Romance movies

Leila (’Lauren Lee Smith’ (qv)) is a sexually voracious young woman who connects with men through brief physical encounters. One night at a crowded house party, Leila meets David (’Eric Balfour’ (qv)) and its lust at first sight. Later, as she has casual sex with a stranger just behind the house, David and his girlfriend mirror her actions in their car. Leila and David’s eyes lock as they watch each other having sex with others, a courtship ritual that initiates their own sexual affair. Seduction is easy and very satisfying. Leila and David get to know each other — which means being intimate — in bed, at the park, on the roof, everywhere. For them, and for other members of their generation, sex is a form of communication. But Leila starts to realize that her attachment to David is different from anything she’s experienced before, and David is just as serious about her. For the first time, they experience needs and desires that go beyond the physical. It is an emotional connection they crave. Afraid of the feelings they have unleashed in each other, they retreat to the safety of their former lives. Real life, and the messiness of emotional attachments, have punctured their sexual and romantic bubble and threaten to keep the lovers apart. David’s father dies after a long illness and he turns to his ex-girlfriend for support. Leila, meanwhile, is distracted by her parents’ looming divorce. Leila and David are trapped between two worlds. Anonymous sex, or sex without context, is losing its appeal. But a conventional approach to commitment - marriage and the seemingly inevitable divorce that follows, as evidenced by Leila’s parents — is not the answer. They set out to find a way to build lust and love, spontaneity and substance, into a new life together.

Set in 1963, a spirited woman turns her world upside down search for her husband who disappeared from his Beirut home. But when she discovers he’s a Russian spy, her love will be put to tests no one should have to face.

A well-known actor, who hasn’t accepted a role in four years, is considering a project. The cousin of the director drives him to Archie’s Ranch Market, in Carson, and drops him off to do a little research. He’s fascinated by one of the checkers, Scarlet, a young woman from Spain with a preternatural ability to ring up items at the cash register. She hates her job, stuck at the 10 items or less lane. The actor chats her up, and when her shift ends, he asks for a ride. In the course of the afternoon, he helps her prepare for a job interview. She needs to have confidence, he needs to commit. Human contact, however brief, can change people.

Based on the true story of Australian pianist David Helfgott, this delightful movie charts the early and traumatic early years. Telling the story in flashback we see David as he grows up and into a child prodigy while his father abuses him and his siblings with the memory of his childhood in Europe and the loss of his family in the concentration camps. David finally breaks away from his father and goes away to study overseas, he later suffers a breakdown and returns to Australia and a life in an institution. Many years later he is released and through several twists of fate (in reality even more unlikely than film portrays) he starts playing a piano in a bar before finally returning to the concert hall.

A man, Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend Clementine underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realizes that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.

Academy Award nominee ‘Diane Lane (I)’ (qv) stars as ‘Frances Mayes’ (qv), a 35-year-old San Francisco writer whose perfect life has just taken an unexpected detour. Her recent divorce has left her with terminal writer’s block and extremely depressed, and her best friend, Patti, is beginning to think she might never recover. Frances decides to take a break and she buys a villa in the beautiful Tuscan countryside and decides to begin anew. Restoring her new home, she eventually finds the fulfillment she was searching for, including love. Based on ‘Frances Mayes’ (qv)’ memoir of the same name.

This is a remake of Cyrano de Bergerac, one of the most celebrated plays of the French theater, written by Edmond Rostand. Instead of being set in 17th century France, “Cyrano” has been changed to “Charlie”, a fire chief in a small town in Washington. Roxanne, played by the beautiful Darryl Hanna, rents a house for the summer to look at comets and Charlie quickly falls for her. Charlie is intelligent, funny, and sensitive, but all his fine qualities are unfortunately overshadowed by his very large nose (”Excuse me, it that your nose or did a bus park on your face?”). Charlie’s friend, Chris, on the other hand, is quite attractive, but superficial and awkward with words, especially around women (he has a tendency to throw up a lot). Both men are enthralled with Roxanne, but she, in a shallow but predictable move, shows interest in the handsome Chris. Chris is tongue-tied around her — everything that comes out of his mouth is either vulgar or indecipherable. So he asks Charlie for help. Charlie, inspired, writes 3 love letters a day to Roxanne, unbeknownst to Chris. Charlie’s eloquent letters work, because Roxanne falls in love with Chris. But Chris can’t meet Roxanne’s expectations in person and he soon runs off with a waitress who is “pretty cute, too”.

Rowe McDonald is a headstrong missionary who has life after his mission all figured out. When a fatal car crash interrupts his plans, he is given sixty days to return to life and finish his work. Now he must choose whether to lead the life he planned, or reach beyond himself to change the lives of others. What will he do? Who will he touch? How will he prepare to leave it all behind?

Of East Indian origin, Taj Mahal Badalandabad lives in Coolidge, U.S.A. along with his dad, Dilip, mom, and sister. After hearing about his dad’s exploits at Camford University in Britain, he re-locates there. When he arrives he is royally received by the elite, only to be humiliated and told this reception was because of a ‘typographical error’. He thus re-locates to his new quarters in a distant wreck of a building called the ‘barn’ - reserved for ‘losers’. When he gets over this welcome, Taj must now come to terms with the Queen’s language, her dialect, and the racial profiling (’Curry-breath’, ‘Paki’), and a busty Charlotte Higginson, who is not only better at fencing, but is also intent to ensure his dismissal. Hilarious results follow when Taj decides to fight the Queen and her people at their own game(s) with the help of fellow losers and a horny bulldog.

Shanté Smith has moved to Atlanta where she’s the Love Doctor, helping women get their men to the altar. Tiffany calls her after she catches her boyfriend, Byron, in a clinch with his boss, Carla, just after he wins a competition similar to “The Apprentice.” Shanté initiates a five-step program for Tiffany while Byron seeks advice from his best friend, Gizzard. The five steps include her meeting his family and her offering and withholding sex; Byron and Gizzard respond with their own strategies. Then, Bryon consults Shanté: has the Love Doctor switched sides? And, what happens if Byron finds out that Tiffany’s playing games? Can true love run without a play book?