Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Top ten Hollywood Romantic Movies

Love is perhaps the most commonly used theme in cinema. This is the case in Hollywood too. Whatever movie you have, there is always some romantic elements. Many movies are solely based on Romance and love and some of the romantic movies have become immortal. I have made a list of top ten romantic movies. It is entirely my choice and I am presenting it here for you so that you can give your own list. Feel free to criticize me anyway in the comment section. Just, don’t forget to give your list of top romantic movies.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Titanic

Titanic is not only one of the greatest movies of all time but it is the highest grossing film of all time in the history of Hollywood movie. Based on a true love story, the movies could reach to the essence of every viewer whoever watched the movie. The movie Titanic won Academy Awards in 11 sections. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio played two pivotal roles in the movie.

Directed by James Cameron, the movie Titanic depicts the time of tragic accident of famous ship Titanic in which a true love story emerges. A first class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater boards fall in love with a third class passenger of the ship, Jack Dawson. However, Roses fiancĂ© Caledon Hockley, played by Billy Zane, becomes furious to Jack and tries to take revenge. Until then they did not know that what was waiting to their fate. In the mean time, the captains of the ship observes that the ship hit an ice berg causing a big crack in the outer surface of the ship and eventually Titanic, the biggest ship of that time, starts sinking. It was beyond anybody’s imagination that such a tragic end could be possible for such a ship like Titanic.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Jack and Rose becomes closure and Cal (Rose’s fiancĂ©) chases to Rose and Jack with a loaded Pistol at his hand. Yes, the loving couple Rose and Jack could escape from Cal but could not avoid their ill fate. Jack could save her lover’s life sacrificing his own life. The movie Titanic could make a huge impression in the viewers mind and could cash in a fabulous amount of $1,845,034,188 worldwide.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

It Could Happen to You (1994)

It really can happen to you. Just like Nicholas Cage, you can be stuck in an unhappy marriage with a woman who only understands money and ambition. However, that does not mean that all women are like this. That also does not mean that you should destroy your life. Instead, keep working hard and remain being a good man. Then, sooner or later you can meet a nice woman like Bridget Fonda.

I feel that the main message of It Could Happen to You is that you should think a lot before you get married. You should try to find out a life partner who is good and who is like you. Nicholas Cage is at his best in this movie and you will enjoy the movie always.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Alex and Emma (2003)

I am not a big fan of Kate Hudson but yet I like this movie and I like her acting in Alex and Emma. Alex and Emma has depicted a dilemma for many men. In real life, we often see that many men get crazy for beautiful, hot and gorgeous women and for doing so, they destroy their career and even life. In this movie, the hero Alex did it. He gambled everything and even his life for a rich, beautiful and sexy woman and lost. He at first failed to see that there are many ordinary but good women around him and if he tries he can really be happy.

The message of the movie Alex and Emma is very simple but powerful- don’t be blind for fancy women or else you will have to pay a very heavy price and become unhappy in life. Many young men or should I say most young men make the same mistake like Alex and become unhappy. They fail to see the real and inner beauty of girls like Emma. Thus, they make their life unnecessarily complicated and unhappy.


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Man on the Elysian Field (2001)

Man on the Elysian Field is a movie that can bring tears out of most people who watch it. The story is a bit complicated and emotional. The lead male actor Andy Garcia said about this movie: “It's a dark, comedic, morality tale. It has the qualities of a fable.” In the movie, he is totally a family man but at the same time he is idealist too. Desperate times forced him to become dishonest. He was in an illusion that whatever he was doing he was doing for his family. This illusion cost him a lot and he lost his wife and son.

I think that the message of the movie is that you have to make a balance between being idealistic and pragmatic. Andy Garcia should not have left his job in an advertisement company in the first place when he has a wife and child.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Love Story

Made in 1970, this successful romantic movie is based on the famous short novel of Erich Segal by the same name. Love Story tells the sad story of a couple: Jennifer Cavalleri, and Oliver Barrett IV. Jennifer is a music student of Radcliffe College and Oliver is a hockey player and studies at the prestigious Harvard Law School. The two fall in love and decides to get married. Oliver’s father is against their marriage because Jennifer’s family is not rich. After their marriage, Oliver’s father stops giving his tuition fee. The couple faces great financial hardship but Oliver successfully graduates from law school and joins in a New York Law firm. Jennifer works as a music teacher in a school. Life was just getting better for them but suddenly like a bolt from the blue Oliver learns that Jennifer is suffering from a serious disease and would die soon. In the beginning, Oliver tries to remain calm and normal but gradually Jennifer knows about her illness. The movie ends with a great tragedy. As Oliver’s father came to see them Oliver tells him what happens and then leaves the hospital and vanishes into the crowd. Love Story is a very emotional tragic movie. It was one of the most successful movies of 1970 and won seven academy award nominations.

