Romantic films on Valentine's Day can elicit a drowsy numbness which overcomes thy senses, or evoke an evident self-awareness of one's Romantic, romantic state of mind, do more harm than good, good than harm, but really one thing links them all together, their comfort foods, escapisms. Some may say it's unhealthy, but hey, there's something for everyone to peruse on the silver screen for this special day, and I'll look at some of my favourite depictions of onscreen romances (or indeed, the breakdown of them) to give some recommendations for viewing.
Gothic Romance
3. Rebecca: A brilliant adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel. One of the more underrated Best Picture winners (also Hitchcock really did deserve a Best Director win), it helped pave way for the genre to flourish in the 40's and 50's with its absolutely brilliant mixture of suspense, Gothic elements played in a most Hitchcockian way, and dark humour. The set design is brilliant, the theme music is great, and best of all the tension never relents, even though the film never cheats with any 'jump-scare' moments. Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, and Judith Anderson are all absolutely brilliant in playing the heroine and villains, respectively, with subtle variations on the tropes, but best of the show is definitely Laurence Olivier giving perhaps his greatest performance of all-time as the haunted Max De Winter, striking the perfect balance between being cold and enigmatic, and compellingly tender in his love and grief.
2. The Heiress: This time round the male romantic interest played by Montgomery Clift is probably the least impressive on show, though the fact that he gives an excellent performance too shows the strength of this film. Stylistically it's adept and perfectly paced, and the script is very good, but really this film is all about the performances. Olivia de Havilland makes up for her highway theft of Celia Johnson's rightful Oscar for Brief Encounter with an absolutely magnificent turn as Catherine Sloper. Bravely agreeing to tone down her naturally beautiful features into the 'plain Jane' Catherine, she develops her character's unique arc of attraction, disappointment and revenge with aplomb, but every bit her equal is Ralph Richardson's scene-stealing portrayal of the incisive father figure, Dr. Sloper. The two's scenes together are some of the greatest of all-time acting.
1. Jane Eyre (2006 miniseries): There's a fine 2011 film adaptation of the novel, as well as several other less impressive ones, but it's the miniseries starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens as Jane and Rochester, respectively, that really nails the source material for me. I've written a bit more about Wilson specifically on the blog (http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/head-to-head-jane-eyre-part-1-virginia.html) but overall the production values on this television work is amazing. Each moment in Jane's journey from girl to womanhood is superb, the lighting, make-up work and all the little supporting roles are handled marvellously, it's just a wonderful watch for anyone, but especially for fans of the novel.
Don't watch: Wuthering Heights (1939). Olivier is so lacklustre at playing Heathcliff that it's astounding how he played De Winter in Rebecca just a year later and never looked back. He's very hammy and OTT but to be honest, he's arguably one of the better elements of a very bland, pared down film which does no justice to the source material.
Repressed Romantic Drama (P.S. I won't mention Carol or Brief Encounter here as I've written so much about them already on the blog, just heed my advice and check them out, k thx)
3. Atonement. You've probably seen this one already because it was quite a hit when it came out, what with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy making one of the most strikingly pretty onscreen couples of all-time. It's a surprisingly erotic (despite its intentionally old-fashioned style) and despite the actual romance taking up surprisingly little screentime, hits each emotional beat so vividly.
2. The Remains of the Day: When anyone asks me what the best examples of Anthony Hopkin's talents are, I tell them, go check out Silence of the Lambs, The Elephant Man and Shadowlands, then get round to this adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's incredible novel. Stevens is a butler, a simple butler, who intentionally is a bit of a 'bland' character with his stiff British mentality and manners. That Hopkins makes him into such a fascinating study in slowly crumbling repression is masterful. Emma Thompson's lively Miss Kenton acts as a perfect 'romantic' foil to Hopkins' reserved performance, and the simple beauty of their unspoken attraction is enhanced by that marvellous Merchant Ivory tone achieved by the beautiful estate grounds, costuming, music and casting of supporting roles.
1. Casblanca: This is a film that really grows on you. I thought it was dreadful the first time I watched it and maybe you will too, but give it time and it really stays with you. It could technically be called 'clichéd' but thing is, it's the film that started most of those romantic tropes anyway so really, it's quite innovative. Anyway though there's a great deal of fun to be had with the film even without the central romance being taken into account (i.e. CLAUDE RAINS) the big selling point is obviously Bogart + Bergman. Interesting to note that apparently, surprisingly, nothing happened offscreen between the two, but anyway both actors work their way marvellously around the near-flawless script and work outside the margins of the technically speaking, fairly conventional romance, to instill that very special bit of spark that makes a romance truly romantic, truly great.
