This man loves romance

I resent the term chick-flick. It implies that only women enjoy romance films, an ideology that is totally false. Though I cannot speak for my (sometimes unfortunate) brothers, I for one, absolutely love romances, romantic comedies and romantic dramas. Perhaps not all of them, but a fair few, and some that are absolutely overwhelming with femininity. This doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable in the slightest, rather I celebrate my femininity. It’s something that brings me joys that no other facet of life can, and has exposed me to some of the cleverest turns of wit in modern screenwriting that have ever been committed to film.

Without further ado;

This entry was inspired by Prête-moi ta main, which some may know by its English name, I do: How to get married and stay single.
Let it be known that I’m in love with Charlotte Gainsbourg. I’ve been in love with her since Michel Gondry’s The science of sleep, and she only shines brighter in Prête-moi ta main – not to compare the two films, as they’re very different, but Charlotte gets a little more attention in this, so it’s her time to shine. The film is very very French, so those unseasoned in French comedies or films may not appreciate some of the humour in it, but I for one laughed out loud several times. The unlikely scenario has the two leads inevitably falling in love, and I fell in love right there with them. There’s a flavour to French film that no other nationality can reproduce… I realise that I say that about every nationality, but it’s true, even unto our North-American cousins. Nevertheless, Prête-moi ta main is absolutely delicious – I think as I watched this on my own in the dark that I filled the room with pheromones; a shame you weren’t with me to be saturated by them.

Since The science of sleep has already been mentioned… and has Charlotte Gainsbourg in it, I may as well mention it next. I feel some may think Charlotte on the plain or unexciting side, but she has a subtle beauty that I really love in actors. Of-course, that’s not to say I don’t think she’s drop-dead gorgeous, by my standards, I think she is; an absolute stunner, but I feel most tastes wouldn’t share mine; all the more for me. In any case… Michel Gondry’s film is most likely semi (if not fully) autobiographical, about a guy who has a vivid imagination where he translates his experience of life into, as well as expresses his own feelings through. The main lead is played by Gael García Bernal who most will know from Babel, and he too is absolutely gorgeous. I loved his cheeky and ultimately stubborn character in Babel, but The Science of Sleep let me fall in love with him all the more, and I think the film let him stretch his own acting abilities a bit more.
Once again, this is a French film created by one of the most unorthodox writer/directors alive today, but having seen a lot of Gondry’s other works, The Science of Sleep is the crown of his works. It’s also quietly but constantly about love and falling in love, and I imagine the room was almost equally filled with my pheromones as it was after Prête-moi ta main.

I’m tempted to go into a few other films but I think I should mention Emma before I lose the audience… if I have an audience… or if I have any audience left.
Emma to me features one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s best performances. She plays the spoilt and meddling brat to perfection, and I must say that Jeremy Northam plays an excellent Knightly. Watching the two fence and joust and dance about one-another is like playing with a lover on the floor, throwing cushions and tickling one-another. Their story is so delightful and charming that one can’t help but smile and sigh for the perfect, well-rounded ending that awaits.

It’s here that I should probably do some self-justification. Many, which probably includes most males, don’t like romances because they’re usually incredibly contrived and always end happy. True, I agree. The purpose of art though is not to be everything all at once – romances are expressions of hope, expressions of our desire to fall in love playfully and deeply, and to indulge in those feelings of hormones and affection that we all naturally have as humans.
So don’t fight it stupid, get on board.

I know it’s getting long, so I’ll try and be shorter with the rest.

Can’t go far without mentioning Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, Richard Linklater’s jewels in his crown. At first I didn’t warm so much to Ethan Hawke, but by the end of the Before Sunrise, I actually appreciated everything his character portrays. As for Julie Delpy… well, what can I say, I have a thing for quirky French women. You can include Eva Green in that list, and not for that bloody Bond film either, for The Dreamers, another great French film. Anyway. Linklater’s Before films are all about conversation. Linklater is a master of dialogue and these films show his ability to express intimacy and affection purely in words. With these films, it isn’t just about falling in love with the characters, it’s about falling in love with the entire film, the locations (Prague and Paris), and everything that happens. The dialogue is very natural, and Linklater, Delpy and Hawke all contributed in the writing and creating of the films. After watching each one I pretty much felt like going out and kissing the first person I met, holding them in an affectionate embrace and asking them to be with me forever.

