Romance (with strong female leads)

Lili’s Pick: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Lanie’s Pick: The Host (2013)

Beginning with two fairly different films, Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Andrew Niccol’s The Host, I came to appreciate how incongruous movies can be married together by a singular theme—no matter how specific. My second watch of Portrait of a Lady on Fire only further cemented the feelings of adoration and joy I felt after my first viewing, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Host—given that I am not traditionally a Stephenie Meyer fan. But as Twilight has been resurrected by its fans and garnered a new appreciation for its monotone absurdity, so should The Host, with its fun interpretation of dystopia and its cast of undeniable hotties. Adele Haenel and Noemie Merlant, and Saoirse Ronan, delivered powerful, memorable performances in their respective films, and really set the tone for our cinematic odyssey.