My Favorite Romance Movies

225   7.2   7.2 

A truly romantic story of how the escapist fantasy high/feeling that initially results with falling in love must eventually be realistically dealt with, as the conditions & responsibilities of one's current situation come quickly creeping back in. This movie always reminds of something I heard once: that couples pairing up for the sake of true love is still a relatively young concept in the context of human history. That we as both a society & a species over-all, have not evolved enough yet to be able to deal & accept each other in a manner that would be considered as total unconditonal love (which is the only real love). And it is because of this that the world population has yet been unable to formulate an effective means of discussion that would truly begin a process of unity between it's racial, social & in this case, gender factions. Maybe, like this film depicts, this is why so many make decisions more for the sake of a security based on social & financial reasons than what is right for us on an emotional level. And as they impeded on Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) & Francesca Johnson (Streep), decisions which may impede on our ability to follow our hearts & therefore sway us, individually and socially, from a path that would lead to true love before it's too late.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

926   8.2   8.8 

A movie that shows that it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
So, play it again Sam,
cuz here's looking at you, kid.



What else can I say other than, when it comes to this particular genre, this is the classic of all classics.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

465   6.9   7.4 

A P.T. Anderson effort that delves into how an unforseeable strength & driving force can result when two souls take the jump into the unfamiliar territory that is the map of the human heart. A map whose directions seem only to reveal themselves on a need to know basis. But wait...!
It stars Adam Sandler? Who puts the effort of actually acting in it?
And in the end, does a good job?
To the point, that it becomes the very first movie starring the waterboy that I not only ended up actually enjoying, but also, now come to regard as one of my favorite romance films ever?
Okay,
verily, the seventh seal hath been broken.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

546   7.6   8 

The nine year follow-up to the masterfully written Before Sunrise.
The two characters in Sunset come off just impeccably convincing as two people who truly have gone on from their 1st. meeting, but never let go of the genuineness of that first shared emotionally intimate experience.
Simply great acting with great script and a great sequel with a great ending.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

532   7.9   8 

A love story that indulges in the idea of the kinds of bonds that can form if two people actually tried to communicate in a manner mired in bared-boned honesty (to which, I must confess, the "come-down-to-reality" part of my male brain wants to smirkly say "yeah....rrriight...") & with an intention of true understanding.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

303   8   8.1 

Good horror movies come so rarely into my life. The same with good vampire movies. And the same also goes for good love stories (I refrain from using the term "romance movies" since I find Hollywood's idea of romance is always so impossibly & ridiculously fairy-tale-like). This movie is 2 outta 3 (Though there is some, it's very light on the horror). Told more in an adult manner, yet still with enough of an escapist sensibilty that is respective to the genre, this is a soft, beautiful & beguiling story (which is really saying something since I don't know what that word means) of two 12 year olds finding love for the first time thru the flaws of each of their separate (& sometimes desperate) life situations.
The lead actors for this movie portray their characters with a true down to earth awkwardness that is usually found with kids at this age, along with a longing that is both sincere & convincing.
As far as vampire love stories go, I find myself agreeing with those who compare this one with another human-falls-for-bloodfeeder film that was released around the same time :
the 15 year old girls can have their Twilight. I'll take LTROI.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1073   8.3   8.6 

It seems like these days, every season, an animated movie comes out displaying the next level of computer-generated visuals. For the year of 2008, it was this film & Kung Fu Panda. While not so surprising in that I (we?) expected the details in the graphics to be as detail & realistic as they were, it's still quite stunning to behold.
And even though Wall-E contains the basic formula elements one would expect from such a family film, it's still quite surprising how often & consistantly filmmakers are able to intergrate the amazing graphics into the quality of the storytelling in a manner that seems fresh & keeps the messages from feeling too cliche. At the rate that these types of highly sophisticated computer animated flicks are being released, it's remarkble that the ratio has been so much more good than bad.
A futuristic story that despite it's epic themes of environmentalism, technological over-dependence & the effects of idleness on the soul of humanity when it is stripped away from the natural strife of life, at it's heart, it's also an effective story of loneliness & longing between two computer-animated robots that despite their mechanical make-up, offer up enough heartfelt human emotion that is depicted with just a simple vocabulary that consists of nothing more than their names & a directive.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1068   7   7.3 

