Lists are jumbled, as in non-alphabetical. An [s] warns of some sensual content, while an [S!] warns of more. [n] for minimal nudity, which we find tolerable; more than that and we at HR find ourselves either embarrassed or titillated rather than edified. As in all things artistic, one man/woman's drink is another's poison. Our standards may be lax to many, and incredibly uptight to others. Now that you're forewarned...  

Here's the HR fluffy but fun category:

• An Affair to Remember ***1/2 Rated G -- Make sure it's the original one with Cary Grant, not the cheesy and stupid remake. This one's what some folks might call a girl flick; hey, it's for men who like to feel something, too!
• Sleepless in Seattle **** Rated PG-13 -- Like "An Affair to Remember," the movie's unlikely premise is successfully foisted onto us as we yank our hankies and blow, blow, blow. Put your popcorn in the bowl and the one true love within easy reach... syrupy sentiment doesn't get any better than this!
• You've Got Mail **1/2 Rated PG-13 -- Some folks wouldn't even give this flick two stars, much less two and a half. We're ambivalent about it. On the one hand, it seemed a real waste of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, who have the amps to take a decent script and light it up. As it was, this somewhat engaging storyline just doesn't keep one emotionally involved enough. What could have been good is merely pleasant.
• As Good As It Gets **** Rated R[n,s] -- This great movie stars Helen Hunt and (most improbably) Jack Nicholson in a romantic tale that emphases love getting a reality check. Nicholson is masterful in his role as the dysfunctional reactionary whose encounter with Hunt (and reluctant friendship with a severely injured gay man) begins to reshape his life. Outstanding.
• Notting Hill ***1/2 Rated R [n,s] -- Big star meets her number one fan and... well, it is a romance movie. Some rude language, but Julia Roberts is great as the female lead and a strong storyline makes one feel the possible tensions of such a relationship. Gimme more popcorn, and a kiss!
• The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill... *** Rated PG-13 -- Here's a romance that involves an entire town. When Hugh Grant's character, an English government surveyor, determines a small village's mountain is in fact merely a hill, events kick into high gear. Involved are the local beauty, the kindly priest, and various gruff but delightful villagers. End result? Like popcorn, low-nutrition but tasty.

HR's Foreign Flicks:

• Blue **** Rated ? [s] -- Part of a trilogy whose other two parts are Red and White, this elegantly filmed and symbolically overloaded flick doesn't lose track of the main character, a woman who is bereaved of both her husband and child. One of the more original romance movies you'll likely see.
• The Hairdresser's Husband ***1/2 Rated R [S!] -- This beautiful film is (perhaps unintentionally) a cautionary tale about the borders of human sexual love without any transcendent context. Yet the passionate love two people can share is, though almost embarrassingly hot, where the beauty comes from. Deeply sad, deeply moving. Not a popcorn movie; better as a conversation starter for friends (mature friends, folks!).
• Confidentially Yours *** Rated PG -- How about a 1983 Hitchcock tribute from French director Francois Truffaut? This movie is a light-hearted, funny, but also quite suspensful romance, and filmed entirely in black and white. The final plus? Actress Fanny Ardant steals the show as the woman who helps her hapless man out of one fix after another, even when he's accused of murder! Absolute fun.

HR's Serious Stuff

• End of the Affair ****1/2 -- This movie version of the Graham Green novel is one of those GREAT movies that just didn't make it. Take one adulterous relationship, one wartime tragedy, throw in a desperate prayer and (gulp!) God, and see what happens. Like most stories from "Green"land, this one is relentlessly truthful.

HR's Wierd Zone

• Harold and Maud ***1/2 -- One twisted little flick about a young guy that's in love with death and an old lady that's in love with life. Seriously odd, but almost everyone I've talked with who's seen it gave it a "cool movie" pass.