Top 10 Romantic Films

So I took a bit of a break last week, terribly sorry for the inconvenience, This week's list is Top 10 Romanic Films. Did not have an easy time with this one. There are some really fantastic romance films, and I really wanted to get a wide range of them in there. I changed the list about 15 times before I finished, and chances are I'll change it another 5 before I post it. I think I've made the correct choices.

10.) Sleepless In Seattle

Meg Ryan has a knack for being in some seriously romantic films, especially the ones that also have Tom Hanks in them. Some people think that this film is creepy, and I can definitely understand, but I think its one of those things where when someone does something and you're interested in them, it comes off as sweet, but if you're not, it comes off as creepy. Personally, I think its romantic and that kid is just too damn cute. Personally, Tom Hanks isn't the one who comes to mind when I think of heartthrobs, but in these movies, he really is the perfect guy. Tom Hanks really seems to be one of the nicest people on earth. Meg Ryan is just so sweet in this film, I really love her, she always seems to find herself in really loveable roles, although it could be because she's a loveable person herself. Great cast outside of Hanks and Ryan as well, Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, Victor Garber, and Bill Pullman. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars for Best Writing and Best Original Song. Great story, and I was so happy to witness their chemistry again in You've Got Mail, another great romance movie. It was nominated for 2 Oscars for Best Writing and Best Original Score.

9.) Brokeback Mountain

This film is certainly the most famous movie about gay men, and definitely one of my famous. There's obviously been a lot of controversy around this movie, but I think this movie actually fully solidified my feelings about equal rights for gay people. Honestly, if all of the people who bitched and complained about this movie had actually seen it I think it could have changed the world view. I don't think I'm ruining anything by saying that this is a super tragic love story. You really can't help but feel bad for pretty much everyone involved including their wives played by Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, who both did a fantastic job I might add.. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are absolutely convincing as a couple who are forbidden to be together, and they play their characters perfectly. I think a lot of people missed out on this because they didn't want to see two men kissing, but if you're one of those people, look past your judgements and witness this beautifully tragic story. It was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 3 for Best Writing, Best Writing, and Best Directing for Ang Lee. It was definitely robbed of best picture by "Crash", whoever was in charge of that decision was definitely having some kind of mental break at that moment.

8.) Pride & Prejudice

Pride & Prejudice is one of the most well known romance stories of the past few centuries. Jane Austen first published the story it 1813, so it was officially 200 years old in January. Its definitely my favorite period piece and the characters are wonderful. Elizabeth Bennet(Keira Knightly) is a strong independent women in a time where those aren't acceptable characteristics. She has 4 love-crazed sisters, a pushy mother, and an understanding father. She meets, grows to hate, and then ends up falling in love with the logical, rich and proud Mr. Darcy(Matthew Macfadyen). A beautiful story that everyone needs to read and watch at least once. The acting was superb and the costumes and sets were perfect for the time period. Austen's characters are deep and complicated and some of the best in literature. The cast is top-notch includeing Keira Knightly, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Park, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, Judi Dench, and Donald Sutherland. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars for Art Direction, Costume Design, Original Score, and Best Actress.

7.) Love Actually

This is a Christmas movie, and actually one of my favorites, but its such a great romantic movie. The cast is absolutely mind-blowing and can do nothing but convince you. Its the perfect example of how to make an ensemble cast to work properly. There are a bunch of different storylines of different lives, but all of the lives link together somehow. The cast of this film is mind-blowing; Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Bob Thorton, Andrew Lincoln, Chiqetel Ejiofor, Laura Linney, Thomas Brodie- Sangster, Elisha Cuthbert, and January Jones. No Joke, amazing. Its really just such a sweet, up-beat, heartwarming, funny, lovely, Christmas movie. I mean, there are some conflicts, and sadness but every movie needs some drama to keep it interesting. There is no reason for you to not have seen this movie yet. If you want to wait until Christmas, thats fair, but everyone needs to see this one.

