My Top 10: Romance Films

Romance is a genre which I do not usually urge myself to watch as a lot of them these days are not that great. Most of them are bog-standard rom-coms with not a lot of heart to it. Thankfully, it is not a total loss. There have been some nice surprises in recent years, but most of the great romance films in my opinion are now of yesteryear.

My top 10 has quite a wide range of eras. From the 30's to as recent as 2013. It also contains two parts of one of the unlikeliest trilogies. If you have not seen any of these, then I strongly recommend you snuggle with your loved one and enjoy these. Here are my top 10:

10) Casablanca - Many peoples favorite film of all-time, this never ageing 40's classic stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Set in Africa during WWII, a man meets a former lover with unforeseen complications.

It's breath-taking scenes and memorable lines will please first-time viewers.

9) The Graduate - Quite a ground-breaking new-look on the romance genre.

It also featured the breakthrough performance of Dustin Hoffman as a recent college graduate who gets in an affair with the mother of a girl he is attracted to.

8) The Apartment - Only recently saw this and loved it.

It sees Jack Lemmon playing a New Yorker trying to rise up in his company by letting his executives use his apartment for trysts.

It has that perfect mix of romance, comedy and drama and well deserving of its Best Picture Oscar for 1960.

Lemmon and Shirley McClaine are brilliant together.

7) Roman Holiday - Made in 1953, Audrey Hepburn stars as a princess looking for a place to get away from all the duties of a monarch.
She meets up with this American journalist and have the time of their lives in Rome.

It's style of comedy still works and the pace of it all can still keep up with any of today's successes.

6) Before Sunset - Nine years after their chance meeting in Vienna.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy's characters meet-up again, but in Paris.

Like its predecessor, the acting is great, the script feels totally improvised and genuine and in some ways, these 'Before' films are more like reading a novel.

5) Before Sunrise - A real surprise that I and many others just loved instantly.
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe and have one night they will never forget.

It's simplicity is fantastic and script is genius. No gimmicks, just great on-screen chemistry. It managed to end up being a trilogy and create quite a cult following.

4) The Philadelphia Story - More of a rom-com then pure romance, but it still fits into this category.

Only recently seen this 1940 classic. Starring the brilliant Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart, this is a story of a well known socialite about to be married for the second time. However her ex-husband hires a crack team to prevent that from happening, as he still loves the women he lost. Loads of great performances that made the film ahead of its time.

3) Brief Encounter - The original chance meeting that I just never get bored of watching.
Not only is a great story, the performance are tip-top and even some of editing is quite ground-breaking for its release in 1945.

The chemistry of Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson holds the film together and makes an absolute British gem.

2) Gone With The Wind - Made in 1939, the supposedly greatest of film. This almost 4-hour epic tells the story of an affair of characters played by the brash Clark Gable and gorgeous Vivien Leigh during the American Civil War.

Everything about it is way ahead of its time, although I think the duration might bore a few of today's young generation.

1) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - The imagination of director Michel Gondry really redefines the romance genre and perfectly mixes it in with sci-fi.

A couple arrange to have their memories of their relationship erased, but it seems their loss shows how important their relationship is.