Love Affair (1939) - A film directed by Leo McCarey

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This is the first in a cannon of films, two remakes and several films clearly influenced by it. The story follows two people who meet briefly  and fall in love so arrange to meet a short time in the future on New York's Empire State Building. Obviously the path to love, or the Empire State Building, does not run smooth and events transpire.

Because it was the original I cannot say that it is an overused plot, but because I've seen some of the later movies it seems to be. It's quite an annoying story because it's typical Hollywood: the couple fall in love in a couple of days, adultery is simply brushed over because this is true love and dramatic events happen within which the characters act irrationally. You're meant to be able to put yourself into a rom-com situation but this dispelled belief too much to be taken too seriously.

The characters were quite good, which is surprising for a rom-com. The male lead was French and quite charming, although he had the normal amount of sexism for that era. The female lead was a fairly rounded character and quite likeable. Often, because you are meant to project yourself into the film, the female character can become annoying because she is seen as a threat, but this one was pretty good. Some things she did made no sense, there was a secret she kept for no reason, but often they were to advance the plot rather than because she was a 'silly woman'.

The film was good but very typically a classic Hollywood film, it didn't feel timeless and that probably explains why so many people felt as though it should/could be remade. There were good and bad moments but on the whole it was just an ok film with a overly simplistic idea of love.