Entries Tagged 'Romantic' ↓

IMDB: The Turning Point

Basic Plot: The story of two ballet dancers, one who quit the stage to have a family and the other who decided to forgo family for the life of a prima ballerina.

Outburst: It’s a very realistic look at the conflicts between the personal and professional lives of women. The film has held up well over the years and remains relevant to the choices modern women face between career and family. However, as with many older movies, expect it to progress slowly. Though only minimally present, there are some positive role models for young male dancers as well.

— This is a dance drama. You won’t like this movie unless you like both kinds of movies, and it helps to like ballet as well. So while I think it is a wonderful film, it also has a small target audience.

Wikipedia Entry: The Turning Point

BUY IT NOW! The Turning Point (DVD)

The original version of this documentary was made as a Christian faith production. I watched the ‘secular version’ which was a re-edit done for more mainstream audiences.

Basic Plot: Documentary about the challenges facing marriage and relationships in the modern age. Taken from the Emmy-nominated series Song of Songs.

Outburst: As this is still a primarily Christian documentary, it deals solely under the premise that the viewer is looking for a monogamous, long-term, heterosexual marriage. No other relationship styles are really addressed in any fashion. Despite the removal of more blatant religious messages, it maintains a deep faith-based tone. As the documentary was almost exclusively videos of people talking, I was able to do other things while listening to it and don’t feel that I missed anything. The snippets of vocalized music during the interludes were made for this production and truly awful (think Christian rock run through a blender of folk music and crap).

— If you are willing to accept it as a faith-driven documentary on romance, there are some genuine pearls of wisdom here. It is not in depth or mind-blowing, but it is touching and makes nice background while carrying out your day at home.

Official Site: How Will We Love

You can watch the secular version free on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqAEfBMlJoc

The original title of this movie was Animal Attraction.

IMDB: Someone Like You

Basic Plot: Based on the book Animal Husbandry by Laura Zigman, a talkshow talent scout accuses all men of being cheaters after being jilted by her boyfriend.

Outburst: Quirky interludes comparing human relationships to animal mating rituals are the only things separating this movie from other mainstream romantic films. I’m not sure I like them. Hugh Jackman must really love his wife, judging by the fake kiss at the end. He does run around being super-hot for a good portion of this film, though, so we’ll forgive him.

— Ladies who lust Hugh Jackman, this movie is uh-huh for you. He gets a star all by himself (otherwise it is pretty much one star watchable romantic comedy fodder).

Wikipedia Entry: Someone Like You

WATCH IT NOW: Someone Like You

I haven’t read Animal Husbandry, although I did check out a sample. The references of men to animals is funnier in print (I guess it didn’t translate well to film) but the first-person narrative feels too ‘I’ heavy and makes the main character seem utterly narcissistic (perhaps this was intentional).

This movie was previously titled previously titled both “The Dream of the Romans” and “Arlen Faber”.

IMDB: The Answer Man

Basic Plot: Self-help writer and closet misanthrope falls for neurotic single mother/chiropractor in this indie romance.

Outburst: The characters are wonderful, but something unidentifiable makes this feel flat. There doesn’t seem to be enough romantic tension for a romance movie, enough ridiculousness for a comedy, or enough cynical wit for a ‘dramady’.

— It’s a nice movie; I wish I could say it was better than okay. May be slightly offensive to those who are deeply religious.

Official Site: The Answer Man

WATCH IT NOW: The Answer Man

This is the fourth and final installment of the original Karate Kid series with Noriyuki “Pat” Morita. Later on, Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith would remake the original, setting it in China.

IMDB: The Next Karate Kid

Basic Plot: Mr. Miyagi is back, teaching karate to a troubled teenage girl.

Outburst: The main character’s belligerence is completely overdone, the thirty-something actors are unconvincing as high school students, and they would have done better to fit this movie’s theme closer to the original’s (more bullying, less teen romance). Just think of all the girl on girl violence that could have been crammed in! The hawk subplot is awkward and contrived (because your average Boston teen can totally mend a broken wing, Boston being such great hawk country). Getting to watch a girl beat up the guy who beat up her boyfriend makes all the film’s previous flaws inconsequential.

