Le Cercle Des Voyageurs

Here is a list of movies with a romantic theme it is safe for men to watch. This means no Nora Ephron comedies, no Mamma Mia (if men want to watch a former James Bond humiliate himself they would rather watch Sean Connery wearing a space nappy in Zardoz), or anything starring Jennifer Aniston.

It Happened One Night (Frank Capra 1934)

Clark Gable is a journalist who meets a runaway heiress (Claudette Cobert) and realises he has stumbled upon the story of his life. They initially cannot stand each other and spend most of the film trading insults until the inevitable happens. It Happened One Night won five Oscars and is easily Frank Capra’s best film.

Le Silence de la Mer (Jean-Pierre Melville 1949)

Melville is best known for his later crime thrillers Le Samourai (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (1971) but his debut film is a graceful drama set during WWII. An injured German officer (Howard Vernon) moves into the home of an elderly Frenchman and his niece (Nicole Stephane). An attraction develops between the intruder and the girl, but the war means their desires remain hidden until the film’s devastating finale.