I'm a J Lo fangirl from way back, and even though the title of her narrative concept film based on the album of the same name seemed ridiculously self-absorbed, I got completely transported by it anyway, because...J Lo. It's not just the story of her second chance romance with the person she never stopped loving, and has reunited with over the age of 50, it's a story about how she learned to love herself in the intervening years. I was also super invested in the making-of documentary, The...

I have the sweetest hangover that I don't want to get over. My first ever visit with my long-distance sweetie was amazing, he's already gone home, and we're already planning our next visit. I'm exhausted, but in the very best way, so I bring you a replay of my second chance romance episode, which I created a little over a year ago after I got on dating apps for the first time in years, hoping for a love like this. And then Twitter brought us together —once upon a time, it was good for...

I'm meeting my LDR sweetie for the first time this week, after more than a year of online dating, and excited doesn't begin to cover it. Humans are spread out all over the globe yet hyper connected, so many of us will experience a long distance romance at some point in our lives. LDRs are thrilling and intensely romantic, but  can also leave you open to frustration and pain. A decent lingerie collection, unlimited Skype, solid communication skills, generous use of emojis and regular video sex...

I'm a classic film nut, and there's no better example of overblown, dramatic and romantic Hollywood storytelling than the movie Black Narcissus, starring Deborah Kerr. Based on the 1930s Rumer Godden novel, it’s a story that shows how women throughout history have so often buried themselves in service to others as they sublimate their own feelings and desires — or more likely, find those desires shamed, controlled and punished. So let's celebrate Women's History Month by enjoying stories...

In this episode, I'm joined by my romance friend Mariah to gush, giggle, get deep and then frothy again about the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, directed by Greta Gerwig. It was the most mega of mega movie hits last year, now Oscar nominated in many categories, and well deserved. It's been a long time since a movie has made me laugh and think this much, and we just can't stop talking about it. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com There are more clips and even...

My favorite shows, books or movies feature women over the age of 40 finding sensuality, romance and connections of whatever type they desire. Unfortunately, society likes to pretend that women — especially older women —don't have desires. There aren't many examples of sexy fearless aging in Hollywood once you get beyond the Book Club and Nancy Meyers movies, shows like And Just Like That and Grace and Frankie, all of which feature the movie industry stable of "acceptable older actresses."...

I'm one of the last remaining people on planet earth to see this amazing movie, and it still managed to surprise me, even after all the hype. I love Greta Gerwig, I love her courage in telling a story about feminism and patriarchy using Bazooka pink, candy colors and a beloved, if stereotypical, doll. And I love Barbie even more now after learning about her modern diversity and variations. For a doll that's survived more than 60 years, transformed amid many cultural changes, and is still...

It's a holiday miracle: I've finally watched one of the most perfect Hallmark holiday movies I've ever seen, with stellar writing, directing, editing, and acting. The story is heartfelt, it has relatable stakes, it's romantic and touching and funny: everything a holiday movie should be. Not surprisingly, it's inspired by one of my favorite romcoms of all time, Groundhog Day, the original time-loop romance. I rooted for all of the characters, and the central romance, from the first moments of...

There's no way to exactly describe the dark and hilarious debut dramedy Shiva Baby except to say: you giggle at what should be sad, feel heartbroken for what should be exciting, become annoyed with the emotional meddling, and end up a ball of stress and tension — until the twists and turns of this darkly comic plot unwind the whole thing, ending with a painfully hysterical moment and heartwarming queer romance in the making. With an emotional roller coaster loaded with relatives and lovers...

How I love a romance set aboard a luxury cruise ship or ocean liner, especially classic movies set on ships in the early to mid 20th-century, a heyday of ocean travel. The coziness, the leather luggage with a separate toiletries case, the cute staterooms and cabins, the service, people dressing for elegant dinner and dancing, the endless ocean views, and falling asleep rocked by waves...of course, in this dream, I'm on the Cunard Line in a massive luxury suite with full balcony, and my...

It's Halloween week, and time to confess that I'm strangely attracted to Gothic horror stories and creepy "romance," especially the many interpretations of the fascinating classic 19th century novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Each filmmaker and writer present different themes in their Jekyll and Hyde adaptations, from gender and sexual politics, personal ethics and morality, to abusive patriarchal structures and class and power inequities. The original story featured only men,...

Selecting potential mates based strictly on physical attributes is definitely a vibe —as seen on the UK dating show Naked Attraction, which has recently started streaming in the US. As expected with a TV show that features full frontal nudity, it's inspiring quite a lot of discussion :) So I invited my UK-based sweetie (a.k.a. Mr. Bingley, a perfect nickname, because he's ridiculously kind, like the Jane Austen character) to discuss the nuances with me, because he has seen every episode of...