Juliette Binoche & chocolate. Two great tastes that taste great together.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

671   7.7   7.8 

Call me simple, but when it comes to starting my day right, I prefer breakfast at MikkyDees. Those Egg McMuffins wit' Egg sandwiches, surely, they be nought but the very food of the gods themselves.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

281   6.8   7.6 

My favorite aspect of this movie is the fact that it was never fully explored why Nick Cage's character wanted to off himself via alcoholism. The viewer is almost forced to come into the character's life with the same info that Elizabeth Shue's character & get to know him from that vantage point. It's a reminder that, many times, the addictions of those who are addicted tend to become bigger than whatever got them addicted in the first place. And instead of being analyzed or even understood, sometimes all they need is to be approached, from the very beginning with a caring & accepting face.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

772   7.1   8 

While I tend to agree with the general consensus that this movie shouldn't have beat out other films like All The President's Men or Taxi Driver for the Best Picture Oscar, I still consider it my favorite of the this particular year.
One of the reasons is just the nostalgic connection I have to this film. I remember watching this first installment of the Italian Stallion series as a child, & even at an age when I believed that the female sex to be rife with cooties, just adoring the love story between two "loser" types of Adrian & the original Rock. And this was probably the first movie I ever watched that literally hand me jumping up & down at the end.
Rocky's plot just seemed to be able to pull all the right heart-strings for me, that even to this day I still feel a slight jitter in my chest whenever I watch this flick.
Either that, or maybe I've developed a life-long heart murmur.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

142   6   6.8 

An alien being comes down to Earth, morphs into a human form in order to understand our species & then begins a race against time to meet with his star-faring rendevous party before the government military can get it's hands on him/it. But not before he/it can get a girl pregnant.
Simply put,
this movie is E.T. for adults.
Or at least, it's for those of us whose mind's are mature enough to understand that when it comes to traffic lights, red means "stop", green means "go" & yellow means "go very fast".

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

38   7.2   7.8 

A small movie that, even though it tends to hit you with it's easy point over the head like a hammer at times,
features engagingly warm & down to earth performances by Earnest Borgnine & crew.



" You don't like her. My mother don't like her. She's a dog. And I'm a fat, ugly man. Well, all I know is I had a good time last night. I'm gonna have a good time tonight. If we have enough good times together, I'm gonna get down on my knees. I'm gonna beg that girl to marry me. If we make a party on New Year's, I got a date for that party. You don't like her? That's too bad."

You tell 'em, Marty.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

160   7.6   8 

The best thing that I like about this movie is that it's both a spongy thriller & a creamy romantic comedy, in one.
In short, it's a cinematic Twinkie.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1339   7.5   8 

A "wicked smaht" southie must come to terms with his past, his brawling behavior, his psychiatrist, his extra-ordinary talent & his tendency to run away from responsibility.
And finds that sometimes, the best way to heal old wounds,
is simply, to go see about a girl.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

632   7.1   7.6 

Growing up, it always frustrated me whenever the majority of big budget action flicks or martial arts movies of the time often seemed to sacrifice on story to make room for the expansive bangs & the expensive effects. It was generally said, that in these types of movies, you couldn't really have both, particularly, at a consistent high level. And I was one those kids who always asked "Why not?"
And then came the House Of Flying Daggers. And with it's beautiful story of love & intrigue, combined with lavish costumes, great performances & unique individually themed action sequences it seemed to asked the very same question.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

79   5.8   6.6 

Return To Me is a return to the old days of romantic cinema, with just the right amount of overindulgent sweetness, just missing the saccharine mark. For the type of plot premise that this movie is, it's script manages never to cross into the realm of dialogue & lines that constantly remind the viewer that the characters live within that part of the dimension of cinema that is inhabited by the romance genre.
A formula love story done with enough maturity & with a genuinely (not to mention, metaphorically) honest heart, that I couldn't help but be swayed by it.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

573   6.9   7.2 

For any of you out there that are fans of the Seinfeld television series,
despite what Elaine says about this movie,
The English Patient is definitely worth see worthing. At least, even more so than Sack Lunch, that's for sure.



