Brief Moments Of True Romance

Tonight's marathon is about witnessing brief moments of true romance that gets progressively smaller with each film as the window of opportunity closes. Beginning with a romance that blossoms over the labor day weekend to becoming a 24 hour romantic story then a mans glimpse into what his future would've been if he had made better choices, and ultimately a good moral soldiers few moments of brief romance with a German girl during war time. There's a saying that less is more, and that is what tonight's marathon places heavy emphasis on. We have on our menu for this evening:

                  Labor Day 2014, Before Sunrise 1994, The Family Man 2000, and Fury 2014

We begin the evening with the 2014 romantic drama titled Labor Day. The film Stars Kate Winslet, as a depressed single mother named Adele and her son Henry who are forced into giving a wounded, fearsome man a ride to their house. What they come to find out is the man is an escaped prisoner who is being hunted by the police. As the cops search the town for the escaped convict, the mother and her son cope with their imprisonment while learning about his true story and their options becoming increasingly limited.What begins as a suspenseful and terrifying situation quickly evolves into a tale of a brief yet forbidden romance. Kate Winslet, received a well deserved Oscar nomination for her performance in this film, and Josh Brolin received critical acclaim for his role as the misunderstood escaped prisoner. The next film in the lineup is the romantic classic Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply, from the director of Boyhood. The story centers around a young man and woman who meet on a train in Europe, and end up spending one day together in Vienna. What they both realize ultimately is this will be the only chance they will spend together before parting ways. Before Sunrise is the beginning of a three part trilogy in which the two people meet at the end of every decade and rekindle their lost romance. The third film in the lineup is a modern day retelling of the Frank Capra classic It's A Wonderful Life. The Family Man starring Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, and Don Cheadle, centers around a fast-lane investment broker whose given the opportunity to see how the other half lives, wakes up one morning to find that his sports car and girlfriend have become a mini-van and wife. Of all the romantic stories told this evening, this one deals with the "what if" scenario. What if Nicholas Cage changed his life around and made better decisions, would he be better off than he is now? Family Man is hands down one of the better films both Nicholas Cage and Brett Ratner have made within the last decade and demonstrate their true skills both as actors and filmmakers. The fourth and final film in the lineup is 2014's epic war drama Fury starring Brad Pitt, Michael Pena, Shia Labeouf, and Logan Lerman. The plot of the film centers around the time period of April, 1945 where the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre. While Fury is not a romantic drama and is by tradition a war drama, the film has a brief but potent romance between a new rookie soldier and a German girl whose captured along with her mother by him and colonel Wardaddy played by Brad Pitt. What first begins as a routine securing the perimeter scenario for the allies, the young soldier played by Logan Lerman begins to fall for the young girl during a piano song duet. Wardaddy taking notice of the young attraction that quickly blossoms between the two, tells Norman to take Emma into the bedroom and have his way with her citing "They are young and alive." Why does this movie work with the rest of this lineup? Because it fits the pattern of the romances getting briefer with each film but the impact becomes greater. In the case of the one between Norman and Emma, it gives Norman something to fight for and ultimately becomes a better soldier.

The messages that each film ultimately gives on a romantic level is Labor Day saying that trust and romance can happen in the most unusual places at any given time. Do not judge a book by it's cover. Before Sunrise says that love can happen anytime, and anywhere when you least expect it. The Family Man says that sometimes what was once was might've turned out to be the best thing in the end. If it really was true love, a second chance will present itself. The romance in Fury brings it all home with the notion that even in the most unusual circumstances and brief moments of peace, love or real companionship can happen.

The couples for this marathon.