My pick for the new CineTV contest which is running at the moment is the 1993 film, True Romance. It's a film I have watched a bunch of times since the first time I saw it when I was a teenager. I think there is so much going on in the Story/ Film that it is hard to describe it as just a romantic film, it is that of course but, it is a well-rounded script as it has comedic elements, intrigue, and action.
Here's a link to the contest post if you'd like to get involved.
@cinetv/cinetv-contest-your-most-favorite-romantic-film
The film's protagonist is Clarence Worley, played by Christian Slater, who is a lonely young man working in a video shop. On his birthday, his tradition is that he goes to the cinema to watch some Kung-Fu movies. Where he gets to meet a woman, Alabama Whitman played by Patricia Arquette.
Their meeting is funny, as she stumbles into the quiet theater and makes a bit of a scene then sits behind Clarence. Since she was late, she asks him to fill her in on what she's missed after the film they've had so much fun that they go to a café to have some coffee and dessert and talk about the film. They both go back to his place afterward and that night she comes clean to him that she's a prostitute hired by his boss. But, she's just started and he's her first client. He decides to go and get her things from her Pimp and after it goes wrong he kills him and runs off with her things and Cocaine which he stole from the Pimp. With that, it turns into a road trip movie as they want to get to Clarence's friend to sell it, in Hollywood. But, they're pursued by the mob who want to get back their drugs.
It's an unlikely film that someone would consider a romance film, but the two main characters have such great chemistry on screen that it's hard to see it as anything other than... True Romance haha.
I really like the film, because it takes the genre and spins it on its head while also staying true to certain elements of the Romance genre. It has such a great cast and all of the characters in it serve a purpose and aren't just shoehorned in for the sake of having more people in the film.
If anyone has never seen the film before it is well worth a watch, I don't think anyone would be disappointed after seeing it.
I like the fact that the film, ends on a happy note. It gets to a point near the end where everything has just about gone wrong for the two of them, they managed to stay ahead of the Mob for the whole movie but, then they get caught. But, luckily, instead of the film ending on a tragic note, there is a bit of a fake-out where we think it's all over. Only for everything to work out.
I usually don't like those kinds of twists where a film toys with you, but, in this case, I don't mind making an exception. I haven't watched the film in a few years now, but, after discussing it I'll be sticking it on. As it's a film which I can go ages not thinking of, but, when it pops into my head I'm left with fond memories of it and just have to give it another watch.
The film's soundtrack I think is also great and one song from it, in particular, pops into my head occasionally. The main theme of the film, which is, You're So Cool - by - Hans Zimmer. It's such a simple tune, but, intricate too. I think for a piece of music it suites the story so well, as to me it just sounds like the music equivalent of the story.
In fact, in my most recent short film, there is a scene in it that I wrote which is kind of "Romantic-ish" I included a bit of dialog between one of the main characters and a prostitute character, which was kind of a nod to True Romance. I even went as far as to get together with some musician friends and make a piece of music that had the same feeling like the piece for the scene. Which, I actually pulled from the film, as it just didn't fit the film's score as a whole, as it was too jarring of a change. But, the piece of music has always stuck with me and I'm sure in one of my projects in the future I'll be able to give a nod and show some appreciation to it by using something like it.