I’m dedicating this February to counting down the 100 greatest love stories of all time. I’ll be posting five films every day, Monday through Friday.
Disclaimer: Any film list is fairly subjective, but I think putting together one person’s idea of romances or love stories might be the most subjective list of all. What one person considers powerful, another considers depressing; what someone thinks is sigh-inducingly romantic, someone else thinks is tooth-decayingly sappy. Any interesting list is bound to create comment and controversy and that’s okay. This is my personal list of 100 films. I picked them from a larger list of 300 movies. Once I have completed the top 100, I’ll post the entire list of 300. Perhaps one of your favorites that didn’t make the final cut was there…or maybe not.
25. Charade (1963): This was Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn’s only film together…more’s the pity. It’s startling to read the myth about this movie, propagated by Audrey herself, that she and Cary never kiss. I hate to contradict a wonderful lady but in fact they kiss several times. In fact, one of Charade’s best exchanges occurs between lip-locks: “Well, when you come on, you really come on.” “Well, come on.”
24. A Room With a View (1986): This is Merchant-Ivory’s adaptation of E. M. Forster’s famous novel. Howard’s End is, perhaps, more celebrated these days, but I prefer this earlier film. Florence is one of my favorite cities in the world and it is caught in all of its romantic glory here. Helena Bonham Carter is delightful as Lucy Honeychurch (which is a bonus because Lucy can be a little annoying in her stubborn obtuseness at examining her own heart) and Julian Sands is appropriately brooding and passionate as George Emerson. Daniel Day-Lewis is also present as Lucy’s stuffy fiancé, Cecil Vyse. He’s practically unrecognizable and quite different from the performance he gives in the next film on the list…a consummate actor’s actor.
23. The Last of the Mohicans (1992): Here Daniel Day-Lewis is at his most romantic playing Hawkeye, a white man adopted by a Mohican. He travels with his foster father, Chingachgook, and brother, Uncas. The love story that plays out between Hawkeye and Cora (Madeleine Stowe) is passionate and suspenseful as they deal with the complications of the French and Indian War. The film is also notable for its prominent use of Native American actors in important roles, including a subplot with Uncas and Alice. Adding considerably to the atmosphere is the beautiful score by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman.
22. Dead Again (1991): This movie is in many ways, director/star Kenneth Branagh’s homage to classic Hollywood. Flashbacks are filmed in a gorgeous black and white film noir style while the present scenes all take place in L. A. Branagh plays Mike Church, a cynical P. I. who specializes in missing persons cases. Emma Thompson is a mysterious woman who is mute and has amnesia although her night terrors cause her to scream out from her sleep every night. To say much more might ruin a genuinely intriguing plot. The supporting cast, including Derek Jacobi, Andy Garcia and Robin Williams, are just as good as you would imagine and once again Patrick Doyle lends a dramatic, atmospheric score.
21. Summertime (1955): Ah, Venice! That beautiful city is the heart and soul of David Lean’s Summertime. Katharine Hepburn plays a middle-aged spinster who goes to Italy on vacation. Rossano Brazi plays the Venetian merchant she falls in love with. Hepburn’s character blossoms in this movie. She is forced out of her comfort zones into taking uncharacteristic risks. By the end of the movie, she glows. It might be Hepburn’s most unabashedly romantic character.
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