Sweet November:

Remake of a 1968 movie the movie was dumped as a poor remake by the critics and Keanu Reeves, and Charlize Theron got nomination as the Worst Actor and Actress. Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves) is a successful advertising executive in New York. He is a person who always puts his work as his first priority. He meets this woman named Sara Deever (Charlize Theron) while appearing in his DMV test. Sarah was thrown out of the exam hall for cheating. That night she again comes to Nelson’s house and insists on him to take her on a drive. Gradually Nelson gets attracted to Sarah. Then he discovers that Sarah has been suffering from Cancer and she would die soon. Knowing this Nelson wants to stay with Sarah but she tells him to go away. In the end, Sarah goes away to spend her last days with her family.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Little Women (1994)

I am sure that all of you will get shocked to see this movie in the list. Well, I have included it for two reasons. First of all, it depicts a lovely family where the mother and all her daughters have happy life. Of course, this kind of love does not define as romantic love. No problem. I like the ending of this movie. In the last scene, Gabriel Byrne tells Winona Ryder that his hands were empty and he had nothing to give her. She takes her hand into hers and tells that it was not empty anymore. This is a very touching moment. Of course, if you are a rich man then it would not mean anything to you.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Notting Hill

Can the most famous film star in the world fall for just an ordinary guy? Well, any of us may think it is impossible as famous film stars are busy with attractive particular people. But in Notting Hill movie this impossible fancy comes true.

Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is the American world’s most famous movie star. Her picture is on the cover of every magazine. Any time she makes a movie, the whole world knows about it. Ones, this beautiful actress enters to the shop of William Thacker (Hugh Grant) who owns a travel bookstore in Notting Hill-He is an unsuccessful man in business and his personal life. He is divorced and lives with an abnormal roommate.

First, William can’t believe it, after few minutes he runs into her again. He is so excited that he spills orange juice over her. William invites her to his nearby apartment to change in and Anna accepts and thanks him with a kiss.

For both, something or someone seems to be missing. The romance is the last thing come on their minds. Anna and William get to know each other better over the month but each month they pass they have to face the ultimate question more seriously: can two people fall in love with the whole world watching?

The screen play was written by Richard Curtis and it was directed by Roger Michell. Notting Hill released 28 May 1999 in the USA and it has nominated for 3 Golden Globes. You can see its other 12 wins & 14 nominations here.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Roman Holiday

This 1950’s classic movie is one of the best romantic comedies. A princess spends few days with a reporter and falls in love with him but at the end they understand that they can not live together for they are from two different social strata. Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) has come to visit Rome. She is tired of her life as a princess and escape from the embassy. She then meets Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) a reporter. Ann does not reveal her real identity to him. Joe takes Anya (Princess Ann) to his house. He was very uncomfortable with her attitude. Joe and Anya go out for sight seeing in Rome. Gradually the two falls in love. In the meantime, the government agents find out about Princess Ann. Joe and Ann understands that they can never be united and leaves Joe. Roman Holiday is the first major Hollywood film of Audrey Hepburn. For her performance in Roman Holiday Hepburn won Academy Award.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Robin Hood: Prince of the Thieves

Directed by Kevin Reynolds, the romantic-action thriller could impress the viewers. The movie Robin Hood: Prince of the Thieves is based on the medieval English folk character Robin Hood. Robin is a noble man who robbed rich people in order to help the poor. The movie is also famous for the song “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”, a ballad sung by Bryan Adams. The song broke the record of UK pop chart.

Robin is from an aristocrat English family and he has rival with Sheriff of Nottingham. Nottingham attacks Robin’s father and kills him while Robin was with King Richard in the battle of Third Crusade. However, after coming back to his home, Robin also became the target of Nottingham. Then Robin, Azeem (Robin’s companion whom he saved from the battle of Crusade) and Duncan, the servant of Robin’s father, take shelter in Forest of Sherwood. The woodsmen of the forest accepted them in their group. Later, Robin trained the a the woodsmen to confront the Nottingham and started robbing the rich people across the forest.

Meanwhile, Robin fall in love with his childhood friend Maid Marian. Marian always keeps connection to Robin and woodsmen and helps them in various ways.The robbery of Robin and his men made Nottingham furious and lead him attack the forest people causing a huge destruction and killing over the woodsmen. However, Robin and his men escape. Nottingham thinks that Robin has dies with the attack and so he proposed to Marian to marry her otherwise, he will kill the woodmen. On the day of their marriage, Robin and his friends attacks and kill the Nottingham. Kevin Costner and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio appear in the movie as Robin Hood and Maid Marian respectively.

The movie could earn $48,000,000 worldwide and was critically acclaimed by the critics. I think the movie deserves a place in the list of top romantic movies of all time.


Please, in the comment section, leave your list of top ten romantic movies.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:26 PM

    Impressive reviews man... Keep it up..

    ReplyDelete
  2. What romantic books or movies are out there with a male character who has a similar personality to Flynn Rider?

    ReplyDelete