op 10 Romance Movies in Geraldine’s Humble Opinion
10. Casablanca – Apart from spawning cult one liners, it was one of the original love stories that ended in heartbreak as an individual proves his love for a woman by letting her go. This ultimate self-sacrifice has shaped my notion about how love is sometimes selfless.9. A Walk to Remember – Pays homage to the Love Story theme where young lovers are rendered with the impossible situation of losing one another to a fatal illness. Their conviction in their love inspires me to look beyond the mundane petty things that may sometimes cloud a relationship.
8. The Way We Were – A story about how opposites attract. Despite the odds, Katie (Barbara Streisand) and Hubbell (Robert Redford) fall in love and embark on a tumultuous relationship. Ultimately, what attracted them to one another was the reason behind the crumble of their relationship. However, it speaks volumes about how certain issues could be overlooked and how love can sometimes transcend even the most convicted card-carrying Marxist!
7. Only You – This movie is saccharine sweet and has universal appeal. It is also very 90’s Hollywood driven blockbuster. Nonetheless, the setting is beautiful (Venice and Positano). The protagonist Faith has faith in fate. She believes in soul mates and is convinced that she was meant to be with one Damon Bradley. The movie chronicles her misadventures as she chases the mysterious Damon Bradley around Italy and along the way meets a man named Peter Wright. I believe the writer was using puns with the names of the characters. Faith who believes in fate and destiny wholeheartedly and Peter Wright who had the wrong name initially, but ended up being Mr. Right.
6. The Bridges of Madison County – The irreplaceable Meryl Streep stars in this movie that has opened my eyes to the possibility that some love affairs, no matter how brief, can last a lifetime in a person’s memory and heart. A story of sacrifice and forbidden love, it paints a very real picture of unhappy couples in dysfunctional relationships everywhere who engage in secret love affairs but as a sense of duty, choose to end the affair for the sake of the family unit. 5. You’ve Got Mail – You just can’t go wrong with this combination. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. What’s not to love? Sleepless in Seattle was another good movie but this one has trumps Sleepless for various reasons. It does not start off as a romantic movie. Both individuals are strong, career-minded people and they enjoy witty banter. I suppose this movie struck a chord in me as I ADORE witty banter. Although the ending is thoroughly predictable, it is the journey that enthrals me. The exchange of ideas and opinions on culture and books; the snide comments made to one another. It’s a great romantic comedy that merits a viewing (or twenty and counting).
4. Something’s Gotta Give - This is a real gem of 21st century romantic comedy. It comments on very real issues that stem from centuries-old stereotypes and presents them in a modern context. It has enough twists to make it interesting to watch with a healthy dose of culture to inspire me to live the finer life. There are hilarious role reversals and honest commentary on modern relationships that cling to some traditional stereotypes. The paradoxes in the movie are enough to get me in stitches, every time I watch it. 3. The Notebook - A story of undying loyalty and devotion. Noah and Ally were truly made for one another and have weathered the predictable storms early in their relationship to find and make something last. He from a working class background; and she a Southern debutante. What makes this movie exceptional from the usual star-crossed lovers of contrasting backgrounds is the enduring love they have for one another. Their love prevailed objection from her family, wartime, her imminent engagement, their differing temperaments and many more.
2. Pretty Woman – The ultimate grown-up Cinderella tale. Despite the gritty secondary themes (prostitution, drugs and Sunset Strip) this movie still managed to emerge a shining example of a modern love story where people are able to change one another for the better regardless of their background. The movie confronted the hardships both characters had to endure but portrayed them in a believable yet comical way. The chemistry between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts was ultimately the clincher for this movie that made it one of the most memorable romantic movies in my book. 1. French Kiss – This might not be anybody’s idea of a romantic story. For one, the protagonist, Meg Ryan, spends the better part of the movie chasing her fiancé in Paris trying to convince him to return to her after he dumped her for a French woman while on a business trip to Paris. She meets Luc who has his own agenda in befriending her and the both of them embark on a hilarious goose chase around France tracking down the elusive and philandering Charlie. What makes this movie my top choice is purely setting and plotline. It was a beautifully shot film, incorporating many themes near that are near and dear to my heart. As for plotline, it inspires me to think about love in another angle, and not be consumed with the idea that there is one ‘perfect’ one for me out there, This movie has taught me that even the best laid plans can fall apart and the only way to live is joie the vivre!
Other honourable mentions: Love Story, Notting Hill, Titanic (Lame, I know but still manages to tug at the heartstrings), When Harry Met Sally, The English Patient, Persuasion, Serendipity, Ghost, Gone with the wind, A Very Long Engagement.
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Love Letters of Great Men and Women
Geraldine Phillips
I was browsing in the Borders bookstore in Tropicana City mall over the weekend when I encountered this book: Love Letters of Great Men and Women. For those of you in the know, this book was referenced in the 2009 hit movie Sex and the City. As it was the only copy in the store, I snapped it up and eagerly brought it home to be devoured. Needless to say, it left me in a pink cloud of mist. Some of the letters were not in any way mushy; in fact some were downright vulgar in their expression of passion for their beloved. But there were many that sent pleasant jolts and a cold hard realisation that such romantic love notes are probably a thing of the past.
One of my favourite letters from the book was one written by Henry VII to Anne Boleyn. This was during the courtship period where Henry was desperately trying to win Anne’s affection and attention. As Anne refused to be installed as a mistress, Henry literally moved heaven and earth to be with her. But before this dramatic, irreversible event. He wrote her this note:
My heart and I surrender themselves into your hands , and we supplicate to be commended into
your good graces, and that by your absence your affections may not be diminished to us, for that would
be to augment our pain, which would be a great pity, since absence gives enough, more than I ever
thought could be felt. This brings to mind, a fact in astronomy, which is, that further the poles are from
the sun, notwithstanding, the more scorching is the heat. Thus is it with our love....Your friend and
servant.
HR
I wonder if Anne was his great love, his true soul mate. For a king who had everything handed to him on a silver platter to yearn for and consummate a long term courting affair, there must have been some sort of spark, a feeling that convinces your whole being that you were meant to be with that other person.
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