Damien Chazelle’s new film "La La Land" releases this weekend and tells the story of a struggling actress in Hollywood who falls for a jazz pianist and how their respective career successes interfere with their love affair.
Whether or not Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s performances as Sebastian and Mia will be remembered amongst the most iconic on-screen couples of all time remains to be seen. But it got us thinking about which ones already fall under that umbrella.
Pulling off an on-screen relationship takes more than good acting. It’s about the chemistry between the actors involved and how that chemistry translates into each actor’s portrayal of his or her character. Maybe it’s a tale of a hopeless romantic like Nick Cage’s Ronny Cammareri trying to prove his love to the traditional (and engaged to his brother) Loretta Castorini, played by Cher, in the 1987 classic "Moonstruck." Or maybe it’s the match-made-in-heaven chemistry seen between Nick and Nora Charles, played by William Powell and Myrna Loy in "The Thin Man" movies from the 1930s. And who could forget the story of star-crossed lovers whose love conquers class and culture in James Cameron’s 1997 film "Titanic."
Who are your favorite on-screen couples of all time? What made them memorable?
Guests:
Peter Rainer, Film Critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor
Amy Nicholson, Film Critic for KPCC and Chief Film Critic, MTV News; she tweets