MRQE Ranks: The 50 Best Romantic Films of the 2000s

1

WALL·E (2008)

Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy

Director: Andrew Stanton

Writer: Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton

Synopsis: Disney and Pixar join forces for this computer-animated tale about a wide-eyed robot who travels to the deepest reaches of outer space in search of... [MORE]

2

Amélie (2001)

Cast: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Serge Merlin, Rufus

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Synopsis: One woman decides to change the world by changing the lives of the people she knows in this charming and romantic comic fantasy from director Jean-... [MORE]

3

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood

Director: Michel Gondry

Synopsis: The second feature from director Michel Gondry (Human Nature) finds the filmmaker reteaming with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman for this off-the-wall... [MORE]

4

Almost Famous (2000)

Cast: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit

Director: Cameron Crowe

Synopsis: Writer and director Cameron Crowe's experiences as a teenage rock journalist -- he was a regular contributor to Rolling Stone while still in high s... [MORE]

5

Far from Heaven (2002)

Cast: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, Patricia Clarkson, Viola Davis

Director: Todd Haynes

Synopsis: Maverick director Todd Haynes embraces the look and feel of classic Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s in this period drama. Cathy Whitaker (Juliann... [MORE]

6

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan

Director: Danny Boyle

Synopsis: Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life... [MORE]

7

Once (2006)

Cast: Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Geoff Minogue, Bill Hodnett, Danuse Ktrestova

Director: John Carney

Synopsis: A Dublin-based busker and vacuum-cleaner repairman enters into a fruitful relationship with a piano playing florist in a toe-tapping "video album" ... [MORE]

8

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid

Director: Ang Lee

Synopsis: Ang Lee's adaptation of E. Annie Proulx's story Brokeback Mountain stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as young cowboys named Jack Twist and Enn... [MORE]

9

Shrek (2001)

Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel

Director: Vicky Jenson, Andrew Adamson

Synopsis: In this fully computer-animated fantasy from the creators of Antz, we follow the travails of Shrek (Mike Myers), a green ogre who enjoys a life of ... [MORE]

10

Before Sunset (2004)

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Vernon Dobtcheff, Louise Lemonie Torres, Rodolphe Pauly

Director: Richard Linklater

Synopsis: Richard Linklater directs the romantic drama Before Sunset, a sequel to Before Sunrise (1995). Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) were st... [MORE]

11

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Talulah Riley, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone

Director: Joe Wright

Synopsis: Jane Austen's perennially popular story of the game of love among the British upper classes returns to the screen in this polished film adaptation.... [MORE]

12

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Synopsis: The third film from pop-music-obsessed director Baz Luhrmann tweaks the conventions of the musical genre by mixing a period romance with anachronis... [MORE]

13

Away from Her (2006)

Cast: Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Wendy Crewson

Director: Sarah Polley

Synopsis: Filmmaker Atom Egoyan -- a longtime onscreen collaborator with the gifted young actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter) -- executive-produced Po... [MORE]

14

An Education (2009)

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike

Director: Lone Scherfig

Synopsis: A suburban London teen finds her traditional education replaced by something slightly more sinister when an older, more worldly suitor sweeps her o... [MORE]

15

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Grace Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler

Director: Marc Webb

Synopsis: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in director Marc Webb's wry, nonlinear romantic comedy about a man who falls head over heels for a wo... [MORE]

16

Knocked Up (2007)

Cast: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel

Director: Judd Apatow

Synopsis: When a one-night stand that should have stayed that way has unexpected consequences, the reluctant odd couple attempts to transform their tentative... [MORE]

17

Garden State (2004)

Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Armando Riesco

Director: Zach Braff

Synopsis: In the wake of his success on the hit NBC sitcom Scrubs, actor Zach Braff made his debut behind the camera writing, directing, and starring in this... [MORE]

18

High Fidelity (2000)

Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet

Director: Stephen Frears

Synopsis: A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obses... [MORE]

