Romance
"Alice's Festival Of Romance"
Romantic films often explore the essential themes of love at first sight, young (and older) love, unrequited love, obsessive love, sentimental love, spiritual love, forbidden love, sexual and passionate love, sacrificial love, explosive and destructive love, and tragic love. Romantic films serve as great escapes and fantasies for viewers, especially if the two people finally overcome their difficulties, declare their love, and experience life "happily ever after" - implied by a reunion and final kiss.
Here "Alice's Festival of Romance" has been assembled below as an aphabetical list. Should more precise scrolling be required, one should go to the specific genre, ie "Classic Romance", "Comedy Romance" , "Drama Romance" or even "Queer Cinema"
Right: Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid star in Todd Haynes'
"Far From Heaven"
Splendour in the Grass (1961)
Director: Elia Kazan
Starring: Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Pat Hingle
Warren Beatty (in his film debut) and Natalie Wood portray young lovers in the 1920s Midwest, whose inner struggles to retain a pure and virtuous love... Read more
Standing Still (2005)
5.8/10
Director: Matthew Cole Weiss
Starring: Amy Adams, Adam Garcia, Jon Abrahams, Colin Hanks, Mena Suvari, Ethan Embry, Lau...
When a bunch of old college friends reunite for a wedding, the scene is set for some awkard and even ugly confrontations. Michael and Elise both have... Read more
Standing Up for Sunny (2019)
Director: Steven Vidler
Starring: RJ Mitte, Sam Reid, Matt Nable
An isolated guy with cerebral palsy is railroaded into helping an unassertive comedienne, and finds love and acceptance through stand up comedy. Read more
Stanley and Iris (1990)
Director: Martin Ritt
Starring: Jane Fonda, Robert De Niro, Swoosie Kurtz
A sensitive film about illiteracy and isolation. Jane Fonda begins a wary relationship with Robert De Niro as she teaches him to read. Directed with f... Read more
Stardust (2007)
7.7/10
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Claire Danes, Ian McKellen, Jason Flemyng, Mark Strong, Michelle Pfeiffer, Natha...
In this inventive fairytale from the pen of Neil Gaiman ('Mirrormask') a young man (Charlie Cox) sets out from his closeted home village to prove his... Read more
Stardust ( Blu-ray ) (2007)
7.7/10
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Claire Danes, Ian McKellen, Jason Flemyng, Mark Strong, Michelle Pfeiffer, Natha...
In this inventive fairytale from the pen of Neil Gaiman ('Mirrormask') a young man (Charlie Cox) sets out from his closeted home village to prove his... Read more
Starting Over (1979)
6.4/10
Director: Alan J Pakula
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, Candice Bergen, Charles Durning, Frances Sternhag...
Burt Reynolds is an attractive middle-aged man who suffers a crisis of confidence when ditched by his ambitious singer wife (Candice Bergen), until he... Read more
Stealing Beauty (1996)
6.6/10
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Starring: Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons, Sinead Cusack, Jean Marais
19 year old Lucy (Liv Tyler) spends a summer in Tuscany after her mother commits suicide. She stays with her mother's friends and has her picture pai... Read more
Stealing Home (1988)
6.6/10
Starring: Mark Harmon, Blair Brown, Jonathan Silverman, Harold Ramis, John Shea, Jodie Fos...
Ex baseball player Billy comes home to receive his childhood darling's ashes (suicide). He reminisces. Read more
Story of a Love Affair (1950)
7.1/10
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: Gino Cervi, Massimo Girotti, Lucia Bose
An early masterpiece from then documentary-maker director Michelangelo Antonioni, said to be one of Martin Scorsese's favourite films. Setting the to... Read more