Latest Film Releases / Rent or Buy DVD / Return to Menu
*DVD Rental in Prince Albert only
See WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION under COMEDY / GAY – LGBT
A ROYAL NIGHT OUT – The film stars Sarah Gadon as the teenaged Princess Elizabeth, who, with younger sister Princess Margaret (Bel Powley), ventures out of Buckingham Palace to enjoy the VE Day celebrations. 2015 British romantic comedy-drama directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Trevor de Silva and Kevin Hood.
A STAR IS BORN – A hard-drinking seasoned musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons. 2018 musical romantic drama produced and directed by Bradley Cooper (in his directorial debut) and written by Cooper, Eric Roth and Will Fetters. It also stars Dave Chappelle, Andrew Dice Clay, and Sam Elliott. It is the fourth filmed version of the 1937 film, after the 1954 musical and the 1976 musical.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE – The songs of the Beatles provide the sonic framework for this musical tale of romance, war and peace. When young British worker Jude (Jim Sturgess) sets sail for the United States in search of his father, he ends up meeting carefree college student Max (Joe Anderson) and his lovely sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), along with a cast of eccentric characters. As Jude and Lucy fall for each other, their relationship is threatened by the social upheaval that accompanies the Vietnam War. 2007 jukebox musical romantic drama directed by Julie Taymor, centered on songs by the English rock band the Beatles.
ADMISSION – When straight-laced Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) pays a recruiting visit to an alternative high school, she receives some news that catches her way off-guard. John Pressman (Paul Rudd), head of the school and Portia’s former college classmate, has surmised that his student, Jeremiah, is the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption. Portia puts her career at risk by bending the rules for Jeremiah but also discovers a life and romance she never imagined. 2013 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Paul Weitz
AMÉLIE (also known as Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain) 2001 romantic comedy directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better while struggling with her own isolation.
ANOTHER YEAR – 2010 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and starring Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent, and Ruth Sheen. Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are an older couple who have been happily married for a long time, making them an anomaly among their friends and family members. Gerri’s friend Mary (Lesley Manville) is a single woman whose husband left her and who disguises her loneliness. Gerri tries to fix her up with another friend, Ken (Peter Wight), but is taken aback when Mary is more interested in the couple’s adult son, Joe (Oliver Maltman), a lawyer who is considerably younger than she is.
AS GOOD AS IT GETS – 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks, who co-wrote it with Mark Andrus. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic and obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with a chronically ill son, and Greg Kinnear as an artist who is gay.
ASK THE DUST – Arturo Bandini (Colin Farrell) is a writer who moves from Colorado to Los Angeles with aspirations of completing a great novel. There he meets bold Mexican waitress Camilla (Salma Hayek). She wants to live a better life and thinks marrying for money may be her answer. Arturo, who tries to project a confidence that he is inwardly lacking, initially acts coldly toward Camilla. Despite not seeming like a viable match, a romance gradually develops between the two. 2006 American-German romantic drama based on the book Ask the Dust by John Fante. The film was written and directed by Robert Towne.
ATONEMENT – This sweeping English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). When the couple are torn apart by a lie constructed by Cecilia’s jealous younger sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), all three of them must deal with the consequences. Robbie is the hardest hit, since Briony’s deception results in his imprisonment, but hope for Cecilia and her beau increases when their paths cross during World War II. 2007 romantic war drama directed by Joe Wright. It is based on Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel of the same name. The film chronicles a crime and its consequences over the course of six decades, beginning in the 1930s.
AUSTRALIA – With the globe on the brink of World War II, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels from Britain to Australia to inspect a cattle ranch she inherited. Reluctantly joining forces with a rugged local known as the Drover (Hugh Jackman), she sets out on a cattle drive across hundreds of miles of harsh terrain to save her ranch. But when they finally reach the town of Darwin, they must contend with the same Japanese bombers that just rained death upon Pearl Harbor. 2008 adventure comedy drama directed by Baz Luhrmann.
BABETTE’S FEAST (Danish: Babettes Gæstebud) Beautiful but pious sisters Martine (Birgitte Federspiel) and Philippa (Bodil Kjer) grow to spinsterhood under the wrathful eye of their strict pastor father on the forbidding and desolate coast of Jutland, until one day, Philippa’s former suitor sends a Parisian refugee named Babette (Stéphane Audran) to serve as the family cook. Babette’s lavish celebratory banquet tempts the family’s dwindling congregation, who abjure such fleshly pleasures as fine foods and wines. 1987 Danish drama directed by Gabriel Axel. The film’s screenplay was written by Axel based on the 1958 story by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen).