My apologies to anyone who is not a Seinfeld fan & therefore hasn't got a clue as to what this entry is talking about.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

47   7   7.3 

The only Barbara Streisand movie in any of my lists.
Seriously.
I promise.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

66   6.3   6.6 

On my very first date ever, this was the movie I took the girl that i was with at the time to go see.
Afterwards, she let me feel her up. Right between the moon & New York City.
And for me,
that is all I need to like this flick.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

263   7.9   8.3 

At first glance, this seems like a typical Hollywood picture of this era: the insanely attractive couple of Ingrid Bergman & Cary Grant, both looking at their most perfect, in a lush looking film with spy intigrued plot, with the added feature of a small cadre of Nazi's thrown in for good measure.
Yet, the characters' personalities and their dialogue towards each other as they try to embitterly mask the feelings of love & longing that they must fight thru in order to complete their respective missions, reveals that this is an atypical film (for it's time, at least) with a feeling of cinematic bite that can only be the signature of Alfred Hitchcock. Add to the fact, that Cary Grant, usually a more of a comedic lead with skills of perfect timing, pulls thru this serious, & uncharacteristicly bitter role with a result that leads the viewer to sincerely sympathize with his character just cuz we know that deep inside, there's a good heart in there somewhere.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

409   6.2   6.7 

While this movie couldn't match the spontaneous quality of it's predessor, back when this came out, it was still rare for a sequel to reach the level of both box-office & financial success that this one did. The romance between the Rock & Adrian flows wonderfully into it's next level as two people trying to form a unity based on each other's distinct personalities. Carl Withers is not forgetten as Apollo Creed as this installment enters deeper into the life of the champ who's titleship comes into question. And even Mickey manages to surprise us by revealing some of the heart that seemed hopelessly buried beneath his years-long thick crust of curmudgeon hide.
As a follow up to the the first film, the plot in Rocky's 2nd. crack at the worldbelt felt like an natural extension of the story that had begun in the first film & not just as a sequel out to cash in on the success of that initial effort.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

314   5.9   6.2 

Not as good as the 1972 version (but let's be honest here, despite Steven Soderbergh being at the helm, this version stood almost no chance of replicating the masterpiece status that is Tarkovsky's) but still a solid & more streamlined remake that effectively modernizes the theme of it's original.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

74   6.2   6.8 

Bugsy is a mob flick that doesn't even try to compete with other mob flicks. And therefore, it succeeds as a gangster movie that stands out on its own. It almost completely removes the realistic-type dialogue & the grittiness that is usually associated with this genre. I can almost sense the same sheen that the old black & white mafia films used to use to screen over the mobster characters & give em that "romanticized" look that they became famous for back then. For all their ruthlessness, the major players in this story come off as very likeable people.
However, with the strong chemistry that comes from the duo of Warren Beatty & Annette Benning, this is also a mob-flick that inhabits the romance flick also. This modern real life couple does a great job of portraying the old style romance with the kind of bite edged slant that fits the over-all feel of Bugsy.
Plus, you just can't beat the acting by the supporting cast of Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliot Gould & Joe Mantegna.