19

Atonement (2007)

Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Brenda Blethyn, Romola Garai

Director: Joe Wright

Synopsis: A mischievous girl accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit, only to find that her words have irrevocably and permanently chan... [MORE]

20

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Debra Winger

Director: Jonathan Demme

Synopsis: Lingering tensions clash with new hopes in director Jonathan Demme's ensemble drama set during an idyllic wedding that threatens to descend into ch... [MORE]

21

Y tu mamá también (2001)

Cast: Maribel Verdu, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Maria Aura, Diana Bracho

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Synopsis: Mexican-born, New York-based filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón directed this Mexican box-office smash hit about a pair of randy upper-class buddies that spa... [MORE]

22

Bright Star (2009)

Cast: Ben Whishaw, Abbie Cornish, Paul Schneider, Kerry Fox, Edie Martin

Director: Jane Campion

Synopsis: Jane Campion's literary biopic tells the true story of Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a 23-year-old Londoner in 1818 whose independent streak manife... [MORE]

23

Monster's Ball (2001)

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Peter Boyle, Heath Ledger, Sean Combs

Director: Marc Forster

Synopsis: Director Marc Forster, winner of Best Feature at Slamdance for his debut film Loungers (1996) and the "Someone to Watch" Independent Spirit Award f... [MORE]

24

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Cast: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Mary Lynn Rajskub

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Synopsis: Adam Sandler and Emily Watson star in Punch-Drunk Love, an odd romantic comedy from gifted young director Paul Thomas Anderson. Sandler plays Barry... [MORE]

25

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Jason Flemyng, Julia Ormond, Taraji P. Henson

Director: David Fincher

Synopsis: David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story, re-teams the director with Brad Pitt, who takes ... [MORE]

26

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Cast: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Jean-Pierre Becker, Dominique Bettenfeld, Clovis Cornillac

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Synopsis: Audrey Tautou, who rose to international stardom with the title role in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's worldwide smash Amélie, reunites with the director for... [MORE]

27

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen

Director: Judd Apatow

Synopsis: One man nervously ventures forth into the final frontier in this comedy starring comic actor Steve Carell. Andy Stitzer (Carell) is a cheerfully ge... [MORE]

28

The Hours (2002)

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, John C. Reilly, Ed Harris

Director: Stephen Daldry

Synopsis: Three women, separated by a span of nearly 80 years, find themselves weathering similar crises, all linked by a single work of literature in this f... [MORE]

29

Walk the Line (2005)

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts

Director: James Mangold

Synopsis: James Mangold's Walk the Line tells the life story of country music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), focusing primarily on the long courtship ... [MORE]

30

Little Children (2006)

Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Gregg Edelman

Director: Todd Field

Synopsis: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Field teams with novelist Tom Perrotta to adapt Perrotta's acclaimed novel concerning the suburban malaise experienc... [MORE]

31

Enchanted (2007)

Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Idina Menzel

Director: Kevin Lima

Synopsis: Classic Disney animation meets contemporary urban chaos when a frightened princess is banished from her magical animated homeland to modern-day New... [MORE]

32

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall, Patricia Clarkson, Kevin Dunn, Chris Messina, Christopher Evan Welch, Zak Orth, Carrie Preston, Pablo Schreiber, Julio Perillan, Abel Folk

Director: Woody Allen

Synopsis: Woody Allen's romantic drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona stars Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson as best friends Vicky and Cristina. As the movie op... [MORE]

33

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Cast: Parminder K. Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan

Director: Gurinder Chadha

Synopsis: An independent-minded young woman discovers the joys of football, much to her family's chagrin, in this upbeat British comedy drama. Jess Bhamra (P... [MORE]

34

Match Point (2005)

Cast: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer, Brian Cox

Director: Woody Allen

Synopsis: A clandestine love affair sends one man's charmed life into a tailspin in this dark, disturbing drama written and directed by Woody Allen, his firs... [MORE]

