Imagine Me & You (DVD, 2006, Dual Side)

A mainstream romantic-comedy with a twist, Ol Parker's IMAGINE ME & YOU stands out from the generic pack thanks to its gay-themed subject matter. The movie is as light and fluffy as the average movie in the genre, but as viewers scoop a mouthful of popcorn they may find their expectations subtly altered. Set in London, the movie begins with the wedding of Rachel (Piper Perabo) and Heck (Matthew Goode). Although they seem blissfully happy, Rachel is masking some Sapphic thoughts after eyeing Luce, the wedding florist (Lena Headey), during the ceremony. As luck would have it, one of Heck's male friends, Cooper (Darren Boyd), has fallen for Luce, allowing her and Rachel to meet socially and to consider consummating their desire for one another. While much of Parker's film follows a rather formulaic romantic-comedy route, it takes a surprising turn when Luce and Rachel get together and have no intention of breaking up. A reunion between Rachel and Heck is never on the cards, and it's to Parker's credit that he wasn't sucked into ending the film with an affirmation that the heterosexual world is where his lead female character belongs. IMAGINE ME & YOU sees Hollywood taking a tiny step towards embracing homosexuality in a thoroughly mainstream movie, and for that it should be commended.