5. WALL-E
WALL-E takes its cues on how to make a romantic storyline from the best silent era films. As a result, the mostly-silent connectivity between two animated robots (WALL-E: a garbage compacting service robot, and EVE: a polished robot that scouts for habitable places on Earth) is one of the most powerful of the new millennium.
The lack of speech (outside of the spouting of names and a few words like “directive”) allows the audience to look deeper for what is going on in each scene. It also causes for hilarious moments where the two robots may not be on the same page and are trying to get their intentions known (a situation any relationship can face at any time).
EVE is more capable, and uses her knowledge to protect WALL-E as much as possible. WALL-E is noble, and does his very best to help; even his mistakes are with the best intentions. So much can be taken away from this Pixar masterpiece, especially when it comes to couples interpreting the robots as themselves.
4. Brief Encounter
There’s a reason why this classic by David Lean is brought up on almost every romance best-of list out there. It might be impossible to feel nothing during Brief Encounter. Another heavier film on this list, Brief Encounter is the serendipitous meeting of two strangers that fall in love; both are married and with children. Both people love their families as well, as that part of the equation is never forgotten.
How can you progress with the ones you love, if you will hurt them in pursuit of new sparks? Can one even feel love if they do such a thing? Without giving too much away, the film resolves with a different kind of expression of love, and it’s the kind that propels Brief Encounter past many other examples of romantic dramas. It isn’t always about the people you wish to spend your life with, but those you’ve already made that commitment to (and who deserve respect as well).
3. When Harry Met Sally…
No matter which way you look at it, romantic comedies permanently changed after the Rob Reiner-Nora Ephron tag team known as When Harry Met Sally… . You can argue that every rom-com since has tried to be it (or at least has been influenced by it). Hell, on a technical level, When Harry Met Sally… is only pretty good. However, it is possibly the ultimate example of the lead players pulling off every right note.
When Harry Met Sally… isn’t about showing off, but about relating to you: its captivated audience. With Ephron’s realistic-yet-profound writing, Reiner’s humble directing, and the chemistry between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, it’s possible that no modern rom-com has felt so real and passionate as this one (ironically, the film focuses on the two staying friends despite their attractions). No couple can withstand the New Year’s Eve scene without feeling something.
2. The Before series
Richard Linklater’s ambitious series relies heavily on his ability to craft humanistic experiences from thin air, but it also requires the on-screen perfection of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s chemistry to work. It has succeeded over the course of two decades, with each entry being an exciting and moving necessity to the series. Whether Jesse and Céline meet in Germany (Before Sunrise), France (Before Sunset) or Greece (Before Midnight), and no matter how far their discussions will go, these two characters are always magnetic on screen.
It is a rare form of mainstream cinematic minimalism that seems to work and resonate with most audiences. Maybe this is because we rarely get to see an authentic rendition of the most candid secrets one can share during an intimate conversation being replicated in Hollywood films. Nevertheless, the Before series is one of the ultimate trilogies that is based on so little, yet carries so much weight to it.
1. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
A portion of Sunrise is devoted to the hypnotized state that the main male character is placed in (no names are used in this film). He is convinced by another woman to kill his wife, and he gets mighty close to pulling off the heinous crime. At the last second, he has a change of heart and remembers the love he still has for his wife; naturally, his wife is now terrified of him.
The rest of the film focuses on the man trying to rebuild their marriage. They attend various events, including a series of carnival games. Sunrise begins to become cyclical, as it faces similar scenarios from the beginning of the film with a new lens.
It’s the reminder of why a couple loved each other in the first place, and what they forget is there until it ceases to exist. The title correctly implies that—while there are two leads in this film—this film can be applied metaphorically to any two lovers.