Romantic Films on DVD - Reviews
Rain Man, The Gift, A Beautiful Mind, Away From Her, Babel and More
Mar 8, 2009
Love stories in film encompass the alpha and omega. A rich tapestry of love between men and women, mothers and children, brothers, and unusually paired couples display a replete vision of the condition of man.
The following films are not necessarily considered "love stories" as such, but each one contains a story bound by love; real or not, love is the string that pulls the film list together.
Romantic Films
Stories of love have been a staple since film has been available to the general public. There are as many films about love as there are layers of green in the rain forest. Each successful story carries a premise of truth which is delivered through the perfect balance of actor/music/script.
Rain Man (1988)
Dustin Hoffman stars as an idiot savant paired with Tom Cruise as his user - brother. Cruise discovers the difference between brotherly love and using your brother in your love for money. Two seriously talented actors bounce from one issue to the next in this fascinating study of imperfection and familial love.
The Gift (2000)
Cate Blanchett stars as a clairvoyant widow lovingly raising three boys when a murdered acquaintance begins showing up in her dreams. The audience is whisked along on a psychic trek to uncover the murderer while the shocking truth about her mentally unstable friend sheds new light on a closed case.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Inspired by the life of John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of his time, Ron Howard directs this drama with captivating power and grace. Prepare to enter the mind of a genius and face Nash's (Russel Crowe's) excrutiating secret. Academy award winner in four categories, a must-see.
Crazylove (2005)
When a predictable but less than perfect life takes a dramatic turn, two strangers fall in love in an unlikely destination: a psychiatric hospital. Never maudlin, this hopeful RomDram delivers a slice of life with compassion. Reiko Aylesworth and Bruno Campos light up the screen with their on-point performances.
Away From Her (2006)
A fifty-year marriage of Fiona and Grant (Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent) deteriorates as her Alzheimer's disease reaches a point of no return. This brilliant and touching film portrays older characters with depth and beauty. You won't be able to turn it off. This one will (and should) stay with you.
Babel (2006)
This emotionally charged story criss-crosses the globe to bring four families into focus connected by a chain reaction ignited during a couple's (Blanchett and Pitt) tragic Moroccan vacation. A talented cast brings you to a screeching moment of truth in this story of innocence bedeviled by ignorance and tragedy.
Copying Beethoven (2006)
Beethoven's beloved Ninth symphony will stir you to your bones in this RomDram set in Vienna, 1824. Meet the deaf maestro up-close as he races to complete his masterpiece aided by the lovely Anna (Diane Kruger). Ed Harris soars as Beethoven in all his quirky genius. Prepare to laugh-cry-sing!
Evening (2007)
Fearless performances by a stellar cast (Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep, Natasha Richardson, Glenn Close, Claire Danes and Toni Collette) make this film glow like a bonfire. Shaken by the dying mother's memories as she opens up the secret door to her younger self, her family stretches to rebuild relationships. Brilliant!
Love stories wrestle with emotional values; integrity, honesty, morality. The long-lasting effects of films with a conscience are obvious; no matter their age, their value lies in the ability to make contact with the movie-goer's heart and mind.
For another article on movie reviews in fifty words or less, read war film reviews.
 |
 |
 |
