, a man. Nudity, lesbian sex, emotional strife, and many laugh-out-loud moments make this film a rare gem for male viewers to both please their significant other and, er, themselves.
Honorable Mentions: As Good As It Gets, Conan The Barbarian, Danny Deckchair, Die Hard, French Kiss, High Fidelity, Hitch, Kate and Leopold, Knocked Up, Mannequin, Shaun of the Dead, Something About Mary, The Wedding Singer, What Women Want, When Harry met Sally