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES – Ethan awaits the day he can leave his small town and go to college. He falls in love with Lena, who is shunned by all. Ethan learns that she’s a witch, and they must find a way to save their love. 2013 American romantic gothic fantasy written for the screen and directed by Richard LaGravenese based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, and Emma Thompson.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast’s hideous exterior, allowing her to recognize the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside. 2017 musical romantic fantasy directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. The film is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1991 animated film of the same name, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 1756 version of the fairy tale.
THE BIG SICK – 2017 romantic comedy directed by Michael Showalter and written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani. It stars Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Adeel Akhtar, and Anupam Kher. Loosely based on the real-life romance between Nanjiani and Gordon, it follows an inter ethnic couple who must deal with cultural differences after Emily (Kazan) becomes ill.
BRIGHT STAR – In 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw), who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she finds herself even more drawn to the taciturn Keats. Although he agrees to teach her about poetry, Keats cannot act on his reciprocated feelings for Fanny, since as a struggling poet he has no money to support a wife. British-French-Australian 2009 British-French-Australian biographical fiction romantic drama film based on the last three years of the life of poet John Keats and his romantic relationship with Fanny Brawne.
BROKEN EMBRACES (Spanish: Los abrazos rotos) 2009 Spanish romantic thriller film written, produced, and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Led by an ensemble cast consisting of many Almodóvar regulars, it stars Lluís Homar as a blind Madrilenian screenwriter who recalls his tragic love for Lena, played by Penélope Cruz, the deceased lead actress in his last directional feature Girls and Suitcases, who was also the mistress of a powerful, obsessive businessman (José Luis Gómez). The film serves as an homage to filmmaking, cinema and its various film genres. Stylistically, it is a complex noir-ish melodrama, that also blends comic elements with a film within a film
BROOKLYN – 2015 romantic period drama directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby, based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Colm Tóibín. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. The film stars Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, with Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters in supporting roles. Set in 1951, the plot follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irishwoman who emigrates to Brooklyn to find employment. There she marries an Italian plumber called Tony, before being forced to choose between her home town of Enniscorthy or her new life in Brooklyn.
CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER – Longtime sweethearts Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) married young, but are now drifting apart. Celeste is an ambitious business owner, while Jesse has a more laid-back attitude toward life and work. Celeste wants a divorce and believes that she and Jesse can remain friends. Jesse passively goes along with her plans, even though he is still in love with her. However, as the reality of their separation sinks in, Celeste begins to have second thoughts. 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lee Toland Krieger.
CEREMONY – An obsessed young man (Michael Angarano) crashes the wedding of his older former lover (Uma Thurman) in a misguided attempt to reignite romantic sparks. 2010 American film directed by Max Winkler, in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Michael Angarano, Uma Thurman, Lee Pace, Rebecca Mader and Reece Thompson
CHERI – When retired courtesan Charlotte (Kathy Bates) asks her former colleague, Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer) to instruct her son, Chéri (Rupert Friend), in the ways of love, the result is a passionate affair that lasts six years. But Charlotte arranges for Chéri to marry a younger woman, and insists the affair come to an end. Lea retreats to southern France, but destiny brings the two lovers together once more. 2009 romantic comedy-drama directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on the 1920 novel of the same name by French author Colette.
CHLOE – Catherine and David Stewart (Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson) are a well-to-do couple living in a posh area of Toronto, but all is not well in paradise. Catherine suspects that David, a music professor, is cheating on her with his students. She hires a prostitute named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to meet David and see if he gives in to temptation, but events spin out of control when Chloe spills the details of her torrid encounters. 2009 erotic thriller directed by Atom Egoyan.
CRAZY STUPID LOVE – Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Julianne Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies. 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
CRIMSON PEAK – he story, set in Victorian era England, follows an aspiring author who travels to a remote Gothic mansion in the English hills with her new husband and his sister. There, she must decipher the mystery behind the ghostly visions that haunt her new home. 2015 Gothic romance directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins. The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver.
THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL – 2015 comedy-drama written and directed by Marielle Heller, based on the hybrid novel of the same name by Phoebe Gloeckner. It stars Bel Powley as a 15-year-old girl who becomes sexually active by starting a relationship with her mother’s boyfriend. It also stars Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Quinn Nagle, and Austin Lyon.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO – 1965 epic romantic drama directed by David Lean with a screenplay by Robert Bolt. It is set in Russia between the years before World War I and the Russian Civil War of 1918–1922, and is based on the 1957 Boris Pasternak novel Doctor Zhivago. The film stars Omar Sharif in the title role as Yuri Zhivago, a married physician whose life is altered by the Russian Revolution and subsequent Civil War, and Julie Christie as his married love interest Lara Antipova. The supporting cast includes Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Tom Courtenay, Ralph Richardson, Siobhán McKenna and Rita Tushingham.
