It's a simple story, told with elegance and care. Gugu Mbatha Raw stars as Noni, a pop star whose life is getting out of her control. When she meets the sweet police officer Kaz, played by Nate Parker, she starts to come together. As directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film glows. The romance is understated and natural. Gugu Mbatha Raw is a radiant star, and her chemistry with Parker is infectious.
I watch this film every Valentine's Day. It's a perennial classic, full of iconic moments, memorable lines, and a cast stacked with heavyweights. The romance itself is unusual, because the film begins after it has ended. But the memory and the history is so powerful, it threatens to overpower the present. Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart are incandescent together, each with war-torn weariness and the glory of an incomplete love.
James Bond isn't quite known for his romances, but the love story between James and Vesper Lynd is an all-time high. The chemistry between Daniel Craig and Eva Green is electric, and the story itself is heart-pumping. What I love about Bond and Lynd is that they challenge each other, and ultimately respect each other. Even through murder, lies and betrayal, their love is strong. And plus, this movie is wall to wall awesome.
Ang Lee is one of my favorite directors, and he's no stranger to romance. Sense and Sensibility and Brokeback Mountain are two of the great modern romances. But Eat Drink Man Woman, one of Lee's early Taiwanese hits, explores different kinds of love. Love between lovers, between fathers and daughters, between friends, between sisters. Lee's camera is delicate and sophisticated, every image (especially that last shot) is cinematic gold.
Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey star in one of my favorite romantic-comedies in the "battle of the sexes" subgenre. Kate Hudson really throws herself into this role, going full-crazy to complement McConaughey's "awww, noooooo!" Southern charm. This may be a mid-2000s studio comedy, but it does have some pockets of weirdness. This movie is just a real good time, and it's perfect for when you a zany rom-com.
Helena Bonham Carter has to choose between two different suitors, a prudish Daniel Day-Lewis and the charming, forward-thinking Julian Sands. The film has the two men contrast the opposing England and Italy, respectively, and the buttoned up and the liberal. The Merchant-Ivory production is sumptuous, with gentle performances. If you are hankering for a proper British comedy of manners, which I always am, check into this room with a view.
Comedian and movie star Andre Allen, played by Chris Rock, spends a day being interviewed by Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson). As Chelsea explores Andre's past and present, she starts to see new sides of him, and they bond over their failed relationships and as recovering alcoholics. The title comes from a recurring bit where people list their top five rappers. The film is funny, with some excellent visuals, and a biting honesty and authenticity.
Yash Chopra was probably the reigning supreme of Bollywood romance. For me, Veer Zaara is the quintessential Yash Chopra romance. Gorgeously filmed and elegantly crafted, the romance between Veer (Shah Rukh Khan) and Zaara (Preity Zinta) is immediate, but long-lasting. Religion and society tear them apart, but they find a way back to each other (thanks to Rani Mukherji as attorney Saamiya Siddiqui). Veer Zaara is an epic romance, grand and majestic.
Taking place over a few days, Weekend depicts a fleeting romance between Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New). The men are opposites: Russell is shy and demure, while Glen is open and direct. The direction by Andrew Haigh is precise, using space and distance to evoke character. The dialogue is authentic and free-flowing; the characters reveal so much to each other possibly because they're strangers and they know this fling won't last forever.
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