Your favorite love stories

[happyninja42]

Pretty self explanatory. What movies/tv shows/books that have a love story as the core of the story, or at least a strong element do you...well...love?

For me, there are two of them.

Untamed Heart.
Be warned, the opening scene will Ear Worm you with a most persistent song. But it's a quirky little love story with Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater. I can't point to any one part of it that I enjoyed, but the whole thing was just a very delightful story to me. Also, fair warning, any movie that has this song:

in it, somebody gonna die, just FYI. Some of you might recognize it from Moulan Rouge. And yeah, it seems to be a favorite song for tragic love stories.

My favorite story though, hands down:

The Fountain.

This movie didn't do well commercially, and I have no idea what it's critical rating is on any metric sites, but I just don't care. I love this movie. I remember seeing it in the theater with my soon to be wife, and, I don't know. It just had this feeling to it. It felt so intimate, so real. The emotions were raw, and believable, and the performances from Hugh Jackman and Rachael Weiz were just wonderful. And the soundtrack. Oh my god, the soundtrack. It's, something very special to me. I listen to it all the time. The whole movie and soundtrack create a very, sad mood, a story about death and the loss of a loved one, and how we deal with that, and how grief shapes us. But, I don't know, somehow it makes me feel good, having seen this sad story. And it's not really sad, I mean, it IS sad, but also, not. It takes the human emotion that is grief and loss, and embraces it in a way that almost transcends it into something beautiful. Which, honestly, is pretty much the point of the story.

If you haven't seen it, you should. Try to watch it without distraction, and in the dark. It makes for a wonderful atmosphere.

So what love stories do you enjoy?

 

[Scarim Coral]

Film

Spoiler: My Sassy Girl- Original Korean and NOT the US remake!

It's hard to explain as it was my bro who introduced me to this film.
It's a very entertaining film and the couple are not so lovey dovey (if I remember it, the girl did make the guy do some embrassing stunts).

Spoiler: Also there is this song, my god it get me teary

Also there Studio Ghinli films Whisper of the Heart and Up From Poppy Hill. Ok the first isn't that much of a love focus per say but the latter was which did make me go awe and routing for the two!

Comic- Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Ok sure it had a lot of comedy and action but the love is the driving force (Scott had to defeat her exes in order to date her). Again it isn't so lovey dovey but hey, love can be complicated.

Anime- Tenchi Muyo? Sure it's harem but hey, the girls do genunie loved Tenchi!

EDIT- AH!! I forgot about WALL E!!!

 

[The Wykydtron]

I really liked the romance between Kyousuke and Haru in G Senjo No Maou, it's not a romance focused story really but the way Haru keeps herself a mystery not even Kyousuke can figure out pretty much until the end of the game was really cool. He doesn't even like her for a considerable amount of time but y'know circumstances make them work together for a while and things happen.

Even then though, half the time they were "working together" was Haru being a hindrance to Kyousake's secret objectives and he was always trying to steer her off track while looking like he was helping...

It's probably the most interesting romance i've seen so far.

Also Battler and Beeahtreeche Beatrice in Umineko No Naku Koro Ni is a great pairing, I would ship it even if it wasn't canon. I don't know why but something about two people being enemies and eventually forming a romance is really cool to me.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Anything that involves Tali'Zorah because she's my Waifu!

 

[McElroy]

WALL-E, (500) Days of Summer, and also The Fountain which was mentioned already. Another romantic comedy film among my favourites is L.A. Story, but in that one the comedy way outshines the romantic part.

Anything that involves Tali'Zorah because she's my Waifu!

Filters: Genre -> Romance, Rating -> ?

 

[Sniper Team 4]

The Girl Friends manga by Milk Morinaga. Best love story I've ever read. Granted, I don't usually do love stories, but this one...wow.

Enjoying Citrus as well.

 

[happyninja42]

Saints Row romance: a former street child turned tomboy gang leader who falls in love with her friend in crime, although he considers her like one of his bros. Then an alien overlord arrives and since he's about as sadistic and crazy as he is, he falls in love with her and thus wants to break her. But meanwhile, the girlfriend of the gang leader's bro dies, and he finally becomes her lover and they kill the alien together.

Yeah, I remember when you find her in that digital torture session in SR 4, on the plane. I remember thinking "Man, this is some really fucked up torture, like super effective." Forcing a woman to relive the single most terrifying moment in her life (the sound of that gunshot when the person she loved likely died). And on top of that, having her find his dead body, grieve over his death that she kept reliving, and then having his body reanimate to try and kill her, so that she has to murder him over and over in order to not die. I remember stopping for a moment and thinking "Ok, so, yeah, the team who made this game, amidst all its goofiness and assfuckery, created a genuinely creepy and disturbing moment, for the one character in this cast, that actually has something of depth, and a character arc. Well done."

 

[Rebel_Raven]

The Princess Bride. Classic film. surprised no one said it yet.

 

[happyninja42]

The Princess Bride. Classic film. surprised no one said it yet.

