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LOVE CONQUERS ALL: THE UNLIKELY MOVIE COUPLES THAT HIT IT OFF BIG TIME
There are some movie couples that make you want to throw buckets of popcorn at the screen in sheer disbelief; however there are still a select few that manage to spark up that classic celluloid connection that remind us that true romance really isn’t dead.
More often than not, these passionate pairings will be poles apart in age, backgrounds and even location. Yet these seemingly insurmountable differences are the very fabric that draws them together, to produce a cinematic magnetism that only truly exists when opposites attract.
Oscar winning duo Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, couldn’t be more dissimilar, however both actors have received rave reviews for their on-screen chemistry in London-set romcom Last Chance Harvey, out in cinemas June 5th. When gregarious American Harvey Shine chats up repressed Brit Kate Walker in a Heathrow bar, the stars are aligned for a classic cinema romance.
Can this winsome, witty woman give Harvey direction and help salvage his relationship with his daughter? Meanwhile, can the livewire ad musician end the constant nagging of Kate’s mother and her lonely path to being a spinster? Only time will tell. In the meantime, revisit the best loved movie duos that put a capital C in chemistry despite the romantic obstacles that Cupid decides to place in their way...
Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in “Lost in Translation”
There is nothing like an old fashioned May to December love affair to warm the cockles and this union of two lost souls in Japan fits the bill. When Bill’s ageing movie star Bob Harris happens upon Scarlett’s lonely wife Charlotte in the corridors of a Tokyo hotel, the stage is set for a magical tale filled with love, laughs and later life crisis.
Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon in “Love Actually”
Hugh’s bachelor Prime Minister David is immediately smitten with Martine’s working class Natalie at Number 10, when she stumbles into his life. What follows is a classic prince and pauper romance that unfolds through the sun baked streets of London. With Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson being only the latest pairing in a long line of film icons to be struck down by the capitals romantic sparkle, is it fair to say that London is finally back on cupids map?
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in “Brokeback Mountain”
Ang Lee’s beautifully constructed film turned Hollywood’s conventional love script on its head when it paired together a couple of young cowboys on the sprawling vistas of America’s Western grasslands. What came out of this unorthodox pairing was a sweet yet unconventional romantic-drama that explored the complex sexual and emotional relationship shared between two of the most improbable candidates for love.
Andie McDowell and Gerard Depardieu in “Green Card”
Gerard’s Georges wants a green card to extend his US stay, while Andie’s Bronte Parrish is a horticulturalist searching for an apartment to grow her plants. When the two get hitched for convenience sake, the Big Apple seeds of love are sown in McDowell’s first romcom hit.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in “The Big Sleep”
Some might say Bogie’s Casablanca romance with Ingrid Bergman trumps this legendary noir coupling; however the age gap here marks it out as a must. When the film was released in 1946, Bogart was 47 and Bacall 22. The sizzling chemistry between Bogart’s detective Marlowe and Lauren’s Vivian Sternwood Rutledge proved big box office and saw them married three months after shooting wrapped.
Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt in “As Good As It Gets”
As Dustin Hoffman proves in Last Chance Harvey, some Hollywood actors seem to get better with age. Take Tinseltown’s rogue Jack Nicholson for example, a true silver screen icon that has bewitched generations of women for years, but his cranky character in James L. Brooks’ delightful romcom did not exactly seem tailor made for him. It’s testament to his acting prowess that both he, and effervescent co-star Helen, took home Oscars for their roles. With an age gap that bridged 23 years this film just goes to show that love really knows no boundaries.
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman”
One of the most memorable celluloid unions in modern cinema was played out on Hollywood Boulevard when Gere’s ruthless merger magnate decided to pick up rising star Julia’s Los Angeles prostitute for a night of passion. The meeting set up one of the most unlikely, yet enchanting, on screen romances,
Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah in “Splash”
Director Ron Howard has enjoyed a marvelous career in Hollywood; however he hit the big time with this winning tale of Tom’s Allen Bauer who is saved not once, but twice, by a mermaid. The improbable romance propelled Hanks into the Hollywood stratosphere and caused a generation of men to fall for the dishy, yet Fishy, Daryl.
If all this talk of romance is leaving you hungry for more, check out Last Chance Harvey, a story about love, life and last chances, in cinemas from June 5 2009.
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