— Kids might simply overlook this movie’s flaws for love of Hillary Swank, so this probably makes a good family movie despite everything else.

WATCH IT NOW: The Next Karate Kid

IMDB: The Pillars of the Earth

Basic Plot: Dramatic story of the building of a fictional cathedral, complete with love, war, and political intrigue.

Outburst: Within thirty minutes of starting this miniseries, I realized the plot as familiar from a book I had read years ago. The dramatic story of the cathedral builders was hard to forget. It was interesting to watch the plot adjustments, making the storyline more suitable for the screen, but I’m not sure if Shakespearian-style magical visions were necessary to provide foreshadowing.

— Before Game of Thrones blew the genre away, there was The Tudors and this. Lovers of medieval political action thrillers (which are nearly soap operas) will find this a welcome addition to their collections. The nice thing about completed miniseries is you don’t have to wait for another installment to discover the ending.

Official Site: Pillars of the Earth
Official Starz Site: Pillars of the Earth
BUY IT NOW! The Pillars of the Earth (DVD)

Wikipedia Entry: Pillars of the Earth (book)
BUY THE BOOK: The Pillars of the Earth
Kindle eBook: The Pillars of the Earth

IMDB: I Capture the Castle

Basic Plot: British romantic drama surrounding two sisters in a family of eccentric artists, struggling to survive in a decaying castle. All hope seems lost until their young American landlords come to see the inheritance. Based on the Dodie Smith novel.

Outburst: It’s a Jane Austen story stripped of most of the ridiculous characters and the DayGlo happy ending. The actors artfully portray hopelessly romantic characters in a fantastical, yet still believable, setting. Also, I want some of those fabulous 1930s outfits.

— You girls are going to like this film. Boys, the verdict is still out but I smell an eye-roll.

Wikipedia Entry: I Capture the Castle (film)
BUY IT NOW! I Capture the Castle (DVD)

Wikipedia Entry: I Capture the Castle (original book by Dodie Smith)
BUY THE BOOK: I Capture the Castle

IMDB: Wings

Basic Plot: Two young men from different social classes, in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in WWI.

Outburst: Watching a silent movie requires a whole different level of attention span. The musical score is often distracting rather than enhancing, and one must switch between reading (which is an auditory skill) and watching action sequences (a visual skill). Despite this, I enjoyed the movie more than I thought it would. The estimated $2 million budget was a bit of a surprise until the aerial fight scenes began, and before you think they put dirty words in a silent film, a Fokker is a kind of Dutch aircraft.

— Film students and silent movie buffs will probably have seen this one already (if they haven’t, they should). Anyone wishing to broaden their understanding about movie making and the film industry should take a peek at these old movies and this is a good silent film to start with.

Wikipedia Entry: Wings
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IMDB: Broken English

Basic Plot: Indie romance about a single woman in NYC, who bemoans her inability to find the right guy. Then she meets a visiting Frenchman who begins to change how she sees relationships.

Outburst: I’ve seen folks with Aspergers who are less socially awkward. This being an indie movie, while she does find romance, it’s not the unrealistic magic sort. It would be a very real and watchable date movie if she were just a tad less graceless and anxiety-ridden.

— If you can pull this movie up for free with your significant other, it’s a great at-home date movie. Most people will find this enjoyable, but not especially memorable.

Official Website: Broken English

IMDB: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Basic Plot: After discovering his ex-girlfriend has undergone a procedure to have him erased from memory, the socially awkward Joel Barish decides to do likewise.

Outburst: This is the strangest, and possibly one of the most original, romance movies I have seen. It’s nice to see actors display awesome portrayals of roles we do not associate with them.

/CULT — It’s a great cerebral date movie, or a movie to watch together with your significant other. Good for those of us in imperfect relationships; the characters are so dysfunctional it won’t leave you feeling unfulfilled.

Wikipedia Entry: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
BUY IT NOW! Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Widescreen Ed.)