Deadpool – Valentine’s Day (Recommendation)

 

Year: 2016

Director: Tim Miller

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Gina Carano, Ed Skrein, Stan Lee, Stefan Kapicic, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONHBaC-pfsk 

 

Valentine’s Day is an annual celebration of religious and commercial significance, celebrating love and romance. People spend the day professing their love, gifting flowers and chocolates, and going on scheduled romantic dates.

Deadpool (2016) is my film choice of the day. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a paid mercenary who falls in love with an escort Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), though a year into their relationship he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. In a last-ditch effort to find a cure, Wade volunteers for an experimental cure, designed to unlock latent mutant genes. However things don’t go to plan, and Wade is left up s**ts Creek without a paddle.

Why Deadpool you ask? Well, for one: the film is simultaneously a self-confessed romance and anti-romance movie. Throughout the film the narrative voice, Deadpool, mimics the audience, for example saying: “”My boyfriend said this was a superhero movie but that guy in the suit just turned that other guy into a fucking kabab!” Well, I may be super, but I’m no hero. And yeah, technically, this is a murder. But some of the best love stories start with a murder”. With these repetitive cues and the use of flashback, which are used to retell Ward and Vanessa’s romance, the stark contrast of the two genres Deadpool is based around (Romance and Action) is emphasised, making it an ironic watch, as it’s an unromantic romance.

Secondly, there isn’t a law dictating that the only films available on the 14th February are sappy soppy love stories, dedicated to giving us unrealistic expectations when it comes to love. Additionally, being single can be stigmatised, so watching a film that twists the clichés of mainstream rom-coms and ridicules itself is a blessing. We’re not being reminded how we’re alone on the most “romantic” day of the year, but are taken back to when Ryan Reynolds was Green Lantern by Reynolds himself, which is very Meta.

Lastly, when originally marketing this film, the studio created billboards advertising Deadpool with the tagline “True love never dies”, tricking people into seeing the film for their Valentine’s Day dates. This was a comical promotional tool used to entice an audience in, and reflect the personality of the protagonist. Deadpool is based on the Marvel comic book of the same name. In the comic book he often breaks the fourth wall, curses profanities, and makes references he shouldn’t know. In the film he’s often seen referencing our favourite romance films, which definitely runs with the Valentine’s Day theme.

 

At the end of the day, whether you’re in love or not, watching Deadpool is never a bad option. The film and drama student in me loves how Reynold’s is constantly breaking the fourth wall, even seen mocking the convention: “Fourth wall break inside of a fourth wall break? That’s like… 16 walls!”. I chose this film for its wonderful dual genre, as It means I can watch a romance and action film without feeling bored.

 

Traditional Valentine’s Day films to watch:

·         The Notebook (2004)

·         Titanic (1998)

·         About Time (2013)

·         When Harry Met Sally (1989)

·         Casablanca (1942)

·         Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

·         50 First Dates (2004)

·         Love, Actually (2003)

·         (500) Days of Summer (2009)

 

Etc…