Next is the South Korean film, Siworae, or Il Mare. Now the premise might sound strange, especially after being horribly re-created by Hollywood in The Lake House, but the original film is a gem, and told in a totally different manner to that atrocity. Two people are separated by time. One person is living in a house in 1997, and another person is living in the same house in 1999, obviously having been vacated. Our two leads communicate with each-other via the mailbox at the front of the house, and so our romance is told over a distance of time rather than space. It is a very quiet film, and visually very beautiful. If some of these other films are about play, then Siworae is about settling down with a lover in winter, wrapped in a blanket together and each with a mug of tea. It’s one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.

Looking at my list of films, I absolutely must mention Bella Martha, again, horribly reproduced as No Reservations. Bella Martha really is charming, about two chefs whose work and lives become intertwined. Just in-case anyone didn’t know, food is about passion, about love, which includes both the cooking and the eating. No better subject matter could be chosen to set the scene for our leads; one, a rigid and strictly-scheduled woman, and one a dynamic happy-go-lucky Italian man. In-case you didn’t know, this film is German. Also in-case you didn’t know, yes, most of my favourite films are foreign, and I watch them with subtitles. That doesn’t stop me from appreciating English-language films, but I mostly like foreign films, after-all, I was brought up on them.

I haven’t really been doing a great job of describing these films have I? Really though the objective of this piece is to show my enthusiasm for these romances. I absolutely am not shy about how much I love these films and how they make mefeel. Yes I’ve seen The Matrix and yes, it was a bit of alright and at times pretty awesome, but today we are doing away with guns and explosions and other such nonsense in favour of something far more important; love and romance.

Next! Gillian Armstrong’s Little Women. I borrowed this from a friend back in the VHS days, actually my sister borrowed it, but when I got a hold of it, I think I wore out the tape with re-watches. Joyful, solemn and at times totally sorrowful, this film takes me on a wonderful journey of discovery, through emotion after emotion. Anyone with siblings will appreciate some of the goings-on in this film, but mostly I love its simple beauty, especially highlighted in being a period piece. Thomas Newman’s score is also breath-taking, and I listen to it often having bought the CD.

I should mention Fur and Secretary. Secretary will probably raise a few eyebrows, but it’s a brilliantly subtle film if you understand the language it’s speaking. Both films are by Steven Shainberg, and both deal with a character’s expressions of life being different from others. Nevertheless, the underlying theme of both films is love, and Secretary especially is quite heart-warming by its conclusion. Both films are beautifully shot and beautifully told, especially given their uncommon screen-language.

I have seen and rather enjoy the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice, and also Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility. The English Patient is another favourite and didn’t disappoint me even having read the book first. Home for the Holidays and Intolerable Cruelty get a good mention, both delightful films with romantic tendencies, as well as Baz Lurmann’s Romeo and Juliet 1996, though I tend to like that more for the costumes, set and overall production-design, and the side characters. I’m in love with Tybalt – I want to take him home. I also love Benvolio, but he’s more like a brother type… you know what I mean. I should also mention the recent Disney film Enchanted. It’s great for those of us who’ve grown up with Disney animations, and I really did fall in love with the two charming leads (not James Marsden, the other guy. Marsden is most definitely not my flavour). Amy Adams though is gorgeous.

So there you have it, some of the romantic films that I really love, and am proud to. I don’t know many guys who get into films like this – a shame really. Perhaps sentiment and romance makes them feel uncomfortable, perhaps because they themselves aren’t too good at expressing their own feelings of affection. Ah well, I don’t care. I’m always on the lookout for good, cleverly written romances, and for those who read my other diary (and sometimes this one!), I tend to indulge and write myself little mini-romances.

It’s a good day to be in love!