Well, for me, that's not really a love story. It's a comedy about love stories. Plus, I also read the book, where the relationship between Wesley and Buttercup is given a more, cynical slant I guess? They point out over and over, that Buttercup is basically pretty dumb, and is essentially just a pretty face, without much else going for her. So it kind of sours the "twue wuv" aspect of the tale for me. xD It's a great comedy though.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

I think my own relationship is pretty sweet and lovey-dovey

I'm a bit of a romantic, so she tells me

 

[BloatedGuppy]

FILM

Beyond question it would be Linklater's "Before" trilogy, consisting of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight. While his "single film shot over twelve years" in Boyhood got a lot of attention, his trilogy shot over twenty years is his career defining work. The films capture the evolution of a relationship over time...the wild eyed idealism and infatuation of youth giving way to caginess, suspicion, doubt, but also deeper connection. The dialogue is highly naturalistic, the acting is brilliant, and the direction restrained...eschewing many of Hollywood's more pervasive "romantic" conceits.

Less seriously, I think High Fidelity, 500 Days of Summer and (for the ladies) Take This Waltz are Essential Viewing for people in troubled relationships and/or coming off frustrating breakups. Some good lessons in there.

COMIC

Slipping this category in to give a second nod to Scott Pilgrim. Not because it's a great, classic love story, but because it's a fascinating examination of "protagonist syndrome" and how we're all the unreliable narrators of our own lives, particularly when it comes to romance. Pity such a shallow film was made from it.

GAMES

Pretty easily To The Moon. Games have not historically done "romance" well at all, so it took a game that was barely a game at all to give the subject a meaningful treatment. Beautiful little game with some powerful things to say about regret, trauma, mental illness, and the invisible walls that separate people.

TELEVISION

Despite watching a lot of the most critically acclaimed dramas in television history, they are surprisingly low in the "romance" department. What would I put here? Tony and Carmela Soprano? Walter and Skyler White? Omar Little and Brandon Wright? I think not.

So I'll give the award to Tim and Dawn in BBC's The Office. Not their hackneyed and maudlin American counterparts, the originals. If there's one thing I'll praise the British for, aside from possibly tea, it's knowing how not to run a concept into the fucking ground. The series was tight, with no flab or filler, and ended on a high note. And there's no question the emotional payoff involved in seeing Tim and Dawn finally get together.

 

[Guffe]

There can only be one true lovestory!
And that is Twilight
If you can not fathom the great depth of Twilight as a lovestory, you're an emotionless, cruel, being!

 

[Frezzato]

FILM

Beyond question it would be Linklater's "Before" trilogy, consisting of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight. While his "single film shot over twelve years" in Boyhood got a lot of attention, his trilogy shot over twenty years is his career defining work. The films capture the evolution of a relationship over time...the wild eyed idealism and infatuation of youth giving way to caginess, suspicion, doubt, but also deeper connection. The dialogue is highly naturalistic, the acting is brilliant, and the direction restrained...eschewing many of Hollywood's more pervasive "romantic" conceits.

Less seriously, I think High Fidelity, 500 Days of Summer and (for the ladies) Take This Waltz are Essential Viewing for people in troubled relationships and/or coming off frustrating breakups. Some good lessons in there.

...

Take This Waltz. Good call.

I suppose this is the proper thread to recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Jim Carrey. Seriously.

 

[happyninja42]

FILM

Less seriously, I think High Fidelity

Ooh, good choice. I really liked that one too.

I suppose this is the proper thread to recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Jim Carrey. Seriously.

Oooh, another good choice.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I suppose this is the proper thread to recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Jim Carrey. Seriously.

Very good one. I love that film. Should've put it in the additional recommendations.

Ooh, good choice. I really liked that one too.

High Fidelity is less "amazing film" to me, and more "required viewing for young men". It's funny and fun and endlessly rewatchable, but it also has some very pointed things to say about the tedium of monogamy and the perils of wandering eye syndrome. There's a lot of good stuff in there for those that are willing to pay attention and take notes (although to be fair, most people have to go through it themselves before learning).

 

[Zhukov]

WALL-E

Wait, that counts?

Okay, that's my pick too then. WALL-E was adorable.

I dunno, I'm not much for love stories. I'm fine with romance and lovey-dovey stuff as an element of a story, even a major element, but if it's the central pillar of the story then I'm likely to lose interest.

 

[Cycloptomese]

The Crow starring Brandon Lee - R.I.P.

A man is resurrected by the power of love in order to avenge the death of himself and his lover. It was a great friggin movie.

 

[happyninja42]

High Fidelity is less "amazing film" to me, and more "required viewing for young men". It's funny and fun and endlessly rewatchable, but it also has some very pointed things to say about the tedium of monogamy and the perils of wandering eye syndrome. There's a lot of good stuff in there for those that are willing to pay attention and take notes (although to be fair, most people have to go through it themselves before learning).

Agreed. It helps that I am a huge music fan, and made mix tapes all the time. So I could understand his personal fixation on making tapes to convey messages. I agree about the tedium of monogamy, and the "show of a relationship", mainly his comment about women's panties, and the perception of them. Very good movie, and one of the roles that I enjoy with Jack Black. He's definitely toned down a bit in that one.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

The Princess Bride. Classic film. surprised no one said it yet.

Well, for me, that's not really a love story. It's a comedy about love stories. Plus, I also read the book, where the relationship between Wesley and Buttercup is given a more, cynical slant I guess? They point out over and over, that Buttercup is basically pretty dumb, and is essentially just a pretty face, without much else going for her. So it kind of sours the "twue wuv" aspect of the tale for me. xD It's a great comedy though.

I know it's a comedy about love stories. That's what makes it a great love story. It doesn't take itself serious, and has lots going for it other than just a love story, but it's a fairly solid love story where imperfections get looked over, and what not.

Spaceballs was a nice one, too.