Been thinking about romantic comedies. You know, the Sleepless in Seattles and Roman Holidays, and the one I saw most recently, The Proposal (being dubbed by some in the media as The Formula, for reasons that will become clear should you ever see this predictable Anne Fletcher flick, which is rescued somewhat by a few genuinely funny moments, and the presence and timing of its watchable leads). Sure, the notion of a romantic comedy is as old as Shakespeare and older again, but so many of the more recent iterations are – let’s not mince words, here – predictable pap. Yet given that rom coms do follow a formula, what makes one work over another? Because occasionally – admit it, you cynics – a romantic comedy appears that manages to be both romantic and funny. It may be a rare breed, but I would solemnly submit that such was the case with When Harry Met Sally and Sideways. So what’s the secret? The gags or the chemistry between the protagonists? And what – speak up now, you closet romantics – are the best of a much maligned genre?