Genre Research: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

 

Now a modern rom com that I still rewatch to this day. This is another rom com that I personally love more for the romantic aspects, not so much for the comedic. The tropes present in this film are also some of my favorites (love triangle, fake dating).

Establishing, close up of hand, overhead shot with crane tracking shot, full 180 POV, POV x2, swoosh pan, high angle of book, mid shot x5, wide shot (which could also be axial cut), tracking shot, mid shot, mid shot, mid shot pan, mid shot, axial cut, mid shot, axial cut zoom in, close-up tilt, POV master shot, close up, two shot, master shot, close up, POV (but showing that she’s into her sister’s bf), mid shot, close up. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before Opening Sequence

The start of the film already introduces a love interest of Lara Jean, but the love interest introduced within these first 2 minutes isn't the actual love interest. It still lays the basis for the basis of this genre and through the use of a multitude of POV shots, we can see Lara Jean's interest in her sister's boyfriend. 

This film also does a good job of presenting how each character is through dialogue and mise en scene. We're met with 3 sisters and seemingly an only dad, but we already know personalities of all the characters within the first 2 minutes. Kitty says, "Dad's cooking tastes like butt", showing how she's immature and still a child, while Margot answers, "You'll eat whatever he puts on the table", showing how she's the mature, older sister who appreciates her Dad and what he goes through.

This beginning sequence also heavily uses the Kuleshov effect. It will show Josh come on to screen, then the next shot is of Lara Jean looking fond. We can assume she is looking fondly at Josh because she likes him because of this. 

I think this film is another good example of how to start off a rom com film. What I'm starting to notice is the pattern with these films is to introduce the main character in a way that separates them from the other characters. In this film, we see Lara Jean as a hopeless romantic, she's daydreaming while reading at the very beginning, she's looking fondly at Josh, and all this is repeated throughout the film. This early hints at characterization helps the viewer connect with the main character early on and keep the viewer's attention.