162   6.8   7.4 

Gina Gershon & Jennifer Tilly.
God@mn.
Now, those are my kind of lesbians.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

495   7.3   7.9 

This would be a great movie with just the famous "Sicilian scene" all by itself.
However, that part is just the sweet chewy center of a hard bitter tootsie pop of a movie, that no matter how many licks it takes to get to it's middle, it still seems like it's not enough.
Directed by Ridley's Scott's brother, Tony & written by Quentin Tarantino, this is modern day lovers on the run story told with enough style, edge & violence to make the idea of Elvis as a guardian angel in this flick believable.
Well, sort of.
Anyways, if all romance films were made like this one,
then you could be sure that my girlfriend wouldn't have to use the implication of sex afterwards just to have to drag hairy pimp-ass to the theatre any time a chick-flick was playing.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

203   7.5   8.1 

Humphrey Bogart & Katherine Hepburn in a "gritty" riverboat "journey movie" set along an East African river during WW II, & portraying two individuals, each with a mindset on a completely different side of the spectrum.
However, after confronting a series of obstacles during their quest, they begin the process of developing a relationship, & soon, the old romance adage of opposites attract starts to take affect as two people from two different worlds end up coming together, first for a common cause, & then, for each other.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

327   7.8   8.1 

Two strangers come together with a shared love for creating music
& end up creating a love for each that they can never truly share.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

2922   6.7   7.3 

Wanna know how good Titanic is?
Because of this movie,
I have developed a lifelong hatred towards icebergs.
Also,
for a brief moment there,
this film actually had me believing that a man would actually allow himself to freeze to death in the icy ocean waters of the North Atlantic, just b'cuz he loved a girl so much that he couldn't bring himself to ask her if she could maybe scoot her fat ass over on the drift board just a little bit,
to make room for his skinny butt.

....godd@mn icebergs......!

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

2204   8.1   8.5 

Another effort by Jim Carrey to be taken seriously as an actor in a romance story in the not too distance future (as a matter of fact, Eternal Sunshine's setting seems so not so distant, that it may supposed to be occurring in a parallel present-time reality) about the contradictory choice to forget an unforgettable love, if the technology existed which allowed the human mind to do so.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1188   7.4   8 

Two love stories intersect in this Intelligent, straightforward & "martially artistic" film from the burgeoning genre of cinema known as wuxia.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a pure fun action flick merged into a story whose simplicity is hidden behind the human depth of a group of characters who each believe their respective struggles of love, honor & justice to be truly epic.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

187   6.7   6.8 

Back in the day, quality sword & sorcery movies were incredibly rare. This & Legend were the only ones I ever really liked ( wasn't much of a fan of Willow), up until when LOTR finally got made many years later.
And while legend focused more on it's stunning sets & character designs, this one was geared more thru it's storytelling & character developement (tho, this one's also was very appealing to the eyes).
A love story appropiated thru the genre, it stars Ferris Bueller, Scarface's girlfriend & a replicant.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

124   6.3   6.6 

A biopic of Ritchie Valens, one of the musical artists who's aspiring career was cut short on the day that the music died.
It's not only a story of how a teenage boy rose from migrant worker to rock star by winning the hearts of the music world, but also of how Valens won the heart of the love of his all too brief life, which provided the inspiration for his biggest hit song "Donna".

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

116   8.4   8 

A simple story of a simple girl who discovers that she can simply leap thru time. But instead of using her powers for good, or even for evil for that matter, she uses it in a manner that we all wish we could if we were so magically endowed (especially if we were her age): to make up time when we were late, to retake exams we didn't study for, to get to our favorite snacks in the fridge before our annoying little siblings got the chance to polished 'em off, etc..
Which all leads up to a simple coming of age story that is as simply & beautifully told as it is simply & beautifully animated.
Simply put, simply beautiful.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1012   6.4   6.9 

I ain't 'fraid no ghost.
Especially if it takes on the form of a dirty dancing roadhouser like Patrick Swayze.
Ghost is a romance film whose supernatural twist plotline pulls at not only the right heart-strings, but also at the same time, at the just the correct amount of logistical levers of suspended-believibility that are required when entering into the world of cinematic escapism.
Swayze plays the perfect polarly opposite straightman to Whoopi Goldberg, who fills up the screen with her comedic charisma, while Demi Moore exudes the same effect, but with her angelic beauty. All this combined with a story that provides just enough Hollywood-scripted plausibilty to a plot-idea that hovers in implausibilty.
For me, all this was just the right mix of ingredients to allow my otherwise jaded hairy pimp-ass to sit still thru the entire run of this blatant but high quality chick-flick (which for me, is usually a rarity).

