Category: Movies
Top screen adaptations of romantic English literature
‘Oh, the power of a good screen adaption of classic literature to awaken the romantic sensibilities! I can’t tell you how many afternoons since I have sat on a shady bench and gazed at the pond in the grounds of my home in Kent, indulging in a Darcy-esque daydream…’
An end to cinemas, and bookstores?
Cannes is just an hour away from my home in the south of France, and I always follow news of its film festival, held at
An infinity of passion: Madame Bovary
This month marks 160 years since the publication in book format of a masterpiece of literature: Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. In my early twenties, I read
Head to the cinema for the ultimate Christmas film: It’s a Wonderful Life
If you only watch one movie this Christmas, make it this one. That’s what respondents of a recent poll of more than 2,000 British people
Favourite film: Gatsby
Did you know that when author F. Scott Fitzgerald died in 1940 he believed himself a failure? That long years of alcoholism saw a heart
Favourite film: A Room with a View
When I’m writing a novel, I like to immerse myself so far as is possible in the culture and time in which the story is
Tuscany week: ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ movie
The perfect film for me because it includes: a) Beautiful scenery – this is the kind of film you’ll watch over and over for the
Saving Mr Banks: The truth behind the fairytale
Top of my ‘to see’ list for films is the new movie Saving Mr Banks, which just premiered at the close of the British Film
Another Romeo and Juliet movie? Swoon or sigh?
A new British film adaption of Romeo and Juliet opens in cinemas in the UK and the US on 11 October: Will you go to
Ten must-watch films for their Venice setting
A large part of my new book, The Echoes of Love, is set in Venice, Italy. What better excuse to riffle through the DVD collection
Favourite film: Letters to Juliet
The ultimate feel-good romantic film. I defy anyone to watch this without misting up at least once! Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her passionate Italian chef
Romance movies you want to love, but just can’t…
As readers of my blogs and my novels well know, I’m an ardent romantic. Two types of romance exist: Happy-ever-after romance, in which the lovers
Freedom: That essential element of romantic love
Recently, I have been watching The Tudors (Michael Hirst), because the period of history fascinates me. There’s plenty of focus on romantic relationships in the
Favourite film: The Lucky One
From the film’s description: U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he
Time Out’s 100 Most Romantic Films Ever list
Time Out has put together a top 100 list for romantic movies, complied by 101 experts – film makers, actors, critics and writers. The top
Favourite movie: Great Expectations (2012)
Having seen the cast list, I confess I myself had great expectations for this film! Jeremy Irvine as Pip Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham
25 of the most romantic lines from movies
When I was a teenager, my Saturday afternoon trip to the cinema was the highlight of my week. I would go with my father and
Do you read the book first, or see the movie?
If a film adaptation is released of a book I enjoyed, I will generally try to watch it. But it is always a risky endeavour.
Ode to the musical
Singing in the Rain, Les Misèrables, Guys and Dolls, Cats, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, West Side Story, Chicago, The King and I, Anything Goes, The
Ten top romantic musicals
There is something magical about a musical. Music has such power to create a reaction, and done well, I think a musical form of a
Favourite film: We Bought a Zoo
If you’re looking for a heart-warming, moving, feel-good and inspirational film, this is one for you. I first became aware of the film having read
Favourite film: Miss Potter
On a recent visit to Gloucester I could not resist popping into a quaint little shop/museum on a side street near the Cathedral. The House
Twenty-five years since ‘nobody put Baby in a corner’
Twenty-five years ago this month the film Dirty Dancing was released in cinemas. A low-budget movie made by a new studio and with no stars
The most romantic nationality
I recently ran a question survey via SurveyMonkey and Goodreads to discover people’s ‘most romantics’. For the question ‘Which nationality most says “romantic” to you?’,
The most romantic film is… Titanic
I recently ran a question survey via SurveyMonkey and Goodreads to discover people’s ‘most romantics’. For the ‘Most romantic film’ question I offered a choice
Ten romance movies to watch for their quintessential English setting
Regular readers of my blog will know that ‘place’ is an important source of inspiration for me, and is also a key element of my
Favourite film: The ultimate rom-com, Bringing Up Baby
It’s funny to think, now, that this film, made way back in 1938 and starring Hollywood greats Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, was not a
Favourite actor: David Selby
Elvis Presley, James Dean, Robert Pattinson, George Clooney, Leonardo di Caprio, Brad Pitt… all teenagers dream of talented and handsome actors, and as a young
The day I unwittingly snubbed Richard Burton
When I was a girl my family used to visit a cabin in a place called Montazah. It was an idyllic spot away from the