There’s no guarantee of finding romance in real life, but you can usually find romantic movies at least. Here are some of my favorite romantic films. It’s a completely idiosyncratic selection, and it could be argued that not every one is a truly great movie. However, each movie I’ve listed hits the kind of emotional chords that touch the heart.

1. Casablanca
The most romantic movie of all time has more than just romance; there’s also murder, mystery, patriotism, bar fights, and . . . dead Nazis! It just doesn’t get much better than that. And the final scene, when Rick gives Ilsa the famous “hill of beans” speech before sending her off with Victor, is probably the greatest example of selfless love in cinema history. If you don’t know what “we’ll always have Paris” means, you need to go rent this movie now.

2. Edward Scissor hands
Tim Burton has made some pretty weird doggone movies, but Edward Scissorhands is an amazing modern romantic fairytale. Everyone can relate to the story of a person whose heart aches for someone who they could never have, but Edward’s character embodies “so close, yet so far” like no other. How the heck can you hold the person you love when you have razor blades for fingers?

3. An Affair to Remember
Hollywood has rewritten this one a few times in recent years, but there’s still no substitute for the original. The final scene, when Nicky Ferrante sees his painting and realizes that Terry is paralyzed, is one of the greatest in cinematic history. If you make it to the credits without at least feeling some twinge of emotion, then you’re officially a sociopath.

4. The Princess Bride
This 1987 fairytale classic gets a little silly at times, but even with the bad jokes and midgets in rat costumes it still ranks up there as one of the greatest romance movies of all time. I don’t know if true love can really bring a man back from being “mostly dead,” but this movie sure makes you think it’s possible. As you wish!

5. Cyrano de Bergerac
Okay, there have been about a million movies made out of this classic, tragic story, and I’m sure they’re all pretty darn good. Even Roxanne, the modern version that stars Steve Martin as a big-nosed firefighter, isn’t too bad. But My favorite is the 1990 French version starring Gerard Depardieu, and if you can stand reading subtitles it’s one heck of a date movie.

6. Somewhere in Time
Okay, the idea of some dude using self-hypnosis to travel back in time is kind of lame, but once you get past that, this is a great romantic date movie. The idea that a person’s one true love might exist in a different time is pretty original, albeit depressing, and Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymore are great on screen together. And if Richard hadn’t left that damn penny in his pocket, they might have stayed that way.

7. Romeo and Juliet
Come on, I had to include this one on the list. It’s another romantic classic that has been done countless times on the big and small screen, with the most original probably being the modern version with Leonardo DiCaprio where everyone was walking around with automatic firearms. But the Romeo and Juliet on this list is referring to the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli version, so rent that one.

8. Braveheart
Yah, there’s a lot of blood and guts in this movie, but remember: William Wallace cut up all those Englishman because they killed his one true love. That, along with the fact that this is such an awesome movie, gives it a secure spot on the list of the most romantic movies of all time. So what if the title sounds like a Care Bear?

9. The Quiet Man
Not a lot of our generation has seen this movie, but believe me, they’re missing out. Just like “Casablanca,” “The Quiet Man” is more than just a romance movie; it’s also hilarious, has some great drunken brawls, and is about a boxer who is trying to run away from a past he’s ashamed of. And you can chalk up the kiss between John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, during the windstorm on in the field, as the best ever.

10. The African Queen
Yup, that’s two Humphry Bogart movies on this list, but he deserves it. “The African Queen” lets us watch as the pious Rose Sayer reforms hard-drinking Charlie Allnut with her love . . . and they go on to totally sink a Nazi battleship together! Toss in some awesome rapids and a cool scene with leeches, and you’ve got a top-notch date movie

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