6.) Dirty Dancing

There are few things that I don't love about this movie. The soundtrack is perfect. I think going into it you have to be aware that its not the best written, or even the best acted movie but there's something thats just so damn charming about it. Johnny Castle is played by Patrick Swayze who is absolutely oozing with charisma, charm, and badassness in this movie. The dancing is incredibly impressive, and they definitely made the correct choice with Swayze because he is actually a trained dancer. Baby Houseman is played by Jennifer Grey, and although she'll never win an Oscar, she plays her very well I think. Cute and naive, but slowly finding herself as a women with her first taste of love and lust. Its a romantic and sexy movie, but sexy for women, I think most men won't enjoy it, but all women do. The soundtrack is great, very fitting for the 60s, but also with the now classic "Time of My Life." I absolutely adore this movie.

5.) Casablanca

This is a classic story of love, loss, nazi's, and war. This film was my first introduction to both Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and I dont think it can get any better then that. Bogart's character Rick Blaine is a real 1940's man who owns a bar in Casablanca, even his name makes him sound like the manliest name in the world. He's surprised when his one time love Ilsa Lund who had left him in Paris the last time he saw her. This is one of those classics you always hear about but haven't seen yet. They were so different back then, those close-up glamour shots of the faces are priceless. They're all hazy to give them the dreamy look everyone wants. There are some really epic lines in this film, that everyone has heard, and I had no idea where they came from ie; "Here's looking at you kid", "Of all the Gin Joins, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine" , and of course the most famous line from the movie "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Just because of the true classic that it is, I think everyone needs to watch it once. Its good for men and women, I think a great date movie if you're trying to broaden your horizons. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 3 for Writing, Directing, and Best Picture. 

4.) When Harry Met Sally

I really hate how long I waited to see this movie, its now made its way into some of my all-time favorite movies. The story is a story of friendship, but ends up having one of the most romantic scenes in film history I think. The writing and directing team of Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron is unstoppable  The script is witty, hilarious, and just generally charming. The characters are relatable, and loveable because of each of their obvious flaws. All of the characters are so deep that even the ones you don't like are impressive, and with a cast like this I don't think the film could have possibly gone wrong. The cast includes Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby. I think the most impressive thing about the acting, especially from Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal is that their story spans over literally decades from the time they meet until the end, and you believe them as their ages for the entire film. Its mind boggling that they can both be believable as a 20 year old and also as someone in their late 30s in the same 2 hour movie. It also has one of the most hilarious films in movie history; the orgasm in the restaurant scene. Absolutely priceless. Again, another great example for a perfect date movie, I think men and women will both enjoy this movie because the story is told from both sides. The film was nominated for 1 Oscar for Writing.

3.) Ghost

I think everyone is going to think that my top 3 are pretty cliche, but please, if you think any other movies could have possibly been top 3 let me know. I think they get to us so much because they really are all about loss, for some reason for at least part of each movie the two lovers are separated for some reason. In this movie, and I don't think this is a spoiler considering the title, the thing that separates them is the death of Patrick Swayze's character Sam Wheat. Sam spends the rest the rest of the movie desperately trying to make contact with his partner Molly, played by Demi Moore, who is being comforted by their best friend Carl(Tony Goldwyn). When he discovers that his death might not have been an accident, but that it might have been a staged murder he recruits Oda Mae Brown(Whoopi Goldberg), a fake medium, who turns out not to be such a fake after all. The story is great, and pretty hilarious actually. Obviously its a little harder to watch now, especially the ending, since Patrick Swayze is dead, and the soundtrack doesn't help, I cannot listen to the song "Unchained Melody" without tearing up. The movie was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 2 for Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg, and for Writing.

2.) The Notebook

This film really helped put Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams on the map. Both have made great careers out of their success, which is always good. The success of this film made Nicholas Sparks novels a pretty hot commodity in the film industry, it seems like every year theres another one or two being released in theaters, unfortunately none of them have turned out as well as this one. The chemistry between Gosling and McAdams is undeniable, and I think thats what made the movie work so well, the scene pictured above was just so full of passion that it felt like it was exploding off of the screen. The story was great, and heartbreaking. I also always enjoy a good period piece. The characters of Noah(Gosling) and Allie(McAdams) are just so loveable, they're both just so charming and naive that you just want them to stay like that forever, obviously thats not how life works, and one day life tears them apart. Honestly, I don't know if guys will enjoy this or not, but I don't think its one of those bad romance movies, I think the combination of the writing and acting makes it just explode with passion. I also can't watch it without a box of tissues next to me, so don't say I didn't warn you. 

