Neither.
After learning about Ephron's view of her own films and her view of the movies I realized that her and Crowe are making similar movies but are using different tactics.
Crowe
Crowe wants to focus more on an archetype - the flawed man, the successful man and how his life can be changed in an instant by someone or something - particularly a woman and or love. He really wants to capture real life and he does this through his camera techniques, his use of real music, and his writing. I think Jerry Maguire was where I first started seeing Crowe's commentary on
society. I saw it resurface it a bit in Elizabethown.
Crowe is less concerned about making the "ideal romantic comedy" or sticking to the conventions. He wants to make something original, real, current and memorable. Crowe doesn't necessarily make better romantic comedies than Ephron, rather he tries to take the real aspects of life and incorporate or make a screenplay and a film around them. For all you Crowe fans out there check out his sweet website: Cameron Crowe which has links to the articles he wrote for Rolling Stone and other cool stuff. Its still being tweaked a bit but while we're waiting for Crowe's new movie this can keep you occupied.
Ephron
For romantic comedies Ephron wants to focus more on an idea, a belief - love. Specifically where our society's view of love originated, why, how and how movies themselves have played into that. She does this in a very witty and original way. Similar to Amy Heckerling, Ephron writes and directs a romantic comedy that appears to just be about two people or strangers who are trying to find love and perhaps find it with each other. But to our surprise there's more beneath the surface. There is commentary on society's belief and view about love, women, men and most of all how popular culture and movies have influenced us. How they have effected our view of love, what its suppose to do for us, that there's this special person out there for all of us, that love at first sight is possible, etc. The list could go on forever.
I enjoy Ephron's choice of not making her commentary extremely obvious or forced. This allows people the option to either take the movie for what it is on the surface or to dig deeper. Ephron is quite aware that movies are mainly used and considered a source of entertainment, but she doesn't let that stop her from expressing or voicing her opinions. Which I must say as a woman, who is interested in working in the media industry or journalism this is quite refreshing to hear.
// posted by singleinthecity @
3:51 AM