Motel Pictures' 10 Most Compelling Onscreen Romances
From the crazy love of Betty Blue to the hirsute exoticism of Fur, here's our list of cinema's 10 most compelling onscreen romances.
1. Betty Blue: Betty and Zorg A would-be writer (Jean-Hugues Anglade) falls for an unpredictable woman (Béatrice Dalle), then he slowly realizes that she is going insane. Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix.
2. The Man Who Fell To Earth: Thomas Newton and Mary Lou Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is an alien who has come to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. Aided by lawyer Oliver Farnsworth (Buck Henry), Thomas uses his knowledge of advanced technology to create profitable inventions. While developing a method to transport water, Thomas meets Mary-Lou (Candy Clark), a quiet hotel clerk, and begins to fall in love with her. Directed by Nicolas Roeg.
3. Secretary: Lee Holloway and Mr. Grey Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young woman with a history of severe emotional problems, is released into the care of her overbearing parents following a stay at a mental institution. She finds work as a secretary for a rigid and demanding attorney, E. Edward Grey (James Spader). Lee soon realizes she's turned on by Grey's stern demeanor, and begins a sadomasochistic relationship with him. Directed by Steven Shainberg.
4. My Beautiful Laundrette: Omar and Johnny In a seedy corner of London, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young Pakistani, is given a run-down laundromat by his uncle (Saeed Jaffrey), who hopes to turn it into a successful business. Soon after, Omar is attacked by a group of racist punks, but defuses the situation when he realizes their leader is his former lover, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). The men resume their relationship and rehabilitate the laundromat together, but various social forces threaten to compromise their success. Directed by Stephen Frears.
5. Weekend: Russell and Glen A gay man's (Tom Cullen) weekend-long encounter with an artist (Chris New) changes his life in unexpected ways. Directed by Andrew Haigh.
6. Blue Valentine: Dean and Cindy Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, if a bit subdued. But a closer examination reveals a couple caught in a downward spiral. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage. Directed by Derek Cianfrance.
7. Before Sunrise. Before Sunset. Before Midnight: Jesse and Celine A romantic trilogy directed by Richard Linklater, which follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke), a young American man, and Céline (Julie Delpy), a young French woman, from their first meeting on a train bound for Vienna to their last night on a Greek island.
8. Blade Runner: Deckard and Rachael Deckard (Harrison Ford) is forced by the police Boss (M. Emmet Walsh) to continue his old job as Replicant Hunter. His assignment: eliminate four escaped Replicants from the colonies who have returned to Earth. Before starting the job, Deckard goes to the Tyrell Corporation and he meets Rachel (Sean Young), a Replicant woman he falls in love with. Directed by Ridley Scott.
9. Blue is the Warmest Color: Emma and Adele A French teen (Adèle Exarchopoulos) forms a deep emotional and sexual connection with an older art student (Léa Seydoux) she meets in a lesbian bar. Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche.
10. Fur: Diane Arbus and Lionel Sweeney Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman) is a housewife and mother who works as an assistant to her husband (Ty Burrell), a photographer employed by her wealthy parents. Respectable though her life is, she cannot help but feel uncomfortable in her privileged world. One night, a new neighbor (Robert Downey Jr.) catches Diane's eye, and the enigmatic man inspires her to set forth on the path to discovering her own artistry. Directed by Steven Shainberg.