1.) Titanic

I have an unbreakable and unforgiving love for this movie. I'm going to start off right away with acknowledging that the writing in this movie is not the greatest, thats one of James Cameron's flaws, and I accept that, but he makes up for it with literally EVERYTHING else in this movie. I think a lot of movies that get as popular as this one for some reason end up getting blown off as "oh it wasn't that great", please, tell that to the 11 Oscars this film won.  I think this was the perfect way to tell the story of the Titanic without having to use real people. The story was that classic "Romeo and Juliet", "forbidden love" story which is what really drags us in. The movie cost two hundred million dollars to make, which is actually so much money that its hard to wrap your head around, luckily its turned out to be literally the highest grossing film of all time, so no worries. All of that money went into actually building half of a life-sized Titanic to film on, and they even ended up creating new techniques in special effects in order to get the visuals they wanted/needed. Honestly, I went to see this movie last year when it was released in IMAX and I had actually forgotten just how unbelievably amazing it was. You're really on the edge of your seat for the entire last half of the movie, even though you know whats going to happen. The acting in this movie was absolutely top-notch with a really incredible cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart, Bernard Hill, and Victor Garber. I think the thing that they did that was just so important was them showing present-day and them showing us what the ship looks like now at the bottom of the ocean. I think those scenes was what made the story so human, and relatable. James Cameron was the best possible person to make this movie, he's been down, at the bottom of the ocean over 20 times looking at the Titanic, so I think he was really able to understand that factor. The film was nominated for 14 Oscars of which, I previously mentioned, it won 11 of for Best Sound, Best Original Song, Best Score, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, Best Art & Set Direction, Best Director, and Best Picture.This film started my life-long fascination with both the Titanic, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Watch it again, I promise you its so much more then you remember, or were told it is.

Honourable Mentions: A Walk To Remember,  P.S I Love You, 10 Things I Hate About You, Atonement, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump, Annie Hall, Say Anything, Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, Australia, Bridget Jones Diary, The Princess Bride, As Good As It Gets, You've Got Mail, Edward Scissorhands, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 Tearjerkers

So, this is obviously not a Sunday, so I'm a few days late this week, but its been a busy week. I'm a girl so I really do enjoy a good tearjerker. However, most of these are not chick-flicks so I think its important that that is clear so that males will not be afraid to also look at this. All of these are fantastic movies, but I'm not raking them by how good the films are themselves, but by how the number of tears they managed to wrangle out of me. All but 2 of these films one Oscars, so I can assure you they really are all fantastic films. Here is this weeks (late) Top 10 list: Top 10 Tearjerkers.

10.) Finding Neverland
This is a film about the family who inspired J.M. Barrie to write the famous story of Peter Pan. A very sweet story with a lot of drama and tragedy surrounding it. The film is directed by the ever talented Marc Foster, and has a very impressive cast including Johnny Depp as JM Barrie, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, and Freddie Highmore. I think that their casting was really perfect, and the acting was really fantastic, which can really come as no surprise from the names I just listed. A really interesting way to come up with the infamous story of children not wanting and choosing not to grow up. Sylvia Davies(Winslet) and her four young children change something inside of the playwright who at the time of meeting them has just had another one of his plays flop and is desperately searching for something new, and thats exactly what he finds. It was nominated 7 Oscars and won for best score. 

9.) Atonement
Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement is a film about forbidden love from the point of view of Briony Tallis(Saoirse Ronan), a 13 year old girl from a well-off family who's older sister, Cecilia(Keira Knightly) falls in love with a friend, Robbie Turner(James McAvoy) from a lower class who they've grown up with all of their lives. The films takes place during World War I and things become complicated and spiral downwards for the pair after Briony accuses Robbie(McAvoy) of something he did not do. She spends the rest of her life trying to make up for the mistake. The story takes a surprising turn of events which ends with Briony making another surprising confession. Absolutely fantastic acting all around, Saoirse Ronan was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress, and the film was nominated for 6 other Oscars as well, winning Best Original Score in the end. 

8.) I Am Sam
Despite the fact that I only watched this film sometime last year, if  you haven't heard about this film, or somehow don't know what this film is about, you should probably crawl out from whatever rock you've been living under. I Am Sam is the heartbreaking story of a man who has some type of mental illness who is fighting to keep custody of his 7 year old daughter. Sam Dawson is played by Sean Penn in a truly mind-blowing performance on his part, his daughter is played by the talented Dakota Fanning. The story is also focused around Rita Williams(Michelle Pfeiffer) who plays a cold-hearted lawyer, who's life is changed by this custody case. Sean Penn was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, but somehow this film wasn't nominated for anything? Definite fail by the Academy. Great film all around, and pretty much the whole film is filled with tears. Enjoy. 

7.) Ghost
This movie was always sad but since Patrick Swayze (aka the love of my life) is actually dead in real life now, it adds about 50 extra pounds of sadness to it. Again, if for some reason you've been living somewhere without  electricity for the last 23 years, Ghost is a story about a couple, Sam Wheat(Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen(Demi Moore) who are living life happily together with their best friend Carl(Tony Goldwyn) when Sam(Swayze) is suddenly murdered. Sam discovers that his ghost is stuck in our world and soon finds that Molly might be in trouble. He recruits the help of Oda Mae Brown(Whoopie Goldberg), a medium to help warn her. Fantastic movie, it was nominated  for 5 Oscars and won 2, Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg, and best writing. The last scene is absolutely heartbreaking. I cannot listen to the song Unchained Melody without bawling. "Its amazing Molly, the love inside, you take it with you." 

6.) Forrest Gump
I really think that Forrest Gump is one of the greatest films of all time. Its such an epic film that covers so much time. Its a comedy, a drama, and a tragedy and every moment of it is filled with memorable moments.  This is a film about a man named Forrest Gump(Tom Hanks) starting in childhood and going all the way into adulthood. Somehow he has the most interesting man on earth and despite his mental challenges, he manages to accomplish 10 times more then any other person on earth. Ping-Pong champion, war hero, shrimp king, etc. There are few things in life that Forrest Gump is not capable of, but the thing that really keeps him going throughout his entire life is his love for his childhood friend Jenny(Robin Wright). The films was nominated for a mind-blowing 13 Oscars of which it won 6 including Best Picture, Best Actor for Tom Hanks and Best Director. Other cast members include Sally Field, and Gary Sinise. This film had so many epic quotes including "Run Forrest Run!", "I love you Jennay", "Hello Mr. GUMP", and, of course, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

5.) Terms of Endearment
This is actually the movie that made me want to make this list, I watched it last week and adored it. I really like how it not only showed such a time frame, but showed so much of the time in between. They never really spent more then 5 minutes in a specific place in time and normally there were a year or so between them. Debra Winger really did a great job playing Emma Horton not only as a fully grown women, wife, and mother, but also as a young teen, and was believable as both, very impressive. I loved Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, Danny DeVito and John Lithgow as well, so weird to see them all so young, but I think we can all agree that it was Huckleberry Fox who stole the show as Teddy Horton. I don't want to give anything away, but lets just say that I was totally fine with everything that was happening until little Teddy gave the most heart-wrenching performance from a child, or possibly anyone in the history of cinema. He absolutely destroyed me and in just those few moments in that devastating scene I fell in love with this movie. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 5 of those including Best Picture, Best Director for James L. Brooks, Best Writing, Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson, and Best Supporting Actress for Shirley MacLaine.

