5. 'Dirty Dancing'(1987)
I was pretty late to the party on this one. And not in the fashionable sense - more in the way were people ask you where you've been living all your life if you haven't seen this movie. To be honest, I thought the concept of the film sounded too cheesy - a male dance instructor falls in love with his student. Bleurgh. So one uneventful Summer evening when I was about 16, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. And I'm so glad I did. 'Dirty Dancing' is so much more than a typical chick flick - it realistically portrays a young girl discovering her sexuality and going against what is expected of her. Baby falls for typical 'bad guy with a heart of gold' and desperately tries to help his friend Penny in her time of need. It is also the only film that depicts abortions in a realistic light. Despite this film clearly falling into the 'chick flick' category, it also explores more serious themes of underlying class struggle and female sexuality. The music, the dancing, and the good prevailing over evil has provided this with serious chick flick status.
4. 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.'(2011)
This is just a fun, sweet, and quirky movie. Steve Carrell plays Cal, a normal guy in the midst of a mid-life crisis whose marriage has ended following his wife's infidelity. He'd lost his confidence when Jacob (Ryan Gosling) takes pity on him and teaches Cal his womanising ways. Trouble naturally ensues. Personally, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's fictional relationship steals the show - there's even a cheeky 'Dirty Dancing' reference hidden in there too. The best romantic comedy that's been released in a while.
3. 'Easy A' (2010)
Again, Emma Stone (my absolute favourite comic actress) stars in this modern-day retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'. Olive somehow manages to create a rumour about herself which circulates round her entire High School - she tries to protect her best friend's feelings when things get out of hand. The rumour, however, puts her on the map and Olive enjoys being noticed at first - even if she is the token school slut. She satirises her new reputation and the rumours soon spiral out of control in this quirky comedy. I love this film because it doesn't revolve solely around a romantic interest - although Penn Badgley guest stars as the sweet guy who never doubts Olive and helps sort of the mess. Emma's performance is hilarious and this film has been the subject of many an internet GIF. It's refreshing to have a smart, funny, and intelligent female character as the central star of this film. The 'I've Got a Pocket Full of Sunshine' scene, however, is the highlight of the entire movie.
2. '(500) Days of Summer' (2009)
I love this unconventional, modern-day romance. This movie charts our protagonist Tom's romantic trials and tribulations and his intense relationship with office new-girl Summer. What makes this movie so unique and enthralling is the way it's been edited. The audience is provided with a 500 day timeline of Tom and Summer's relationship; we chart their ups and downs and compare how they were at the happy start through to the difficult end. Ultimately, it's a happy movie. What does irritate me, however, is that Summer is painted as the villain. Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself said in an interview with 'Playboy', Tom 'develops a mildly delusional obsession over a girl onto whom he projects all these fantasies.' He falls in love with the 'idea' of Summer and not the 'actual person'. What makes this movie so great (its already achieved cult status) is its reliability. Even though Tom is pretty selfish, especially as Summer made it clear that she didn't want a relationship, we still vouch for him and want him to find the love he's so desperately looking for. It's interesting having a flawed protagonist in this sense - it makes the movie more 'real'. Plus, the soundtrack is incredible - this film introduced me to the likes of 'The Smiths' and Regina Spektor. Again, the film's best scene has made it onto YouTube.
1. 'Pride and Prejudice' (2005)
This is probably just the Literature student in me but I cannot deny my love for this movie - it's my favourite Austen portrayed flawlessly on the silver screen and I can watch it over and over again to my heart's content. This may be quite a controversial choice as the movie received mixed reviews but I think it's portrayed beautifully. It was always going to be a stunning film, Joe Wright's work always is. Despite all the unnecessary criticism Keira Knightley receives from the media (her pout, her weight, etc), I think she really captured the essence of Elizabeth Bennett. She's adventurous, intelligent, and loving. Whereas Matthew MacFadyen nails both sides of Mr. Darcy. The film also has a star-studded cast which makes it all the more enjoyable. Rosamund Pike is flawless as Jane Bennett which is just perfect casting. Wright's focus on nature also adds a new dimension to the story-line. Elizabeth and Darcy often meet outdoors - in the garden, woods, and field - away from society's expectations and restrictions. The natural setting suggests that they each other's equal, despite their differences in social terms. This film is beautiful and does the classic book every justice.
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