”Think about it, there must be higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above.”
5. God’s Own Country (2017)
This is the inspiration behind the list. I watched Brokeback Mountain (2006) it was ok. I feel like director Francis Lee also watched Brokeback Mountian and thought “I can do better.”
God’s Own Country is also about two attractive young men going to the countryside to care for sheep. But with a few key differences. Johnny is the son of a farmer and from the very beginning, he knows he is gay. In fact, he is a bad gay stereotype (someone who has random indiscriminate sex).
When his father has a stroke he is encouraged to take a more active role on the farm. He meets Gheorghe, a Romanian migrant worker. It’s clear they are attracted to each other but in the cultural climate of rural England, one cannot make assumptions. So they fight with Johnny referring to Gheorghe as Gypsey trash.
Out of nowhere one of their fights turns into a kiss and the two make love on the mountain. In Brokeback Mountian that was the extent of the sexual content.
Here not only is the sex erotic but after, when the men retire to their sleep quarters they make slow, passionate love, in recognition of the fact that their attraction was mutual.
Not to give too much away but the couple gets separated and when they reunite the love so powerful you can almost hear Love lift us up where we belong playing in the background.
Love lift us up where we belong
Where the eagles cry on a mountain high
Love lift us up where we belong
Far from the world we know, where the clear winds blow…
4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Starting in movie 2 of 3, in the Hobbit series, was the love story of elf warrior princess Taurial and dwarf Kili. When the dwarf team gets put in the prison of the Elf King Thranduil, Taurial is charged with keeping them imprisoned.
Kili: Aren’t you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers.
Tauriel: Or nothing.
They have a lot of witty banter then when the dwarves escape and are attacked by Orcs Tauriel goes out of her way to save injured Kili. In his poisoned state, he pretty much declared his love for her.
Kili: Tauriel…
Tauriel: Lie still.
Kili: You cannot be her. She is far away. She… she is far, far away from me. She walks in starlight in another world. It was just a dream. Do you think she could have loved me?
In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Kili dies in the final battle and Tauriel eventually finds his body, ending with a tearful goodbye.
Tauriel: If this is love, I do not want it. Take it away, please! Why does it hurt so much?
King Thranduil (Who had gone through his own change of heart after coming to terms with the death of his wife): Because it was real.
This storyline was not present in the novel or the cartoon but it was the sweet ‘Romeo and Juliet’ forbidden love that that movie needed.
Now if you google ‘Taurial and Kili’ hundreds of fanart tributess pop up. Here is mine.
3. Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool was always meant to be a love story. Former soldier turned hitman, Wade Wilson meets Vanessa. With their matching personalities, they hit it off. But just as they are thinking about marriage Wade falls ill with late-stage cancer.
A mysterious organization gives him the chance to get “treatment” through a very different means; drawing strength from the body. But they were actually trying to create supersoldiers. The process resulted in Wade’s body becoming covered in “burn scars.” But his new mutilated body had a superpower; he could regenerate, he was immortal.
But would Vanessa still love him? His inability to face her caused Vanessa to get kidnapped but in the end- of course, she did. She loved his cute child-like personality. (Hopefully, she still will in Deadpool 2, out on Mother’s day 2018)
2.Burnt (2015)
Burnt was a critical failure but one of the best food industry related movies I have ever seen. Adam was a rockstar chef who went to France in his teens to become a star. With stardom came drugs and lots of bad decisions. So after spending a few years in Louisiana, working as a humble prep cook, he came to London to try to start again.
He brought together a team of old friends and one new one: Sous chef and single mom, Helene. She used to be just like Adam, a drug-addicted party girl but when her daughter was born she got back to work. Her ex-husband was still a drunk so Helene knew, it was on her to work hard to give her daughter the future they both deserved.
So with their matching work ethics, they create beauty from the ashes, working together as two burnt pieces of toast, trying to brush themselves off and start on the path to success.
1. Hellboy (2004), Hellboy 2 (2008)
The first time I watched Hellboy, I did so because it was a comic book movie (and the fact that it starts with him as a wee little baby demon.) But this is a love story for the ages. Hellboy works for BPRD, an organization of superpowered individuals who go on top secret missions to protect humanity.
Another member of this team is Liz Sherman who’s firepower is so uncontrollable she is fearful of it. At the age of 11, she killed 32 people including her parents and brother. She is afraid to love because anyone who loves her will get hurt.
But guess who’s fireproof! The first movie ends with a kiss.
And the 2nd movie starts with Liz’s secret pregnancy.
The ending of the second movie comes full circle with Liz convincing Hellboy that he is worthy of love and life (because certain things happen that make him think the world would be better off without him.)
Unfortunately, the movie does not show the babies so I had to use my imagination. 😛
Love is love; pure, beautiful, and inspiring.
Love is love indeed. ❤️