I just saw Book Club: The Next Chapter,  a frothy, fun and flirty sequel to Book Club, a movie I talked about in this episode, and I'll feature the sequel in an upcoming episode. This time, the besties end up in Italy and it's a sweet and sexy exploration of long-term friendship, shared adventures, and finding your romantic bliss by taking a chance with the help of friends who almost know you better than you know yourself. They sip Prosecco in a Roman café, travel by water taxi to a Venetian...

I'm not a snob when to comes to romantic tropes. I don't discriminate: the more outlandish the better, and I love them all. Every beat might be as familiar as the back of my hand, but my attitude is: bring it on again. It's even better when there are little refreshing updates to beloved romcom plots, like in the new Netflix movie Love at First Sight. This unimaginative title promises the most smarmy movie experience ever, but it turns out to be a tender, warmhearted, romantic story about...

Is it Halloween yet? If it's getting cooler where you live, too, let's brew some tea or pour some hot chocolate or hot cider and snuggle on the sofa with two of the most atmospheric, painterly, creepy yet oddly feminist and romantic movies I've ever seen. CW: brief references to marital physical abuse and graphic 19th century medical techniques. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com A ghostly figure, an escapee from the local asylum, a forced marriage to a violent lunatic, and an...

I'm a huge fan of the films of Nicole Holofcener, and her latest is another lo-fi, funny, thoughtful story for anybody who's ever tried to make a romantic, platonic, sibling or parental relationship thrive. Is it ever okay to tell a little white lie to the people we love to spare their feelings? When is it okay to fib a little? Do blunt honesty, the unvarnished truth, or our brilliant but unsolicited opinions make people feel appreciated and loved, or is the truth a little more...

Ever since I first saw 1959's Gidget rerun on TV, I thought surfing and beach culture looked like the most fun you could have all summer. I might be an outsider still but my surf crush continues with every surfing movie or documentary that comes along, and the crazy-sexy fictional or real-life characters who make riding multi-story ocean waves look like a beach picnic. How could you not fall in love? https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com Movies The one and only Gidget, the story of...

Summer is kicking my butt, and I desperately need to chill. Let's celebrate Christmas in July and enjoy a replay of one of my favorite episodes, about one of my favorite classic holiday movies: the romantic and spiritual The Bishop's Wife, starring my movie boyfriend, the dashing and debonair Cary Grant.  This story is the gift that keeps on giving: what if a gorgeous angel came down to earth to answer a bishop's prayers for guidance, giving him not what he wants, but what he needs, while...

It's almost reunion season — translated into stories, that theme seems to always include unrequited love and crushes, frustrated ambition, embarrassing attempts to impress, reliving lost youth, and shattered dreams. Some are dramedy, some straight-up drama, but reunion movies have one thing in common: characters whose pasts collide with the present in endlessly fascinating ways. And the plots nearly always involve a search for connection, romantic or otherwise. CW: explicit descriptions of...

This minor Woody Allen film asks a really pertinent question for a romance podcast: do we fool ourselves by looking to the stars, horoscopes, psychics or fortune tellers to comfort and convince us that love is out there waiting for us? Or does this harmless belief in destiny help us survive a harsh and often cruel world?  While possibly making us very annoying to friends and family? Gemma Jones is the sparkling center of this quietly humorous and often emotional movie about holding onto your...

I'm taking a closer look at two emotional and exhilarating romantic LGBTQ love stories to celebrate Pride Month. These movies are very different in tone, but are equally heartwarming and visually exciting, with incredible performances. I laughed, I cried, I danced and sang along, and you can't ask for a better celebration than that. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com Supernova has a quiet confidence that lulls you to its poignant, inevitable conclusion, but its melancholy sadness...

It's difficult to describe the tone of this bawdy, outrageously gigglesome medieval romcom: it's played straight, for laughs, while deeply subversive, satirical and quietly hilarious, just like its 14th century source material, The Decameron. The brilliant comic acting and directing maximize the satire, connecting ancient social norms with current religious, sexual and gender politics. The result is quietly magnificent. CW: kink and sex, religious...

Bros was a bit of a box office disappointment, but it's a fabulously funny, honest and sexy gay romcom. Fire Island may have gotten there first by also showcasing an entirely LGBTQ cast, but when it's about romcoms this good, everybody's a winner. We're finally hearing different voices in Hollywood (not enough), and seeing a diversity of people (not enough, but going in the right direction) experiencing on-screen romance and love, and it's about damn...

What more could be said about witty, gorgeous George Clooney? For a long time now, George has been a worthy modern day Cary Grant, with all of the bantering sexy suave of that classic film icon. But I've noticed in more recent roles that George is moving into his rumpled cargo shorts phase (with just the slightest potbelly, still ridiculously attractive) as he adds more and more father figure roles to his hot little filmography. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com Movies This...