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500 Days of Summer: High Vouch Score

Flipped

87

A seven year old Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) moves to a new neighbourhood across the street from a very spirited little girl named Juli (Madeline Carroll). She falls in love at first sight much to the dismay of the shy young lad. For the next six years, Juli overwhelms Bryce with her affections until a series of events and misunderstandings leaves her heartbroken and angry at him. Fed up, Juli begins to ignore him. However, her absence triggers a change of heart as Bryce realizes his fondness of her. He will do anything to win her back. The whole film, set in the late fifties holds the warmth and charm of small town living. With a balance of passion and playfulness, the extraordinary young cast are brilliant in their roles. Based on the novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, this endearing story of young puppy love, will make your heart melt!

Comedy / Romance

Warm

2010

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

96

In many ways, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a modern masterpiece. It is not just a movie, but a psychological experience - one that is sincere to its premise and the troubled nature of the human beings in it. You will be surprised by the depth of its many layers, and the extents to which a similar movie can go. However as you get busy being surprised, it will make you a very happy person.The perfect word to describe it is "satisfying". Its character-driven chemistry will catch you even more as its reaches its perfect mix between comedy, warmth, tragedy and depression.

Uplifting

2012

Blue Valentine

95

A heart-breaking examination of a decaying shell of a once-bright marriage, this sad and erotic story uses juxtaposition between happy flashbacks and the grim reality of an ordinary and dull life. This film features electrifying performance from Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, who seamlessly combine tenderness, rage, lust and sadness. This is a guaranteed tear-jerker, so make sure you've brought your Kleenexes!

Drama / Romance

Tear-jerker

2010

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: High Vouch Score

The Broken Circle Breakdown

91

Sensibly written and thoughtfully directed, intuitively acted, bitter-sweet like Belgian chocolate, and propelled by incredible bluegrass music, this is one of my coming-home movies. Aside from the beautiful imagery and stunning music, the highly emotional subject matter is perfect for summer nights. It'll leave you full and empty, it'll make you cry, value life, and will also more than likely get you back into bluegrass again. Elise and Dedier fall passionately in love despite their differences, but when their daughter falls ill, their future together becomes uncertain.

Drama / Romance

Foreign

2012

Blue Valentine

95

A heart-breaking examination of a decaying shell of a once-bright marriage, this sad and erotic story uses juxtaposition between happy flashbacks and the grim reality of an ordinary and dull life. This film features electrifying performance from Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, who seamlessly combine tenderness, rage, lust and sadness. This is a guaranteed tear-jerker, so make sure you've brought your Kleenexes!

Drama / Romance

Tear-jerker

2010

The Before Trilogy: Sunrise (1995), Sunset (2004), Midnight (2013)

93

Richard Linklater's critically acclaimed film trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Each film is spaced nine years apart and chronicles the developing love story of two people who meet on a train in Europe one fateful summer. Critically and commercially successful, Linklater's trilogy may have flown under your radar but the superb writing and authentic performances make this romance trilogy the one to beat. Before Sunrise (1995): IMDB | RT | Wikipedia | Trailer Thought-provoking and beautifully filmed, Before Sunrise is an intelligent, unabashedly romantic look at modern love, led by marvelously natural performances from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Before Sunset (2004): IMDB | RT | Wikipedia | Trailer Filled with engaging dialogue, Before Sunset is a witty, poignant romance, with natural chemistry between Hawke and Delpy. Nine years ago, two strangers met by chance, spent a night together in Vienna, and parted before sunrise. Now, they're about to cross paths again--in Paris--where they will get the chance we all wish we had: to find out what might have been. The only problem is they have just a few hours to figure out if they belong together. Before Midnight (2013): IMDB | RT | Wikipedia | Trailer Building on the first two installments in Richard Linklater's well-crafted Before trilogy, Before Midnight offers intelligent, powerfully acted perspectives on love, marriage, and long-term commitment.

Comedy / Romance

Warm

1995

Juno: High Vouch Score

Private Life

81

Paul Giamatti, man. Ever watched Win/Win? What a performance. I didn’t think he could do any better than that. But here he did.This movie is now on Netflix. It’s about a couple that is trying to have a kid but can’t. Their frustration grows, but so does their willingness to do whatever it takes to become parents. They try to adopt, go to fertility clinics and ultimately ask their niece to donate her eggs. To really work, such a plot requires well-written, multifaceted characters one can relate to. I did, and it really worked.