THE ENGLISH TEACHER – The life of a popular teacher (Julianne Moore) turns topsy-turvy when a former star pupil returns home after a failed career as a playwright. Unwilling to see the young man give up his dream, she decides to produce his play at her high school. 2013 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Craig Zisk.
THE EXCEPTION – A 2016 romantic war film directed by David Leveaux (in his directorial debut) and written by Simon Burke, based on Alan Judd’s 2003 novel The Kaiser’s Last Kiss. The film stars Jai Courtney, Lily James, Janet McTeer, and Christopher Plummer. The plot is a fictionalized account of the life of exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II. When a Wehrmacht officer is ordered to determine whether or not a British spy has infiltrated the Kaiser’s residence with a view to assassinating the deposed monarch, he falls in love with one of the Kaiser’s maids (James) during his investigation. The film is set in Occupied Holland during World War II.
FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL – 2017 biographical romantic drama directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell, with a cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Walters. It is based on the memoir of the same name by Peter Turner, which tells of his relationship with Academy Award-winning American actress Gloria Grahame in 1970s Liverpool and, some years later, her death from stomach cancer.
FORREST GUMP – 1994 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and Sally Field. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump (Hanks), a slow-witted but kind-hearted man from Alabama who witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century United States.
FAUBOURG 36 – The stage manager of a popular music hall is charged with murder. During his confession, we see the story of the music hall and its entertainers in flashback. When the music hall closes down, a trio of unemployed friends vow to bring the business back from the dead by staging a musical they hope will be a hit. If their gamble pays off, they’ll have the money to buy the theater for themselves and the power to control their own destinies. 2008 French romantic drama directed by Christophe Barratier. This film is set in 1930s Paris.
THE FOUNTAIN – 2006 American epic romantic drama film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Blending elements of fantasy, history, spirituality, and science fiction, the film consists of three storylines involving immortality and the resulting loves lost, and one man’s pursuit of avoiding this fate in this life or beyond it. Jackman and Weisz play sets of characters bonded by love across time and space: a conquistador and his ill-fated queen, a modern-day scientist and his cancer-stricken wife, and a traveler immersed in a universal journey alongside aspects of his lost love. The storylines—interwoven with use of match cuts and recurring visual motifs—reflect the themes and interplay of love and mortality.
FUR: AN IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF DIANE ARBUS (also known simply as Fur) – In 1958 New York Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman) is a housewife and mother who works as an assistant to her husband (Ty Burrell), a photographer employed by her wealthy parents. Respectable though her life is, she cannot help but feel uncomfortable in her privileged world. One night, a new neighbor (Robert Downey Jr.) catches Diane’s eye, and the enigmatic man inspires her to set forth on the path to discovering her own artistry.2006 American romantic drama film directed by Steven Shainberg and written by Erin Cressida Wilson, based on Patricia Bosworth’s book Diane Arbus: A Biography. It stars Nicole Kidman as iconic American photographer Diane Arbus, who was known for her strange, disturbing images, and also features Robert Downey Jr. and Ty Burrell. As the title implies, the film is largely fictional.
GODDESS – Elspeth Dickens (Laura Michelle Kelly) dreams of finding her “voice” despite being stuck in an isolated farmhouse with her twin boys (Phoenix and Levi Morrison). A webcam she installs in her kitchen becomes her pathway to fame and fortune, making her a cyber-sensation. Through singing her funny sink-songs into the webcam, Elspeth becomes a cyber-sensation. While her husband James (Ronan Keating) is off saving the world’s whales, Elspeth is offered the chance of a lifetime. But when forced to choose between fame and family, the newly anointed internet goddess almost loses it all. 2013 Australian romantic comedy musical film, directed by Mark Lamprell.
GOD HELP THE GIRL – A girl (Emily Browning) who experiences terrible emotional problems builds her self-confidence by forming a pop group with two similarly aimless souls. 2014 British musical romantic drama film written and directed by Stuart Murdoch of the band Belle and Sebastian. It follows three friends who form a band in Glasgow. With Olly Alexander as James, Hannah Murray as Cassie and Pierre Boulanger as Anton
THE GREAT GATSBY (DVD & BR)- 2013 romantic drama based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name. The film was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the eponymous Jay Gatsby, with Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki and Jack Thompson. The film follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio) and his neighbor Nick Carraway (Maguire), who recounts his encounter with Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties on Long Island.
