13 Best Romantic Comedies Of The 21st Century

There really couldn't be any other choice for top spot, could there? Some have unfairly criticised the 2003 film retrospectively, presumably angry at horrid Hollywood knock offs like Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. The film though is both a Christmas and Romantic Comedy classic, with great acting and (mostly) engaging characters throughout. But most importantly, it was exactly the film we needed at the time.

Richard Curtis made the decision to embrace airports as a central location for the film's events, a bold decision considering the world was still reeling from the 9/11 attacks. Curtis takes it one step further, with Hugh Grant delivering one of the all time great speeches to open the film, declaring that airports, and the world in general, is actually full of love rather than hate.

We then dive into a multitude of stories related to love, ranging from the silly (two porn actors nervously flirting), the romantic (a writer and his maid fall in love) to the sad (a middle aged couple stare down divorce when the husband has an affair.) The stories are varied in style, from fun cliches to realistic and grounded, but all fit in beautifully to the overall feel of the film.

The film delivers a star studded cast, but it is Bill Nighy who is a clear standout. His story of an ageing Rocker who produces a dreadful Christmas hit for one last attempt of fame is perhaps the funniest character arc put to film.