Sunday

2018

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80

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

95

A fish out of water coming-of-age story with an abundance of charm. Greg Gaines, a kid with few to zero close people finds himself obliged to befriend a girl recently diagnosed with cancer. She enters his seemingly balanced social life and he tries to adjusts to her new predicament, and the story goes from there. There is excellent cinematography and really funny sequences, but to me what is most amazing is that with three perfectly played and perfectly written characters, you are sure to see parts of yourself in either Greg, Earl, or Rachel - if not some parts in each one.

Well-acted

2015

Little Miss Sunshine: High Vouch Score

Eddie the Eagle

84

Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton) was a man with big glasses and even bigger dreams. As a physically disabled child-turned-oddly determined young adult, he tried his hands at all kinds of sports to earn himself a place in United Kingdom’s Team, only to be shunned and rejected more times than one can count. While his coming home a hero can easily be attributed to Great Britain’s lack of a ski jumper representative to the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, the world has Eddie’s perseverance and never-say-die attitude to thank. A story about conquering greater heights and just taking flight, Eddie the Eagle shows the world how winning doesn’t always mean taking home the crown.

True-story-based

2016

The Before Trilogy: Sunrise (1995), Sunset (2004), Midnight (2013)

93

Richard Linklater's critically acclaimed film trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Each film is spaced nine years apart and chronicles the developing love story of two people who meet on a train in Europe one fateful summer. Critically and commercially successful, Linklater's trilogy may have flown under your radar but the superb writing and authentic performances make this romance trilogy the one to beat. Before Sunrise (1995): IMDB | RT | Wikipedia | Trailer Thought-provoking and beautifully filmed, Before Sunrise is an intelligent, unabashedly romantic look at modern love, led by marvelously natural performances from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Before Sunset (2004): IMDB | RT | Wikipedia | Trailer Filled with engaging dialogue, Before Sunset is a witty, poignant romance, with natural chemistry between Hawke and Delpy. Nine years ago, two strangers met by chance, spent a night together in Vienna, and parted before sunrise. Now, they're about to cross paths again--in Paris--where they will get the chance we all wish we had: to find out what might have been. The only problem is they have just a few hours to figure out if they belong together. Before Midnight (2013): IMDB | RT | Wikipedia | Trailer Building on the first two installments in Richard Linklater's well-crafted Before trilogy, Before Midnight offers intelligent, powerfully acted perspectives on love, marriage, and long-term commitment.

Comedy / Romance

Warm

1995

Stranger Than Fiction

85

Will Ferrell plays a well organized IRS agent named Harold Crick who seems to have figured out everything in his life to the dot. Little does he know his life is being run by someone else, a nervous and morbid novelist, famous for ending her works with the death of the main character. As the nature of his life and eventual doom, he decides to lay back and enjoy the ride, breaking all his ingrained and boring habits. While this film is recommended for everyone , Will Ferrel fans, especially, need to watch this to see Will's acting variety.

Comedy / Romance

2006

Lost in Translation: High Vouch Score

About Time

90

This movie is about Tim Lake who discovers that men in their family can time travel but can't change history, only their own lives. He uses this special ability to achieve the future that he envisioned. As one would imagine, there are a lot of what-ifs and cerebral moments in this movie. Great performance by the cast especially the lead roles (Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson). It'll make you laugh, cry, and fall in love. It will make you realize how important time is in our life and the consequences of every action we take. It's an amazing romcom movie. It gave me a movie hangover! The genius of About Time is that it is enjoyable yet at the same time offers an engaging story, and takes on interesting ideas. The phrase "pleasure to watch" may not apply to a movie more than it does for About Time, and I'm happy to say that it is way more than just that.

Comedy / Romance

Warm

2013

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90

Like Father, Like Son

90

Like Father, Like Son is a profoundly interesting, multi-layered Japanese film about a young couple who come to learn that their son was unknowingly switched at birth with another boy, and begin a complicated relationship with their real son and his family. Both sides struggle to cope with the looming possibility of returning each boy to his true parents, while the differences between the two families in means and lifestyle lend further complications to their attitudes and their ability to find resolution. It’s an even-handed yet poignant story that examines the difficult emotions around parenthood and parental expectation, including a meaningful examination of the “nature versus nurture” argument. Very honest and real — you'll enjoy it even more if you appreciate the intricate style of Japanese cinema. Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes.

Foreign

2013