4.) Seven Pounds
There really isn't much I can say about this film. I can't explain to you why its so good, or why Will Smith is so amazing in this film. I can't tell you why the performances by amazing actors such as Rosario Dawson and Woody Harleson were just so fantastic. I really can't tell you anything else about this film without the fear of giving something away, so I will show you the IMDB description because I think that its safe. "An aerospace engineer with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers." 
I really wish I could tell you more, but I think its really important that if you do see this film, that you go into it knowing as little about it as you can. I will say that its an amazing story about trying to redeem yourself, and the struggles that come with that. Please watch and enjoy this film. 



3.)Dear Zachary
I probably could have put this film at #1 and been okay with it, but I think #3 is a worthy position. I watched this documentary the first time because I saw that part of it took place here in St. John's, but I really could never know how fantastic of a movie it really was. Its basically story about a really great guy and medical student, Andrew Bagby, who is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend, Shirley Turner. His life story is then told through the eyes of all of his friends and family spread out all over the globe from across America, to Newfoundland  where he went to Medical School, to the UK where his mother is originally from. His family soon finds out that his ex-girlfriend and suspected murderer is pregnant with his child and is now living back to Newfoundland where she has escaped to. Andrews parents Kathleen and David, find new reason to live and spend their days fighting to spend time with their new grandson while having to face their sons ex-girlfriend who they strongly suspect is their sons murderer. Absolutely fantastic film, but there are a few turns in the movie that are just too much for most people to handle without hardcore sobbing. I urge you to bring a full box of kleenex with you while watching this film. Even men will have a difficult time keeping it in while watching this one. Its very clear how much Andrew Bagby was loved by his friends, family and colleagues  and how painful it is to have to go on without him. I hope that when I die I leave a quarter of the impact on my friends and family's lives as this man clearly had. I really urge everyone out there to watch this film. Its on Netflix, even the Canadian one! Don't hesitate!

2.) Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Somehow its probably not super surprising that the top two films are about the holocaust. However, I feel like most people near my age have definitely not seen my #1, and for some reason many people have not seen this film either. The best part of this movie is how much a different perspective this is when it comes to Holocaust movies/books. This is definitely the first I've heard of from a child of a high ranking Nazi commander. There are definitely a few from a child of the holocaust's point of view, but not from the other side. Asa Butterfield plays Bruno, an eight year old boy who doesn't understand why he is forbidden from playing with the people next door in the funny looking, striped pajamas. Its really quite difficult to see him slowly try and put together whats happening, and the fact that his father is really the bad-guy in this scenario  and not the hero soldier he once believed in. I'd like to say this film has a happy ending, but its clearly a holocaust movie so its pretty much impossible but this film left me in puddles of tears by the end. Great movie that really shows that putting yourself in someone else's shoes just might make you change your mind, hopefully before its too late.

1.) Sophie's Choice
I watched this film for the first time last month, and oh my god I wish I had been warned. The film is pretty heart breaking even from the beginning, but its not until the end that the true tearjerkerness is revealed. The main premise of the film is that Meryl Streep plays a survivor of the Holocaust and is currently living in New York City with her boyfriend played by Kevin Kline. The two have a pretty tumultuous relationship which is documented from the point of view of Stingo(Peter MacNicol), a country boy in the big city. Meryl Streep's performance is absolutely breathtaking, and the academy recognized this by giving her an Oscar for Best Actress, the film was also nominated in 4 other categories. The performances from Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol were also fantastic. This is an amazing movie that everyone should see at least once in their lives, I'm sorry I waited as long as I did. Although Sophie's(Streep) devastating life story brought tears for me throughout the movie, its not until the very end that you realize how truly horrifying her life really has been, and the awful choices she's had to make, hence the title. Bring a box of tissues, don't say I didn't warn you.


Honourable Mentions:  Million Dollar Baby, The Notebook,  Philadelphia, Pay It Forward, Bicentennial Man, Schindler's List, Perks of being a w A.I: Artificial Intelligence  Steel Magnolias, Brokeback Mountain, Titanic, Ordinary People, Dead Poets Society, The Green Mile, Nights in Rodanthe, Saving Private Ryan, PS I Love You, The Last Song, Step Mom. Bonus: Old Yeller (for Joshy Josh)