HAROLD AND MAUDE – 1971 American coming-of-age film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama. The plot revolves around the exploits of a young man in his early 20s named Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) who is intrigued with death. Harold drifts away from the life that his detached mother (Vivian Pickles) proscribes for him, and slowly develops a strong friendship, and eventually a romantic relationship, with a 79-year-old woman named Maude (Ruth Gordon), a Nazi concentration camp survivor who teaches Harold about the importance of living life to its fullest and that life is the most precious gift of all.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS – 2015 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by Laura Terruso and Showalter, about a woman in her 60s who tries to act on her attraction to a younger co-worker. It stars Sally Field in the title role, alongside Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Natasha Lyonne and Tyne Daly.
HOPE SPRINGS – Long-married couple Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) love each other, but after so many years together, Kay feels the need to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. Hearing of a renowned marriage counselor (Steve Carell) in the town of Great Hope Springs, Kay manages to persuade her stubborn mate to attend a retreat with her. As they shed their bedroom hang-ups, Kay and Arnold find that the real challenge is reigniting the spark that originally brought them together. 2012 American romantic comedy-drama directed by David Frankel, written by Vanessa Taylor, based on the novel by Charles Webb, and starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell.
THE HOST – 2013 American romantic science fiction thriller adapted from Stephenie Meyer’s 2008 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a young woman, Melanie, who is captured after the human race has been taken over by parasitic aliens called “Souls”. After Melanie is infused with a soul called “Wanderer”, Melanie and the alien “Soul” vie for control of her body. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, William Hurt, and Diane Kruger. Released in theaters on March 29, 2013, the film was poorly received by critics.
INDIGNATION A Jewish college student (Logan Lerman) falls for a young woman (Sarah Gadon) while clashing with his dean (Tracy Letts) in 1951 Ohio. 2016 drama film written, produced, and directed by James Schamus. The film, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Philip Roth, is set mostly in Ohio in the early 1950s, and stars Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts, Linda Emond, and Danny Burstein.
JANE EYRE – Jane Eyre, a governess, manages to find her true love in Edward Rochester, the owner of an old mansion. However, Edward has a dark secret which will destroy Jane’s life forever. 2011 romantic drama directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. The screenplay is written by Moira Buffini based on Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel of the same name.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS – 2014 musical romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Richard Lagravenese. Based on Jason Robert Brown’s musical of the same name, the film stars Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan as married couple Cathy Hiatt and Jamie Wellerstein. It presents their relationship out of chronological order, in a non-linear narrative.
LETTERS TO JULIET – While visiting Verona, Italy, with her busy fiance, a young woman named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) visits a wall where the heartbroken leave notes to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine, Juliet Capulet. Finding one such letter from 1957, Sophie decides to write to its now elderly author, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave). Inspired by Sophie’s actions, Claire sets out to find her long-lost lover, accompanied by her disapproving grandson (Christopher Egan) and Sophie. 2010 American romantic comedy-drama was the final film of director Gary Winick.
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS – 2016 romantic drama written and directed by Derek Cianfrance and based on the 2012 novel of the same name by M. L. Stedman. An international co-production between the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, the film stars Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, Bryan Brown, and Jack Thompson. The film tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who rescue and adopt an infant girl adrift at sea. Years later, the couple discover the child’s true parentage and are faced with the moral dilemma of their actions.
THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND – A rebellious socialite defies social conventions for a once-in-a-lifetime shot at true love, only to see her hopes shattered after a priceless diamond vanishes into thin air. 2008 independent film by director Jodie Markell. It is based on Tennessee Williams’ long-forgotten 1957 screenplay, and stars Bryce Dallas Howard in the leading role of Fisher Willow.
LOVE ACTUALLY – Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. 2003 Christmas-themed romantic comedy written and directed by Richard Curtis. It delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as the tales progress. The story begins five weeks before Christmas and is played out in a weekly countdown until the holiday, followed by an epilogue that takes place one month later.
MARTY – This acclaimed romantic drama follows the life of Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine), a stout bachelor butcher who lives with his mother (Esther Minciotti) in the Bronx. Always unlucky in love, Marty reluctantly goes out to a ballroom one night and meets a nice teacher named Clara (Betsy Blair). Though Marty and Clara hit it off, his relatives discourage him from pursuing the relationship, and he must decide between his family’s approval or a shot at finding romance. 1955 American romantic drama film directed by Delbert Mann in his directorial debut. The screenplay was written by Paddy Chayefsky, expanding upon his 1953 teleplay of the same name, with Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair
MOULIN ROUGE! – 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama directed, co-produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. The film tells the story of a young English poet/writer, Christian (Ewan McGregor), who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman). It uses the musical setting of the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France. The film is the third part of Luhrmann’s “Red Curtain Trilogy,” following Strictly Ballroom and Romeo + Juliet.
