I'm so tired of all these modern "romantic comedies," where the romantic leads treat each other like dung and then excuse it all with "I'm in love!"  You know the ones--they usually star Hugh Grant and/or Julia Roberts, and try to get us to belive that neither of these people can get a date under normal circumstances.  They meet in some suspciously coincidental situation, fall instantly in lust, and spend the majority of the movie engaging in shallow passive-aggressive tactics that would make Tien Vorsoisson blush.  Then they decide they really do love each other, chase each other down, and gabble a confession of undying love--usually without even bothering to apologize for their previous appalling behavior.  Feh.  Love should make you a better a person.  If you find yourself becoming a worse person, don't blame love.

What brought this on?  We went to see "Casablanca" this week at the Fox Summer Film Festival.  Now there's a love story.  A triangle comprised of self-sacrifice and character growth, not to mention the witty script, and superb acting. 

--"I came to Casablanca for the waters."
--"Rick, we're in a desert."
--"I was misinformed."

We learned in the "making of" segment on the DVD that Ronald Reagon was originally being considered for the role of Rick.  Imagine that.  You'll have to, because I truly don't think I can.  Another interesting tidbit: no one, not even the actors, not even the scriptwriters, knew how it was going to end--who Ilsa would end up with.  It was finally decided that it would never do for Victor Laszlow to shoot the bad guy--that simply had to be Rick.  And so Ilsa's fate was decided. 

I won't say they don't make 'em like that any more ("Shakespeare in Love" springs to mind), but I sure wish they made more of them.