Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- breezy
- irreverent
- date night
- lighthearted movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized an energetic and intelligent homage with strong lead performances, though opinions divided over its artificiality, satirical purpose, and uneven execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film uses brightly colored sets, period styling, studio-comedy rhythms, and deliberately artificial presentation to homage Doris Day and Rock Hudson vehicles.
Barbara Novak's advice book and Catcher Block's attempt to discredit it turn competing ideas about modern women and male behavior into the central comic conflict.
Catcher Block adopts a false identity to test Barbara's convictions, while the plot repeatedly contrasts public images with private motives.
Critics specifically noted the film's buoyant, hectic artificiality, visible in its saturated colors, polished sets, period vernacular, and exaggerated double entendres.
Films like Down with Love, and why
Pillow Talk
shared retro romantic comedy style, gender-role satire, and deliberately artificial period presentation
Lover Come Back
shared screwball banter, workplace romantic rivalry, and playful commentary on sexual politics
Far from Heaven
shared bright period pastiche, romantic deception, and critique of mid-century gender expectations
Movie Details
- Director
- Peyton Reed
- Release Date
- 2003-05-08
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (813)
Cast
- Renée Zellweger
- Ewan McGregor
- Sarah Paulson
- David Hyde Pierce
- Rachel Dratch
- Jack Plotnick
- Tony Randall
- John Aylward
- Matt Ross
- Michael Ensign
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Down with Love about?
- A feminist advice author and a duplicitous playboy journalist spar through a candy-colored 1960s romantic-comedy fantasy about whether love can survive modern gender politics.
- What is Down with Love like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Down with Love as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Down with Love violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Down with Love.
- What did critics think of Down with Love?
- Critics broadly recognized an energetic and intelligent homage with strong lead performances, though opinions divided over its artificiality, satirical purpose, and uneven execution.
- Which films are like Down with Love?
- Films with a similar feel include Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, and Far from Heaven.
- How long is Down with Love?
- Down with Love runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Down with Love?
- In United States, Down with Love is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