MY COUSIN RACHEL Philip is a young Englishman who finds his cousin Ambrose dead after traveling to Florence, Italy. He vows revenge against Ambrose’s missing wife Rachel, blaming her for his untimely demise. When Philip meets Rachel for the first time, his mood suddenly changes as he finds himself falling for her seductive charm and beauty. As his obsession for her grows, Rachel now hatches a scheme to win back her late husband’s estate from the unsuspecting Philip. A 2017 romantic drama written and directed by Roger Michell, based upon the 1951 novel My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. It stars Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glen, Holliday Grainger, and Pierfrancesco Favino.
THE NEW WORLD 2005 historical romantic drama written and directed by Terrence Malick, depicting the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement and inspired by the historical figures Captain John Smith, Pocahontas of the Powhatan tribe, and Englishman John Rolfe. It is the fourth feature film written and directed by Malick. The cast includes Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis and Yorick van Wageningen.
NINE – Italian film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) grapples with epic crises in his personal and professional lives. At the same time, he must strike a balance of the demands of numerous women in his life, including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penélope Cruz), and his confidant (Judi Dench). 2009 romantic musical drama directed and produced by Rob Marshall and written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella. The film is an adaptation of the 1982 musical of the same name, which in turn is based on Federico Fellini’s semi-autobiographical 1963 film 8½. The ensemble principal cast consists of Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and Sophia Loren.
THE NOTEBOOK – 2004 American romantic drama directed by Nick Cassavetes, written by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love in the 1940s. Their story is read from a notebook in the present day by an elderly man (played by James Garner), telling the tale to a fellow nursing home resident (played by Gena Rowlands).
ONDINE – Fisherman Syracuse (Colin Farrell), a recovering alcoholic, lives with his daughter, Annie (Alison Barry), in a small village on the Irish coast. One afternoon, a mystifying and beautiful girl, Ondine (Alicja Bachleda), gets caught in his nets as he wades along the water. Aboard the boat, Ondine brings Syracuse great luck, seemingly drawing the fish towards his nets. However, the fisherman starts to fear that Ondine may not be meant for this life. 2009 Irish romantic drama written and directed by Neil Jordan and touches upon the possible existence of the mythological selkie bringing hope and love to humans they so much want to become.
ON THE ROAD – Based on the iconic novel by Jack Kerouac, “On the Road” tells the timeless story of Sal Paradise, a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty, a free-spirited Westerner. Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean take off on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them, in search of the unknown. A 2012 film directed by Walter Salles.
THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT – The Ottoman Lieutenant is a love story between an idealistic American nurse, Lillie (Hera Hilmar), and a Turkish officer (Michiel Huisman) during World War I. Lillie first travels to Istanbul before being escorted by Ismail to the region around Van. A 2017 Turkish-American romantic war drama film directed by Joseph Ruben and written by Jeff Stockwell. The film stars Michiel Huisman, Hera Hilmar, Josh Hartnett and Ben Kingsley.
OYSTER FARMER – 2004 Australian romantic comedy/drama about a young man who runs away to the Hawkesbury River and gets a job with eighth-generation oyster farmers. It was written and directed by Anna Reeves, and stars Alex O’Loughlin and Diana Glenn.
THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK – 1971 American romantic drama directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al Pacino. The film portrays life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in “Needle Park” (then-nickname for Sherman Square on Manhattan’s Upper West Side near 72nd Street and Broadway). The film is a love story between Bobby (Pacino), a young addict and small-time hustler, and Helen (Kitty Winn), a restless woman who finds Bobby charismatic. She becomes an addict, and life goes downhill for them both as their addictions worsen, eventually leading to a series of betrayals.
PASSENGERS – Therapist Claire Summers (Anne Hathaway) receives an assignment by her mentor to counsel the five survivors of a plane crash. She feels particularly drawn to Eric (Patrick Wilson), the most-secretive of the group. Against her judgment, she becomes romantically involved with him, just as the other survivors mysteriously start to disappear. Believing that Eric knows more than he is telling, she vows to find the truth, no matter the outcome. 2008 romantic mystery thriller directed by Rodrigo García, written by Ronnie Christensen.
PASSENGERS – 2016 American science fiction romance directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Jon Spaihts, with Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. The plot depicts two people who are awakened ninety years too early from an induced hibernation on a spaceship, transporting thousands of passengers, travelling to a colony on a planet in a star system 60 light years from Earth.
PHANTOM THREAD – 2017 American historical drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps. Set in 1950s London, it stars Day-Lewis as an haute couture dressmaker who takes a young waitress, played by Krieps, as his muse.
THE PROMISE – 2016 American historical drama film directed by Terry George and starring Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale, set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. The plot is about a love triangle that develops between Mikael (Isaac), an Armenian medical student, Chris (Bale), a Paris-based American journalist, and Ana (Le Bon), an Armenian-born woman raised in France, immediately before the Armenian Genocide.
