Loving you by not falling in love: The postmodern representation of love in chunking express and lost in translation

Romantic films are exceptionally popular with audiences around the world, particularly those in the Western world, where the idea of romantic love has long permeated the culture and thus the psyches of individuals. It is to be expected, then, that there might be a concomitant fixation on romantic love in the cinema. We have all seen those feel-good romantic movies with their neat, happily-ever-after endings - Notting Hill (Roger Michell, 1999), Love Actually (Richard Curtis, 2003) and The Holiday (Nancy Meyers, 2006) are all modern cases in point. However, there has also been a recent spate of films that explore alternatives to this portrayal of the trajectory of love. These films jettison the heart-melting connections and melodramatic (re)unions between characters that are typical of the 'traditional' romantic movie, and present a different (some might say more realistic) view of love. Match Point (Woody Allen, 2005) and Closer (Mike Nichols, 2004) are two of the many examples. Both these films explore the complexities and ambiguities that exist in human relationships. Copyright © 2009 Australian Teachers of Media.