The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Rating: 88

Ok you probably won't get through this without at least a yawn. But you'll enjoy it if you keep an open mind. The Joy Luck Club is an exceedingly well made film about feminine sensibility and solidarity. Sounds boring? Yeah well, she'll eat it up, and with good cause.

The mother/daughter relationship stands at the forefront, and is explored with great insight and honesty. The rich texture of these relationships is crafted with sublime care, rippling with moments of anger, pain, beauty and joy- so much so that even one who is neither a mother nor a daughter should be able to appreciate the experience.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Rating: 84

The king of romantic comedies. It's funny, smart, doesn't take itself too seriously, and stars Meg Ryan. The famous fake orgasm scene is still one of the funniest moments in the history of cinema. Billy Crystal makes a surprisingly solid leading man, lending much needed wit and levity to a film that might otherwise be bogged down with sentimentality.

The film may play a little old, also Crystal's fault. But it's just about the best romantic comedy you'll ever see. So pick it up when in need of a high quality date film.

Swing Time (1936)
Rating: 83

Astaire and Rogers will simply never be topped by another screen couple. As with all their films, Swing Time deals heavily in classy charm and spectacular dance numbers. In fact the quality of the dance numbers is what sets Swing Time apart from their nine other films.

It never gets too deep, or emotionally taxing, and it's over before you know it. Nobody denies that Astaire and Rogers offered little besides pretty fluff, laced with a good dose of elegance and charisma. But they were the best, and still are.

Pretty Woman (1990)
Rating: 82

Cinderella is a hooker. How romantic! But in all seriousness, Pretty Woman does capture that slippery quality quite well. Julia Roberts' hooker is for all intents and purposes a modern day Cinderella, among other things, pygmalion etc. The film works as a fairytale, and really what else could it be?

Richard Gere is still a weak point, coming off as more than a little stiff. Which often works for his billionaire character. The two have chemistry, the interaction of sheltered rich boy and world weary prostitute makes for many memorable moments.