THE READER -Michael Berg (David Kross), a teen in postwar Germany, begins a passionate but clandestine affair with Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), an older woman who enjoys having classic novels read to her. Then Hanna mysteriously disappears, leaving Michael heartbroken and confused. Years later, Michael, now a law student, gets the shock of his life when he sees Hanna on trial for Nazi war crimes. 2008 romantic drama directed by Stephen Daldry and written by David Hare, based on the 1995 German novel of the same name by Bernhard Schlink.
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD – 2008 romantic drama directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was written by Justin Haythe, adapted from the 1961 novel of the same name by Richard Yates. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, with Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, and Kathy Bates in supporting roles. The film follows Frank (DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Winslet), a mid-1950s couple struggling to cope with their personal problems and ensuing breakdown in their marriage.
THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE – The film follows the odyssey of Karen Stone (Helen Mirren), an actress who loses her husband to a heart attack. In Rome, she meets a Contessa (Anne Bancroft) and another man (Olivier Martinez) with other romantic intentions and interests that have nothing to do with Mrs. Stone. 2003 American-Irish made-for-television romantic drama and a remake of the 1961 film of the same name based on the 1950 novel of the same title by Tennessee Williams.
THE ROMANTICS – Longtime rivalries resurface in the hours before a woman (Anna Paquin) is scheduled to marry the former lover (Josh Duhamel) of her college roommate (Katie Holmes). 2010 romantic comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Galt Niederhoffer, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film.
ROMEO AND JULIET – In the Italian city of Verona, the Montague and the Capulet families are perpetually feuding. When Romeo (Leonard Whiting), a handsome young Montague, disregards convention by attending a Capulet ball, he falls in love with the beautiful Juliet (Olivia Hussey), a Capulet. After a brief courtship, the two elope, creating even greater tension between their families. Italian director Franco Zeffirelli’s film is considered one of the best screen versions of Shakespeare’s classic love story. 1968 period romantic tragedy based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare.
SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN – Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is a fisheries scientist who one day receives an unusual request: A businesswoman named Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) wants his help in fulfilling a wealthy sheik’s (Amr Waked) request to bring sport fishing to Yemen. Jones declines at first, but when the British prime minister’s spokeswoman latches on to the project as a way to improve Middle East relations, he joins in. Romance blooms as Jones and Harriet work to make the sheik’s dream come true. 2011 British romantic comedy-drama directed by Lasse Hallstrom, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Paul Torday, and a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy.
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE – 1998 romantic period comedy-drama film directed by John Madden, written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard, and produced by Harvey Weinstein. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench. The film depicts a fictional love affair involving playwright William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) and Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow) while Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet. Several characters are based on historical figures, and many of the characters, lines, and plot devices allude to Shakespeare’s plays.
THE SHAPE OF WATER – 2017 American romantic fantasy directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1962, the story follows a mute cleaner at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature.
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK – 2012 American romantic comedy-drama written and directed by David O. Russell. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, with Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher, and Julia Stiles in supporting roles. The story takes place in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Cooper plays Patrick “Pat” Solitano Jr., a man with bipolar disorder who is released from a psychiatric hospital and moves back in with his parents (De Niro and Weaver). Pat is determined to win back his estranged wife. He meets a young widow, Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence), who offers to help him get his wife back if he enters a dance competition with her. The two become closer as they train and Pat, his father, and Tiffany examine their relationships with each other as they cope with their personal situations.
SOME LIKE IT HOT – 1959 American black-and-white romantic comedy directed and produced by Billy Wilder, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. The supporting cast includes George Raft, Pat O’Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney, and Nehemiah Persoff. The screenplay by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond is based on a screenplay by Robert Thoeren and Michael Logan from the 1935 French film Fanfare of Love. The film is about two musicians who dress in drag in order to escape from mafia gangsters whom they witnessed committing a crime (inspired by the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre).
SOPHIE’S CHOICE – 1982 drama directed and written by Alan J. Pakula, adapted from William Styron’s 1979 novel of the same name. The film stars Meryl Streep as Zofia “Sophie” Zawistowski, a Polish immigrant with a dark secret from her past who shares a boarding house in Brooklyn with her tempestuous lover, Nathan and a young writer Stingo. It also stars Kevin Kline (in his feature film debut), Peter MacNicol, Rita Karin, Stephen D. Newman, and Josh Mostel.