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1763   8.2   8.6 

A French film of such a picturesque quality, both in it's scenery as in it's colorful storyline, that one can't help but walk away from this movie with a smile that may contain a certain je ne sais quoi.



Note: I also included this entry in my favorite romantic comedies list, because it seems to inhabit both the romance genre & rom-com sub-genre.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1684   7.2   8.1 

John Connors is the hope of the future against the Age Of The Machines. But before any of that worldwide epic struggle ever started, he was nought but a gleam in the eye of a time traveling rebel & the woman that he had sworn to protect & then, grew to love.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

87   6.8   6.8 

A tale of one hitman & one hitwoman who hit it off with each other.
In more ways than one.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

12   5.7   6.9 

What dreams, or nightmares, may come from the imagination of an eleven year old. Especially when those dreams can transverse into the real world of the awakened.
In a manner of true puppy dog romance, and with the use of pencil & paper, a little girl innocently experiences her first true dream love.
With the term "dream love" taken to it's most literal sense.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

3195   7.8   8.6 

After watching this film, with it's innocent yet epic meanderings through through the human heart, I got so inspired, that I decided, on a whim, to go running all the way across the country for my one true love. However, by the time I got to the end of my block, I got so devastatingly winded, & I was weezing so desperately for air, that I thought for sure, my left lung had collapsed in on itself.
So, instead, I just reminded myself that "stupid is as stupid does", & went back into my house & ate an entire "box of chawk-letts".
Which, of course, is what life is kinda like.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

430   6.2   6.7 

Okay, after his intro in the first movie, Supes finally gets to take the kid gloves off, kick some real @ss & take names. Three rogue Kryptonians come to Earth to reveal to the Last Son of Krypton that he's not exactly the last son of Krypton.
The only problem is, his love for a mere mortal woman demands that his cape, tights & superpowers have all gotta go.
And so the fate of the world finds itself hanging in the balance as The Man Of Steel must decide between either his heart's desire & kneeling before Lois Lane,
or
his super-terrestrial duty & kneeling before Zod.
In the end, Kal-El discovers comes to discover that with great power not only comes great responsibility, but also, great sacrifice too.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1622   7.4   7.9 

I'll be honest with you guys....while "beautiful" isn't exactly the word I would use to describe my mind,
I doubt that anyone would kick it out bed for eating crackers.
Though, when I think about it,
it could probably stand to lose a few pounds.
Some lipstick probably wouldn't hurt it either.

17   6.3   7.4 

Before there was the Time Traveler's Wife, Donnie Darko, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time or Kate & Leopold,
there was Happy Accidents.
A time-traveling love story about timeless love transcending the timelessness that is time.
Or is it a loving time-traveling story about the transcendence through infinity which is true love....?
Either way, in short, it's a straight-on chick-flick theme with just a twist of wormholed logic.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

633   7.6   8.2 

The graduate in question is Benjamin Braddock, a young man who, when he reaches a point in his life that he should've been thinking about getting into plastics, instead, ends up getting into Mrs. Robinson.
Well,
for the time that this movie came out,
I guess that's close enough.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

311   7.3   7.1 

I found this movie engagingly quirky & quite sexy. It really would've been higher on my list if only the lead character, at one point, wouldn't have taken a dump in her wedding dress.
Call me a stiff shirt, but in my opinion, that's not very romantic.

The Mighty Celestial's rating: