Down with Love (2003)

Down with Love is a fizzy, candy-colored valentine to the early-’60s sex comedy, the kind of movie that practically snaps its fingers and dares you not to smile. Peyton Reed directs with buoyant precision, turning New York into a pop-art playground where split screens, sight gags, and double entendres land with the rhythm of well-timed drum hits, while the production design and costumes do half the flirting for the characters. Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor lean into the heightened, screwball vibe with delicious commitment, making the romance feel like a dance routine performed in perfect step. It’s knowingly artificial and proudly cheeky—more champagne bubbles than deep realism—so if you want grounded romance, look elsewhere, but if you’re in the mood for a smart, stylish romp, this one’s a treat.

Down with Love is clearly trying to be a glossy, tongue-in-cheek Valentine to early-’60s sex comedies, with bright colors, snappy banter, and a battle-of-the-sexes premise that wants to feel both playful and a little subversive. The problem is it often plays like a very well-dressed exercise in cleverness: the script leans so hard into the wink-wink parody that the romance can feel more posed than felt, and the leads’ chemistry isn’t strong enough to sell the emotional turns. If you love stylized, self-aware throwbacks and don’t mind characters behaving like cartoons in couture, you’ll probably have a good time. If you’re looking for a genuinely swoony rom-com or comedy that feels effortless rather than meticulously choreographed, this one may leave you admiring the look more than the movie.