10 European Romantic Movies

The European masters especially French, Italian and Spanish directors have presented us with some of the most enduring cinemas. Ten of the notable European romantic movies are as follows:
 

1. The Lovers of the Arctic Circle
   
   Juleo Medem brings to le a complex story of life, love and destiny. This is the love story of Ana and Otto who meet at a soccer game in their elementary school and are fascinated with each other. In a parallel story, Otto’s divorced father falls in love with Ana’s mother and marries her. Otto and Anna are brought up as brother and sister. As they mature, their love blossoms into a serious affair with Ana taking the lead. Now, Otto’s mother dies suddenly plunging Otto into suicidal despondency. He takes up the vocation of a courier pilot between Finland and Spain. Anna longs for Otto for some time but soon constructs a new life. This complex web of human relationships coils and uncoils as the movie reaches its climax. The haunting background score is memorable. The movie stars Fele Martinez and Najwa Nimri in lead roles.
    
2. Open your eyes
   
   Directed by Alejandro Amenabar and starring Eduardo Noriega, Chete Lera, Fele Martinez, Najwa Nimri and Penelope Cruz. It is the story of Cesar who has it all-good looks, money and lots of charm. On the night of his 25th birthday, Cesar meets the gorgeous Sofia and the two fall in love. As he is leaving Sofia, he is confronted by ex lover Nuria whom he snubbed the night before. He is lured by Nuria into her car and then things take a dramatic turn with Nuria driving her car off the road killing herself and disfiguring Cesar. Cesar now wakes up in a psychiatric prison held for  a crime he cannot remember. There are many unanswered questions before Cesar and the plot thickens.
   
   
    
3. Amelie
   
   Audrey Tautou stars as the cute and enigmatic Amelie who lives in Paris like a little mouse. She finds a miracle in every day of her life and her favorite hobby is to skim stones in the water, all by herself. Amelie’s story is that she was raised by eccentric parents who diagnosed her with a false heart ailment at age six and raised her with little contact with the outside world. Now a free and independent woman, she spends her time playing well intentioned practical jokes on others like playing cupid. One thing remains missing in her life and she decides to work her magic on the odd object of her affections, Nino Quincampoix (Matthieu Kassovitz), whom she has never met. It is a modern day fairy tale  with magic and humor woven into it.
    
4. A Very Long Engagement
   
   A war drama, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who is famous for his whimsical comedy Amelie, A Very Long engagement also stars Audrey Tautou in the emotional role of a stubborn widow in denial. Audrey is Mathilde, a young woman afflicted with childhood polio waiting in a French village for the return of her fiancé Manech from the war front. When she is apprised of his death, she refuses to believe and starts on a journey at the end of the war to seek her husband along with a private detective. She meets with other widows especially one played by Jodie Foster in a remarkable role. Brilliant camera work and storytelling makes this movie a masterpiece.
    
5. Run Lola Run
   
   Tom Tykwer present one of cinema’s most exhilarating adventures. He brilliantly records a story of the hip, twenty something Berliners Lola and Manni who are caught in a race against time. The story begins with Manni who is an errand boy for a local criminal loses twenty thousand marks and faces a deadline of twenty minutes to recover the money or face retribution. Manni turns to the quick-witted Lola for help and she devises a plan. So she starts running for her love, her life and for the money. Three situations are presented including various twists and turns. Franka Potente lights up the screen as the feisty, flame haired Lola and Moritz Bleibtreu as her slow but sincere lover. Tykwer who etches the story in a montage of still pictures, animation and live action all in tune with a catchy techno beat proves himself a master of the medium.
    
6. The Flower of my Secret
   
   Directed by the great Spanish director Pedro Almodovar  and stars Marisa Paredes, Juan Echanove and Carmen Elias. A woman who lives a double life does not find satisfaction in her career as a successful romance novelist. She is surrounded by indifferent people. Her husband does not love her, her best friend is obsessed with her own affairs and her mother and sister are too busy fighting each other to notice anything is wrong. She stops writing and takes to alcoholism only to find a new person who wants to rescue her and start a new emotional entanglement.
    
7. The Consequences of Love
   
   A psychological as well as romantic thriller that traces the life of a middle aged Italian loner who has lived in a Swiss hotel for many years. Dressed elegantly, he spend his days in the hotel lobby watching other guests with indifference. But his dark secrets come pouring out when he falls for and talks to the attractive maid, Sofia. Directed  by Paolo Sorrentino, the movie stars Toni Servillo in the lead.
    
8. The Princess and the Warrior
   
   From the stable of German director Tom Tykwer comes this ethereal modern day fairy tale. Charismatic actress Franka Potente stars opposite volatile newcomer Benno Furmann. Bodo saves the life of Sissi in a road accident and disappears from her life. Sisi returns to work in a psychiatric hospital but cannot forget Bodo. She goes on to search for him and finds him in dilapidated home with his brother with whom she develops a bond.
    
9. Breathless
   
   The first offering of legendary director Jean –Luc Godard, it is ranked as one of the most impactful movies ever made. Jean-Paul Belmondo, small time crook who is on the run after killing a cop hides in Paris along with an American girl. After she betrays him, he steels himself to face his fate unafraid, modeled on his hero, the American star  Humphrey Bogart. The influence of American popular culture is examined in this movie.
    
10. A Good Marriage
    
    It is the second of six movies in the comedy series by Eric Rohmer and follows the story of the cute but headstrong Sabine (played by Beatrice Romand). She rolls up her job, leaves her married lover and announces that she is getting married. The news comes as a shocker to her friend Clarisse who is happily married and who now tries to set up her  cousin Edmond as a suitor for Sabine. But Sabine cannot win Edmond and she is left pouting like an adolescent. The movie is a delicate look at the warm relationship between Sabine and Clarisse.