2006 Romance Movies

Devastated by the discovery of her husband's unfaithfulness, homemaker Julia (Linda Hamilton) abandons her affluent lifestyle for a small apartment and a minimum-wage job. Despite hardship, Julia rebuilds her existence, and through doing so discovers what is most valuable in life are not material things. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

An Elvis wannabe attempts to woo his dream girl away from her insane boyfriend in this colorful romantic comedy written by and starring Gordon Michaels. Las Vegas native Harold is unlucky in love and prone to fantasy. When Harold meets Wanda, she has just run away from her boyfriend, Jake, an egotistical rocker who's stuck in the '80s. Wanda was doing some soul searching, but Jake wants her back. Now, in order to hold on to the girl of his dreams, Harold will have to convince Wanda that it's time to stop running, and start loving. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Prolific actor Robert Peters (Ocean's Eleven, Catch Me If You Can) makes his feature directorial debut with this musical romantic comedy about an optimistic "happiness counselor" named Bob who falls head over heels in love with his cynical handler Greta. Bob has just penned a self-help book that sold a meager one copy in the entirety of the United States, yet the eternal optimist is quick to note that he's a big hit in Deutschland. Now, as bob straps on his guitar and boards a plan bound for Germany with his handler Greta, an intellectual realist who refuses to see the world though rose tinted glasses, these two polar opposites are about to discover that opposites really do attract. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Guillaume Depardieu, Jeanne Balibar, and Michel Piccoli star in director Jacques Rivette's adaptation of the Balzac novella The Duchesse de Langeais, which tells the tale of a Parisian socialite who is romantically pursued by a Napoleonic war hero. The story begins as grieving French general Armand de Montriveau (Depardieu) arrives at a Majorcan church to speak with French nun Antionette le Langeais (Balibar). General de Montriveau believes le Langeais to be a woman he once loved dearly, but eventually lost. As the pair is reunited under the watchful eyes of the presiding priest and mother superior, their romantic past gradually comes into focus. It was five years ago that bored socialite Antoinette first became enamored with the wounded soldier whose rousing tales of adventure offered exciting contrast to her highly refined lifestyle. Though she was married at the time, the coquettish cosmopolitan quickly fell under the spell of the commanding military man -- who vowed that very night that Antoinette would be his lover. As their romance grows more complicated, the passionate pair finds it increasingly difficult to deny the powerful connection that binds them. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A warm and gentle human fable with a left-wing political undercurrent, the French-language picture Looking for Cheyenne concerns two women passionately in love with one another, and yet hopelessly separated. Journalist Cheyenne (Mila Dekker) is reeling -- not only from a split with one of the great loves of her life, high school science prof Sonia (Aurelia Petit), but from a recent and unexpected job loss -- the product of her company's decision to downsize. When she finds it next to impossible to land another job, Cheyenne eventually throws up her hands in disgust and drops out altogether. Refusing to live by society's constraints, and rejecting every government "handout" that comes down the pike, Cheyenne lives without running water, electricity, or groceries, preferring instead to live off of discarded vegetables that she discovers in trash cans and to light her residence with candles. Meanwhile, Sonia keeps her job, but enters into an affair with a freewheeling young man, Pierre. An anarchist who spends his time passing out flyers full of anarchist catchphrases and taglines, he readily admits to Sonia that he could care less about her pansexuality and is willing to accept her on her own terms. Sonia's affair represents an attempt to drown the sorrow out of her life, for she -- like Cheyenne -- is still destroyed and devastated by the recent breakup. As each woman grapples with a unique outlet for her sorrow, eccentric and endearing characters waltz in and out of their lives and form various romantic couplings; these include a wealthy middle-aged woman of a predatory nature (Guilaine Londez); a comely and naïve coed who decides to stage her own form of social rebellion (Eleonore Michelin); an affable and ebullient Russian (Miglen Mirtchev); and a man who believes in returning to the soil (Laurence Côte). Director Valerie Minetto thus weaves together a giant life tapestry composed of joys and sorrows, unexpected treasures, and resounding disappointments. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi