31. Om Shanthi Oshana (Jude Anthony Joseph, 2014, India)
Sweet and unpretentious coming-of-age Malayalam rom-com, told from girl's perspective, playing slightly with narrative form and schemes of a male character being the one to court the girl. The heroine is lovely but feisty and proactive. From the beginning, she overtakes the narrative, because, as she explains, it is her story, so she is the most fitting person to tell it. Pooja doesn't resemble any shy and obedient girls around her: she wears trousers, she whistles and hates the bare sound of the word “cooking”. While watching the movie, she rather admires the male star's motorcycle than the star himself. Instructed by her wine-brewing auntie that a girl should choose her man instead of letting her family arrange her marriage, she decides to go for a hunt for a proper candidate. And she finds one, but winning someone's heart is not an easy task… The plot spanning through few years won't bring any surprising twists and turns, but the movie's magic lies in its well-written, lovable characters, self-ironic narration and loads of warmth and optimism. This is a kind of a movie which leaves you in a blissful mood, not being mawkish and candy corn. (Joanna Konczak)
32. One Fine Spring Day (Hur Jin-ho, 2001, S. Korea)
The sophomore feature of melodrama king Hur Jin-ho might not have been as commercially successful as its predecessor “Christmas in August”, but the much-loved “One Fine Spring Day” ably depicts the two sides of love, its fierce blooming and the embers it leaves behind in the wake of its exhaustion. Often accused of being a bit slow-paced, the film is made essential viewing thanks to the performances from Yoo Ji-tae and Lee Young-ae and Kim Hyung-goo's breathtaking cinematography. If for nothing (and that's a massive “if”), “One Fine Spring Day” will forever be remembered for giving the world the evergreen pick-up line “do you want to eat ramyun?” (Rhythm Zaveri)
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33. Pelli Choopulu (Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam, 2016, India)
Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam in his Telugu feature debut shows a nicely woven story about people who first met and get to know each other, not necessarily from the best side, and then on the base of their friendship and professional cooperation they build a relationship. First comes sense, and romance only follows. However, “Peeli Choopulu” is more than just a romantic comedy. It is a smart tale, in which a responsible girl teaches a feckless and a bit lost guy, how to find purpose in life, how to be mature and how one should behave not to lose respect to himself. From the impetus, farce-inspired beginning, through the ups and downs of running together a food truck business, the movie also points to more serious matters, as dowry, gender roles in Indian society and the importance of empowering the girls. (Joanna Konczak)
34. The City of Betrayal (Daisuke Miura, 2016, Japan)
“The City of Betrayal” is one of the most sincere portrayals of human fragility and perseverance during relationship struggles caught on film. Within the first quarter, I found myself pulled in deeply and invested in the two lovers, and thanks to great performances and consistent script, the film was able to keep me invested until the end. Director Daisuke Miura has adapted exceptionally well from a playwright into a film director. Sometimes when a film is adapted from a play it seems to lose some key elements while transitioning, either due to technical missteps changing mediums or the material just seems better suited for the theater. Thankfully “The City of Betrayal” does not fall into any of those shortcomings and shows that Daisuke Miura has a lot of talent in both industries and will continue to establish himself in whichever medium he chooses. Also worthy of note, ensure to stick around after the credits as there is a short scene that plays once the credits end, which is a nice send off to the main characters. (Adam Symchuk)
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35. The Classic (Kwak Jae-yong, 2003, S. Korea)
Kwak Jae-yong tells two parallel stories in a wonderful fashion, although the one occurring in the 1960s has more depth and somewhat overshadows the other one. The film's biggest asset is definitely Son Ye-jin, who plays both the mother and the daughter in a magnificent fashion, actually raising the level of every scene she appears in. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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36. The Lunchbox (Ritesh Batra, 2013, India)
“The Lunchbox” is very enjoyable, light entertainment. Due to its presentation of the setting and its performances Ritesh Batra manages to make a more than solid drama with elements of romance and comedy, even though its final message fails to hit the mark. (Rouven Linnarz)
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37. Tremble All You Want (Akiko Ohku, 2017, Japan)
At the core of this romantic comedy is the story of a young woman coming to terms with the world around her. The film almost acts as a coming of age flick for someone finding romance in their early 20's. The balance of quirkiness, romance and drama are well executed within the production and the film never lulls or becomes too predictable. Although awarding the film for originality would feel like a misstep as once the pieces fall into place the audience won't find any new or original concepts. Rather, what the film does aim to accomplish, it does in a fun and competent manner, that makes it a gem within the rom-com genre. (Adam Symchuk)
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38. Us and Them (Rene Liu, 2018, China)
In short, “Us and Them” is a great romantic drama film that not only manages to entertain for 2 long hours, but also gets you very emotional. A film that makes us fall in love as it knows how to tell a love story with all its aspects and stages, as well as making us reflect on our ambitions and our goals. Maybe it's not just one of the best Chinese films of the year, but one of the best movies of the year, period. (Pedro Morata)
39. You are the Apple of My Eye (Giddens Ko, 2011, Taiwan)
The film could be another teenage rom-com if not for Giddens Ko incorporating a great deal of sexual frankness, particularly through the teenage boys' tendencies in that department, which are presented in hilarious fashion, despite the fact that the film faced some censorship due to them. Furthermore, the film benefits the most from its protagonists' chemistry (Ko Chen Tung as Ching Teng and Michelle Chen as Chia Yi), and the permeating sense of nostalgia it demonstrates. (Joanna Konczak)
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40. Your Name (Makoto Shinkai, 2016, Japan)
“Your Name”is one of the best films that I have seen this year. “Your Name”is an experience, an emotional, haptic and visceral journey through time and memory that grabs your attention and doesn't let you go until long after the final credit has rolled. I would recommend seeing it in IMAX, which is how I saw it, and is the way in which I think it should be seen. (Colette Balmain)