'You Were Made For Each Other' Romance: (very subjective, basically my all-time favourite onscreen couples that haven't been included on any of the other lists)
3. Moulin Rouge: They do, then they don't get together. Great musical, great romance, devastating ending.
2. Marty: They do, then they (maybe?) get together. Just a masterpiece of small-scale filmmaking.
1. Cloud Atlas: They do, then they don't get together. Ben Whishaw and Jame D'Arcy (it's amazing how much power he generates without uttering a single word in this part of his performance) of a great part of a good film, with a devastating ending.
'Forbidden' Romance (I won't discuss Carol here because I've discussed it so much already on this blog, also the whole lesbian aspect of the film is so subtly dealt with I even hesistate to call it a 'forbidden' romance film. Same with Cloud Atlas to be honest)
3. Lolita (1962): Forbidden for a very good reason! Anyway this is actually a rather brilliant film, it doesn't quite live up to the original source material but then again it was probably nigh impossible to do so. Anyway if you're going to take on an absolute masterpiece of a novel by Nabokov and somehow make Humbert Humbert's exploits both suited to the screen yet not wholly sympathetic, hard to watch but not unwatchably crass, Kubrick was the master of tones and he completely nails it here. James Mason is the perfect sly, deviant protragonist for us to follow through and be deceived by, and the tricksy issue of his infatuation for Dolores is so well done that I'm seriously considering putting the film in my highly competitive 1960's top 20 list.
2. Badlands: Before the 'lovers-on-the-run' trope was played with by Tarantino and Tony Scott in True Romance, there was Badlands. It's probably my favourite Terrence Malik film in that it's by far the most consistent, the pacing is great, and more importantly the potentially hard-to-stomach central romance between a (frankly) quite delusional Sissy Spacek and murderous James Dean wannabe Martin Sheen is made so absorbing and beautiful to watch, without sugercoating the bloody, chilling backbone to this fatal attraction. It's one of those films that you need to go in watching with the right sort of patient mindset. Do that and you'll definitely appreciate Badlands as one very strange, illicit romance.
1. A Patch of Blue: Unlike the last two films this romance is just very, very, very sweet. As the blind, mistreated Selina (Elizabeth Hartman) and soft-spoken, compassionate black man (a perfectly cast Sidney Poitier) blossom from friendship into mutual affection, so does Guy Green's perfectly modulated direction touch each and every soulful moment in the film. It's just a sweet little story at heart with darker undertones creeping in from external influences, and the ending is bittersweet love at its finest. Just a great, very underseen and underappreciated film.
Sci-Fi Romance
3. About Time. Technically it is an incredibly well-told romantic love story, with a sci-fi bent. Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams are an adorable couple. But I do think the best part of the film is the non-romantic aspect, not that the romantic aspect isn't well done, it's amazingly well-done, but the best scenes in the film for me are between Gleeson and his onscreen father played by Bill Nighy. It's one of those films which makes you treasure the affective love you have from other outlets in life even if the romantic sort isn't really working out.
2.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Both a mind-blower and a heartbreaker, I go into more detail into this wonderful romantic film here (http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/peripheral-beauties-eternal-sunshine-of.html) but just to promote it even further, it's got Jim Carrey and Kate Winsley postulated firmly outside their comfort zones, a crazy good screenplay by one of the greatest screenwriters of all-time Charlie Kaufman, an impeccably devised plot structure that requires re-watches to see just how terrifically it fits together all the little pieces of the puzzle of the mind, and lastly its tough but ultimately very heartfelt moral.
Hon. Mention: The Adjustment Bureau: Think an old-fashioned Hollywood romance from the 1950's with a slight sci-fi bent and you get this lovely little film. As with most films based on Philip K. Dick stories, the film has a very detailed vision of a society in which peoples' lives are dictated by a 'Plan' and their actions mediated by the titular bureau of gentlemen. The set-up of this alternate universe within a very familiar universe is excellently done with sparing CGI, and mostly just a very innovative construction of sets to convey this sense of a world of realistic artifice. More importantly however is the beating heart in the middle of it evoked by out two stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, who really make the film with their 'meet-cute' romance pushing them to fend for love, no matter what the cost.
Fantasy Romance
3. Corpse Bride: Stop-motion animation never looked more grotesquely serene and beautiful as it does here, and being a Tim Burton style of course the blend of that and the more self-aware humour of the morbid kind is very much prevalent. What's particularly special about this film is how inspired a story it feels like even though it's actually, at heart, quite a traditional one. Couple that with some excellent voicework by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Richard E. Grant etc., a few banging tunes and a unique ending, and you have yourself a minor masterpiece.