STARDUST – 2007 romantic fantasy directed by Matthew Vaughn and co-written by Vaughn and Jane Goldman. Based on Neil Gaiman’s 1997 novel of the same name, the film features an ensemble cast led by Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais, Jason Flemyng, Rupert Everett, Peter O’Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro, with narration by Ian McKellen.The film follows Tristan, a young man from the fictional town of Wall in Great Britain. Wall is a town on the border of the magical fantasy kingdom of Stormhold. Tristan enters the magical world to collect a fallen star to give to his beloved Victoria, in return for her hand in marriage. He collects the star who, to his surprise, is a woman named Yvaine. Witches and the Princes of Stormhold are also hunting for Yvaine. Meanwhile, Tristan tries to get her back to Wall with him before Victoria’s birthday, the deadline of her offer.
STRICTLY BALLROOM – A top ballroom dancer pairs with a plain, left-footed local girl when his maverick style earns him the disdain of his more conventionally-minded colleagues. Together, the team gives it their all and makes dreams of the National Championship title come true. 1992 Australian romantic comedy directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann in his feature directorial début. Paul Mercurio as Scott Hastings, Tara Morice as Fran, Bill Hunter as Barry Fife, Pat Thomson as Shirley Hastings, Scott’s mother
TAKE CARE – A 2014 comedy-drama film directed by Liz Tuccillo. The plot involves a woman who, after getting hit by a car, realizes her friends don’t really want to take good care of her, so she enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend, whom she had taken care of when he was ill during their relationship. With Leslie Bibb and Thomas Sadoski
THEIR FINEST – 2016 British war comedy-drama film directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Gaby Chiappe, based on the 2009 novel Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans. The film stars Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, Jake Lacy, Richard E. Grant, Henry Goodman, Rachael Stirling, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, and Claudia Jessie. The film tells the story of a British Ministry of Information film team making a morale-boosting film about the Dunkirk evacuation during the Battle of Britain and the London Blitz.
THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE – 2009 American romantic science fiction drama based on Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 novel of the same name. Directed by Robert Schwentke, the film stars Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, and Ron Livingston. The story follows Henry DeTamble (Bana), a Chicago librarian with a paranormal genetic disorder that causes him to randomly time travel as he tries to build a romantic relationship with Clare Abshire (McAdams), who would become his wife
TITANIC – 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. Incorporating both historical and fictionalized aspects, it is based on accounts of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.
TO THE WONDER – 2012 American experimental romantic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. Filmed in Oklahoma and Paris, the film chronicles a couple who, after falling in love in Paris, struggle to keep their relationship from falling apart after moving to the United States
THE TOURIST – During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, math teacher Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) finds himself in an extraordinary situation when an alluring stranger, Elise (Angelina Jolie), places herself in his path. Their seemingly innocent flirtation turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse while various people, who all think that Frank is Elise’s thieving paramour, Alexander Pearce, try to capture the pair. 2010 romantic thriller co-written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and starring Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, and Timothy Dalton. It is a remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer.
TULIP FEVER – 2017 historical romantic drama directed by Justin Chadwick and written by Deborah Moggach and Tom Stoppard, adapted from Moggach’s 1999 novel of the same name. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Jack O’Connell, Holliday Grainger, Tom Hollander, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McKidd, Douglas Hodge, Joanna Scanlan, Zach Galifianakis, Judi Dench, and Christoph Waltz. The plot follows a 17th-century painter in Amsterdam who falls in love with a married woman whose portrait he has been commissioned to paint.
TWILIGHT – 2008 American romantic fantasy based on Stephenie Meyer’s 2005 novel of the same name. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the film stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. It is the first film in The Twilight Saga film series. This film focuses on the development of the relationship between Bella Swan (a teenage girl) and Edward Cullen (a vampire), and the subsequent efforts of Edward and his family to keep Bella safe from a coven of evil vampires.
- THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON – After the abrupt departure of Edward (Robert Pattinson), her vampire love, Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds comfort in her deepening friendship with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). However Bella’s loyalties are put to the test as she becomes drawn into the world of werewolves, ancient enemies of vampires. 2009 American romantic fantasy film based on Stephenie Meyer’s 2006 novel New Moon. It is the second film in The Twilight Saga film series and is the sequel to 2008’s Twilight. Directed by Chris Weitz, the film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, reprising their roles as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, respectively.
- THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE – Danger once again surrounds Bella (Kristen Stewart), as a string of mysterious killings terrorizes Seattle and a malicious vampire continues her infernal quest for revenge. Amid the tumult, Bella must choose between her love for Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner), knowing that her decision may ignite the long-simmering feud between vampire and werewolf. 2010 American romantic fantasy film based on Stephenie Meyer’s 2007 novel of the same name and the 2010 companion novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. It is the third installment of The Twilight Saga film series, Directed by David Slade, the film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, reprising their roles as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, respectively.