35

The Painted Veil (2006)

Cast: Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Diana Rigg, Toby Jones

Director: John Curran

Synopsis: A couple with a broken relationship learns some valuable lessons about love, life, and sacrifice in this romantic drama based on a novel by W. Some... [MORE]

36

In Good Company (2004)

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer

Director: Paul Weitz

Synopsis: A middle-aged man finds a callow twentysomething usurping his professional life and worming his way into his family in this alternately funny and p... [MORE]

37

I Love You, Man (2009)

Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg

Director: John Hamburg

Synopsis: Engaged to the woman of his dreams yet uncomfortable with the prospect of not having a best man for his upcoming wedding, a successful real estate ... [MORE]

38

Closer (2004/I)

Cast: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Colin Stinton

Director: Mike Nichols

Writer: Patrick Marber

Synopsis: Patrick Marber's acclaimed stage drama about the romantic interactions of four people has been given a reverent screen adaptation by director and p... [MORE]

39

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Cast: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Synopsis: In desperate need of a vacation after being unceremoniously dumped by his TV-star girlfriend, a man travels to a lavish Hawaiian resort to nurse hi... [MORE]

40

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Cast: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah

Director: Marc Forster

Synopsis: A socially isolated IRS agent whose every move is documented by a disembodied female voice discovers that his life is the subject of a book current... [MORE]

41

Keeping the Faith (2000)

Cast: Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Jenna Elfman, Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach

Director: Edward Norton

Writer: Stuart Blumberg

Synopsis: Actor Edward Norton debuts as a director with this comedy-drama about love, friendship, and faith. Priest Brian Finn (Norton) and rabbi Jacob Schra... [MORE]

42

2 Days in Paris (2007)

Cast: Adam Goldberg, Julie Delpy, Albert Delpy, Daniel Bruhl

Director: Julie Delpy

43

Love Actually (2003)

Cast: Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman

Director: Richard Curtis

Synopsis: All of London is in love -- or longing to be -- in Four Weddings and a Funeral writer Richard Curtis' first directorial effort. Billed as "the ulti... [MORE]

44

Two Lovers (2008)

Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Joaquin Phoenix, Elias Koteas, Isabella Rossellini

Director: James Gray

Synopsis: A depressed young man moves back in with his parents and finds his life turned upside down as he struggles to choose between the beautiful daughter... [MORE]

45

Meet the Parents (2000)

Cast: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Owen Wilson

Director: Jay Roach

Synopsis: In this comedy from Austin Powers director Jay Roach, Ben Stiller plays a young man who endures a disastrous weekend at the home of his girlfriend'... [MORE]

46

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Cast: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Christopher Walken, Isla Fisher

Director: David Dobkin

Synopsis: Two guys find out the hard way that sneaking into the wrong party can cause serious problems in this comedy. Jeremy Klein (Vince Vaughn) and John B... [MORE]

47

The Tao of Steve (2000)

Cast: Donal Logue, Greer Goodman, Kimo Wills, Ayelet Kaznelson, David Aaron Baker

Director: Jenniphr Goodman

Synopsis: Jenniphr Goodman makes her directorial debut with this film about an overweight slacker who has an unusual ability to attract the ladies. The film ... [MORE]

48

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Cast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Gia Carides

Director: Joel Zwick

Synopsis: One woman's rocky road to the altar gets played for laughs in this comedy, adapted from the one-woman off-Broadway show written by and starring Nia... [MORE]

49

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin

Director: Adam Brooks

Synopsis: A political consultant in the midst of a bitter divorce attempts to delicately divulge the truth about his past relationships to his curious young ... [MORE]

50

Away We Go (2009)

Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Carmen Ejogo, Jeff Daniels, Jim Gaffigan

Director: Sam Mendes

Synopsis: When slacker thirtysomething couple Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) discover that his parents are moving overseas, the duo -- who e... [MORE]