2. Big Fish: There is an awakening of a recurring theme...can you feel it? Probably one of his most personal films to date, Burton downplays the usual gothic elements of his films, leaving the simpler ones in the hand of a 'Muggle'. Anyway, the film is, to avoid spoiling too much, best to go into this one with a clear mind as to the fact that it is at heart a story about stories. It's not strictly speaking a 'romance' film, more a film about a man's life, or life as how he tells it, one facet being his romance with the girl of his dreams, his 'fish in the water'. Edward Bloom, a dying former Southern traveling salesman, is played by both Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor at two stages of his life, as an extreme romantic with a relentless vigour for life. The character strikes a wonderful chemistry with Jessica Lange and Alison Loman's Sandra at two stages of his life, and the great romance helps to ground the tall tales (or are they?) of the film. Big Fish is one film I recommend to people that don't necessarily like Tim Burton films, as it's really just a great romantic love story, alongside being a moving exploration of fatherly love as Edward tells his story to his son (played by Billy Crudup).
1. Edward Scissorhands: Okay I'll admit Tim Burton has pretty much taken over this whole subgenre for me. Lovelorn people will find the prospect of young Johhny Depp with some long-ass scissors enticing enough a Valentine's prospect, but that's only half of the story. I thoroughly love Edward Scissorhads as just a simple tale of romance. It's essentially a suburban fairytale and though some may chastise it for its simplicity in that respect, I love it myself. I really can't say too much about it except strongly recommending it for the joy, tears and just the overall sensory experience of loveliness found in the somewhat twisted, grotesque with a blooming inner beauty. Also, Winona Ryder's Kim may not be the most complex romantic foil ever written but she generates some of the most unique chemistry with Depp's Edward I've ever seen onscreen; fittingly to the film, not some scalding passionate romance but a gradually warming, tentative romance that moves the soul.
Hon. Mention: Beauty and the Beast. Tale as old as time and the filmmakers knew how to put a distinctly Disney spin on it, to turn it into quite the great romantic experience.
Teen Romance
3. Say Anything: I was re-watching this yesterday and was really, really astounded by how well it holds up as just a film overall. I love a good ol' 80's teen flick as much as anyone else but I'm the first to admit that some of its tropes are a tad bit on the dated/corny side. With this Cameron Crowe venture (a director I'm generally a bit apathetic to), I couldn't really spot any of these second time round. I think the lack of focus upon extraneous side characters and the addition of instead, a nicely attuned little father-daughter subplot, enhances the film, but the best thing in the film still is John Cusack's portrayal of the lovelorn romantic.
2. Scott Pilgrim v.s. the World: Obviously the message at the end of it is to not fight for just those you love, but also fight for yourself, which is a good message and all, but at it's heart this is a still a love story. The love triangle of Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) and Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is not given the most screen time ever, but I still think it's a very well-done example of the trope. Amongst all the brilliant CGI, quips and esoteric jokes, and all-round awesomeness, the sweet little romantic beating heart in the middle of it is still what really makes it work, enhanced best perhaps by Wong's sweet and endearing performance as a poor lass who's only wish is to be loved in return.
1. Back to the Future: Who doesn't love a bit of George McFly and Lorraine Baines?
Hon. Mentions: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (the romantic storyline is probably one of the least compelling in the film but it's still excellently done), Love Crazy, 10 Things I Hate About You, Moonrise Kingdom, An Education, Pretty in Pink (this would actually make the list if I didn't hate the ending so much), 17 Again
EPIC ROMANCE
3. True Romance: I would consider this film an epic romance on account of just how big the ensemble scope is and yet almost paradoxically, how intimate the love affair is. Technically speaking the whole blossoming romance thing between comic book geek Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) and Patricia Arquette's callgirl Alabama Whiteman shouldn't work or make sense, but hey, heart wants what the heart wants. Amidst Elvis impersenators, wannabe black pimps played by Gary Oldman, Sicilian gangsters, and James Gandolfini, the central romance never gets lost in the flurry of kinetic energy that is Tony Scott's direction, making True Romance both an excellent thrill ride and lovey dovey trip.
2. Gone With the Wind: This is one film which I both think is overpraised and I love. I think the pacing in the second half is definitely inferior to the first and some of the supporting acting is definitely a bit amiss, however overall I do think it is a masterpiece. The romance between Rhett Butler (a perfectly cast Clark Gable) and the legendary performance of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, really is the stuff of classics, as well as the more understated romance between Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton, played with impeccable propriety and kindness by Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland. The central quartet at the centre of the chaos and pathos of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction, never loses the power it gives to the story and make swoon after swoon, repressed declaration of love upon repressed declaration of love the stuff of cinematic legend.
1. Dr Zhivago: With quite possibly the most romantic overall soundtrack of all-time, this is masterful filmmaking in many respects from the direction of David Lean, the paring down of a huge source material novel into a very well-paced film, the excellent set design which evokes the Russian Revoltuion of the time so well, the excellent scene-stealing turns of Rod Steiger and especially Tom Courtenay, and of course our central romance between the titular doctor, played with great passion by Omar Sharif and not only the love of his life, Lara (Julie Christie), but also his loving wife Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). It's kind of like Brief Encounter on a big, big, big scale and is the perfect example of an epic brought to life through love.
Small-scale Romance
3. Cinema Paradiso/Brooklyn: Both are films which really hold up well on re-watches. I would say take your pick out of the two, depending on whether you want to feel bittersweetly sad (in which case choose Cinema Paradiso) or filled with mixed feelings and eventual joy (in which case choose Brooklyn). Anyway both films contain brilliant depictions of young love blossoming in the most intimate of surroundings, innocent, pure, untainted. Cinema Paradiso is one of my favourite films of all-time (#9 and counting), and Brooklyn is well on its way too.
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo: My favourite Woody Allen film and probably his most unabashedly romantic one, and no I don't care. It's an underratedly clever film and screenplay, with Jeff Daniels playing both a movie character, Tom Baxter, who steps out of the movie screen due to his infatuation with Mia Farrow's Cecilia, and the actor playing him, Gil Shepperd. Anyway it's definitely Allen's most heartrendingly sweet and sad film as it definitely softens the heart with the sweetest romance in the middle of it, played with such endearing humour and cuteness by Farrow and Daniels, but also hardens it with an unflinching depiction of the domestic abuse and delusions suffered by Farrow's character at the hands of a harsh society, she relies on the cinema for escapism from.
1. Brief Encounter: I write more specifically on the film here.(http://www.savageonline.co.uk/our-london/a-re-encounter-70-years-after-brief-encounter/) but anyway don't bother reading it just check out the film, one of my all-time favourites.
Hon. Mentions: Far From the Madding Crowd (both 1967 and 2015 versions), where it's just interesting to compare how the two deal with two of my all-time favourite fictional characters Gabriel Oak, and Bathsheba Everdeen. The Before films starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and Bright Star starring Ben Whishaw as John Keats, and Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne.
Romantic Comedy
3. The Shop Around the Corner: Jimmy Stewart, screwball comedy, Lubitsch, some delightful side characters, the Budapest setting, what more can you want from a 1940's romantic comedy? It's just a plain delightful comedy which is the easiest and yet not shallow watch you can have on this merry day.
2. The Graduate: It's definitely an uncomfortable film to watch at some points, but that's the whole point. It's a brilliant subversion of the usual romantic conventions as Dustin Hoffman's performance as Benjamin Braddock shows, sometimes awkwardness and kookiness is not nearly as endearing or appreciated as films would have you believe (although it is still hilarious, but in a darker way). And despite this somewhat cynical tone, it also manages to be rather sweet in some parts. Anne Bancroft's Mrs Robinson is a force of nature, first the most alluring romantic interest, then in later stages pretty much the ultimate Wicked Witch of Braddock's romantic aspirations, though not without justification.
1. The Apartment: One of Billy Wilder's best films, it doesn't sound like the most romantic film ever with its themes of adultery and attempted suicide being pretty crucial plot points. The whole point though is that it starts off being a bit of a cynical, opportunist film like Jack Lemmon's C.C. Baxter is, before slowly turning into something else altogether: a love story. It slowly creeps up on you and is one of the most wonderful little changes of tone in a film one will ever watch.
Hon. Mentions: Anything by Charlie Chaplin. While the only explicitly romantic comedy I've seen of his is City Lights everything he's directed/starred in has at least some undercurrent of warmth, love in various forms, sometimes romance, sometimes fatherly.
Not-Just-Romantic Love Films:
3. Thelma and Louise/Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: Two completely different genre films, two absolutely brilliant depictions of friendship on film. There's a bit of romance in both of them, especially with a young Brad Pitt and Geena Davis in the former, but really watch these for a most lovely insight into the power of friendship and platonic love.
2. Intouchables: there's a wee bit romance between the margins of this film with François Cluzet's Phillipe and a penpal, Eléonore. But anyway, I'm recommending this for Valentine's Day viewing because it's also a glowing depiction of friendship and bromance of the most unique sort. Also, Omar Sy dancing = the most enjoyment you can derive from watching anyone dance onscreen.
1. It's a Wonderful Life: Where would a 'Different Strokes for Different Folks' blog post be without this film, but yes, I suggest watching it on Valentine's too as well as Christmas, or any day of the year really. It makes you feel good not only about romance but also familial love, friendship etc. putting any frown upside down!
What an amazing list!
ReplyDeleteWhat about Blue is the Warmest Colour? Also When Harry met Sally and Annie Hall? I'm sure you thought of them just interested to know why they didn't make the list.
ReplyDelete