WAITRESS – Jenna (Keri Russell) works in a diner in a small Southern town and is a genius at creating luscious desserts, but her marriage to an overbearing lout (Jeremy Sisto) makes happiness impossible. When she discovers she is pregnant, she makes plans to skip town before her condition is obvious. However, she begins an affair with the new town doctor (Nathan Fillion), who is the only one who knows her secret. 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, whose supporting role serves as her final film appearance before her death. It stars Keri Russell as a young woman trapped in a small town, an abusive marriage, and a dead-end job, who faces an unwanted pregnancy.
WALKING ON SUNSHINE – A young woman (Annabel Scholey) prepares for her wedding in Italy, unaware that her fiance (Greg Wise) and sister (Hannah Arterton) were once deeply in love. 2014 British romantic jukebox musical comedy-drama film directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini. The film features covers of songs from the 1980s
WARM BODIES – 2013 American paranormal romantic zombie comedy written and directed by Jonathan Levine and based on Isaac Marion’s novel of the same name, which in turn is inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.[7] The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, and John Malkovich. The film focuses on the development of the relationship between Julie (Palmer), a young woman, and “R” (Hoult), a zombie, and how their eventual romance develops, causing R to slowly return to human form. The film is noted for displaying human characteristics in zombie characters, and for being told from a zombie’s perspective
W.E – 2011 British historical romantic drama film written and directed by Madonna and starring Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle and James D’Arcy. Dissatisfied with the way her own life is playing out, New York-based Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) becomes obsessed with the romance between American divorcee Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and England’s Edward VIII (James D’Arcy) when Sotheby’s holds an auction of the royal couple’s belongings. Wally is especially drawn to Wallis’ side of the story, and as certain events transpire in her life, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur.
WINTER’S TALE – One night in early 20th-century New York, master thief Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) breaks into a Central Park mansion — and quickly has his heart stolen by its occupant, Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay). Unfortunately, their love is star-crossed; she is dying from consumption, and he is marked for death by his demonic former mentor, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe). Peter battles the forces of time and darkness to save Beverly, even as Pearly does everything in his power to defeat Peter. 2014 American romantic fantasy based on the 1983 novel Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin. The film is written, produced and directed by Akiva Goldsman (in his directorial debut).
WONDER WHEEL is a 2017 American period drama film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, and Justin Timberlake. Set in the early 1950s at an amusement park on Coney Island, the film takes its title from the park’s Ferris wheel. The story follows the second wife and the estranged daughter of a carousel operator as they both pursue affairs with a lifeguard.
THE WORDS – When shallow wannabe-writer Rory (Bradley Cooper) finds an old manuscript tucked away in a bag, he decides to pass the work off as his own. The book, called “The Window Tears,” brings Rory great acclaim, until the real author (Jeremy Irons) shows up and threatens to destroy Rory’s reputation. Cut to Clayton Hammond (Dennis Quaid), a writer whose popular novel “The Words” seems to mirror Rory’s story, leading to speculation that the tome is Hammond’s thinly veiled autobiography. 2012 American mystery romantic drama film, written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal in their directorial debut. It stars Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, Jeremy Irons, Ben Barnes, Dennis Quaid, and Nora Arnezeder.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS – Based on the classic novel by Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights is a story of love, obsession, hate and revenge. The protagonists, Cathy and Heathcliff, form a love that is dark and destructive and affects the lives of everyone around them. 2009 two-part British ITV television series adaptation of the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. The episodes were adapted for the screen by Peter Bowker and directed by Coky Giedroyc. The programme stars Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley in the roles of the famous lovers Heathcliff and Catherine or ‘Cathy’ Earnshaw.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS A poor English boy is taken in by a wealthy family where he develops an intense relationship with his younger foster sister. A 2011 British Gothic romantic drama directed by Andrea Arnold and starring Kaya Scodelario as Catherine and James Howson as Heathcliff. The screenplay, written by Arnold and Olivia Hetreed, is based on Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel of the same name. James Howson as Heathcliff is the first time a black actor would portray the role.
YES – 2004 film written and directed by Sally Potter and starring Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian, Samantha Bond, Sam Neill, Shirley Henderson, Raymond Waring, Stephanie Leonidas, and Sheila Hancock. An unhappily married scientist (Joan Allen) has an affair with a Lebanese cook (Simon Abkarian) after meeting him at a dinner party.
YESTERDAY – 2019 romantic comedy film directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by Richard Curtis, based on a story by Jack Barth and Curtis. Himesh Patel stars as struggling musician Jack Malik, who suddenly finds himself the only person who has ever heard of the Beatles and becomes famous after taking credit for their songs. The film also stars Lily James, Joel Fry, Ed Sheeran, and Kate McKinnon.