Five Great Romantic Comedies of 2008

I have long been a fan of traditional romantic comedies, sure, thrillers are exciting and action adventure flicks get my pulse up, but given the choice time and again I choose to spend my evenings enjoying the perfect blend of love and laughter that only a romantic comedy can offer. 2008 provided some great romantics comedies that delivered what we've come to love and stretched the genre in some new and exciting ways. Here are my top five choices for great romantic comedies of 2008:

27 Dresses

Finally, a romantic comedy that sheds light on the plight of bridesmaids everywhere! Katherine Heigl is charming in this tale of an obedient and overworked bridesmaid who finally reaches her breaking point and James Marsden makes a dashing, if offbeat, leading man. 27 Dresses has everything you'd want in a romantic comedy not to mention the hilarious fashion mistakes of 27 bad bridesmaids dresses, which alone is worth the price of admission.

Definitely, Maybe

Ryan Reynolds stars in this love story told backward in which a divorced father tells his daughter about the loves of his life. The sheer number of substantive female roles in the film was impressive, not the least of which was daughter Maya played by Abigail Breslin who was, as always, a delight. While the style of the film, which uses many flashbacks, is unconventional the story of how relationships begin, end and are reborn is enduring.

Sex And The City

Sometimes it is hard for a cast that we know and love to live up to expectations on the big screen but Sex and the City flourished, resulting in box office bang and talk of a sequel. Unlike the television show the movie is not all about bags, bling, and booty, it portrays a more mature foursome with decidedly adult responsibilities and concerns. But like any great romantic comedy Sex and the City delivers the goods in the form of a love story that defies the odds.

Priceless

A romantic comedy unlike any I've seen before Priceless or Hors de Prix is a French film staring the inimitable Audrey Tautou as a young gold digger. The film's tagline aptly summarizes her situation: "she only dated men with money...until she met a man with a heart." The movie is filmed on the gorgeous French Riviera and is a joy to watch, full of silly encounters and physical comedy between the two stars. In the end, as we hoped, our gold digger makes the right choice, and we're awfully glad we were along for the ride.

Made of Honor

Patrick Dempsey joined Katherine Heigl in making the jump to romantic comedies in 2008 staring in the wedding flick, Made of Honor. Though the idea is not new the juxtaposition of the man going after the woman who is otherwise engaged was a novel take on My Best Friend's Wedding, and it worked. Dempsey is engaging as Tom Bailey and has definite chemistry with Michelle Monaghan as Hannah; together they provide a solid romantic comedy for lovers of the genre.

As long as movies are being created romantic comedies will have their place as an escape from the harsh realities of everyday life and a genre imbued with hope, which is more important now than ever. So take a break from life with 2008's great romantic comedies and get excited about what 2009 may bring.