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Hollywood at Home is a weekly column by filmmaker, writer, and critic Keith Hodder that highlights the variety of films and television programs that Netflix has to offer, along with recommendations of what to watch next and his opinions on the world of entertainment. Follow him @KeithHodder and feel free to suggest a film.[/caption]

Romantic comedies have been a cinematic mainstay. No matter the season or the holiday, the state of world affairs or the trends in cinema, they have remained and persevered.

Say what you will about the genre, but it has been a source of entertainment for audiences long before film, finding its roots in the comedies of ancient Greece and more memorably in some of Shakespeare’s plays.

The genre hit a recent high with Silver Linings Playbook (2012), a film that helped Jennifer Lawrence take home an Oscar, and before that, titles like Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Annie Hall (1977), and When Harry Met Sally (1989) have stood out as some of the best films ever made.

Like any genre, the romantic comedy has its equivalents to the action films of Steven Segal, and most of the current Hollywood celebrity roster could say they’ve been a part of this practice.

However, every now and again a film comes along that demonstrates what we should expect of romantic comedies. Last year’s 5 to 7 (2015), starring Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) and Bérénice Marlohe (Skyfall), belongs in this category.

If there were ever a film deserving of the hidden gem moniker, this is it. 5 to 7 was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, receiving generally positive praise, but opened on 2 screens in the U.S. and widened to a further 19. For those unaware, that made it a blip on the multiplex radar.

Silver Linings Playbook, for example, was shown on close to 3,000 screens at the height of its release.

With those numbers in contrast, it’s no surprise that 5 to 7 is pretty much non-existent to general audiences. But it shouldn’t be. I’d argue it deserves all the attention that Playbook received. In fact, it’s a much better film.

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A scene from 5 to 7[/caption]

Taking a note from Woody Allen in its premise, 5 to 7 follows and is guided by the narrations of a young and aspiring novelist in New York City who falls for an older woman, only to learn that she is married, but is willing to meet anytime between 5 and 7 in the evening.

For those of us with a moral conscience, our alarm bells are ringing, but what makes the film interesting is that the older woman and her husband have allowed each other to explore other relationships. It’s a premise that seems almost ludicrous to the layman, but works quite well in the film, which doesn’t really focus on the ethical discussion of this situation, but rather it takes it in full swing.

It isn’t presented in some quirky and ditsy fashion that a lot of rom-coms employ, but instead gets right into the love that the characters share for each other, what they learn from each other, and how they grow together. Though there are moments of brevity to contribute to the comedy half of the film’s genre, the vast majority of the film is spent in moments of romance and drama.

The film’s style and visuals also make it stand out amongst its flashy and over-saturated American peers. Most films in the genre offer nothing creatively in terms of cinematography and atmosphere, relying solely on the over-makeuped actors to drive the film by employing over-usedclichés of boy-meets-girl. 5 to 7 is wholly unpredictable and feels European in how it’s arranged and shot.

Viewers familiar with rom-com tropes will find pleasure in what a fresh breath of air this film is, and the dialogue will leave them with thoughts that they will never forget. In many ways, the narration is like some of the best and most memorable prose. It speaks volumes in the most simplistic way.

The performances overall are charming and engaging. Where Yelchin’s character could easily find himself at home in a Woody Allen film, Bérénice Marlohe reveals, with her comfort in playing confident and mysterious, why she is among the finest of Bond girls.

Utilizing her native Parisian heritage, her character and her ways of thinking provoke a sense of intrigue in her character that is impossible to ignore. Smaller appearances by Glenn Close, Frank Langella, and Lambert Wilson are also just as potent and bring about some of the most amusing scenes the film has to offer.

With that said, leave your judgements for the rom-com genre at the door. No matter the gender, and no matter the age, there is something for everyone to appreciate in 5 to 7.

Whether it is in its coming-of-age tale or in its nouveau approach to romance and an understanding of what love really is, this film is filled to the brim with a creativity and passion that deserves to be recognized and shared.

So, take a break this evening between 5 and 7 and take in a film worthy of your love.