The movies that make you laugh, cry, smile and then probably cry some more. Here are our top six romantic movies.

6. 50 First Dates

A man stalking a girl with a severe mental disability has all the makings of a true crime story, but 50 First Dates is anything but. Boy meets girl. Girl has memory loss. Boy sacrifices everything to be with her. In possibly Adam Sandler’s last, or only, truly great film, 50 First Dates tells the story of a hopeless romantic chasing the woman he loves, despite the obvious difficulties that her situation presents. Drew Barrymore provides equal doses of romance, love and confusion, while Adam Sandler shows us his cute side. Just look at those adorable little waffle houses.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

It seems that a lot of great romances are built on memory loss. This time, it’s Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Carrey is no stranger to a weird role. Come to think of it… The Mask, Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, Carrey only plays weird roles, but this time, he’s met his match. The wonderfully brilliant and quirky Clementine Kruczynski (Winslet) falls in love with the timid and stoic Joel Barish (Carrey) in a classic case of opposites attract. Unfortunately, a turbulent relationship leads to the couple electing to erase all memory of each other by…magic?

Its fantastical and unrealistic idiosyncrasies aside, the film shows Barish’s journey through his own mind in a desperate struggle to undo his fatal error.

4. Titanic

I struggle to think anything of less romantic than a capsizing boat and a tragic death in sub-zero temperatures, but, its ending aside, Titanic is the ultimate love story. Kate Winslet, who seemingly has a penchant for these sorts of roles, plays Leonardo Di Caprio’s opposite number. Di Caprio himself is Jack, a happy-go-lucky charmer, who, rather unfortunately as it turns out, scores himself a ticket on a one way trip. Titanic relegates and undermines class and societal hierarchy in a touching love at first sight story. Just a shame that Jack, y’know, died.

3. Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain was a seminal moment in modern cinema thanks to its portrayal of a homosexual relationship. Referred to in passing as “that gay film with the cowboys”, Brokeback Mountain explored a beautiful relationship between two curious friends. But let’s put their sexual orientation to one side for one moment.

Brokeback Mountain was, and still is, relatable. It disseminates the concept of parallel relationships, with character’s Jack and Ennis resolving a bitter inner conflict – can you love more than one person at a time?

2. The Notebook

Obvious, I know. Where oh so many others fail, The Notebook made a surprisingly smooth transition from book to film. The Notebook is bittersweet in so many ways. Duke, an elderly patient, reads to an elderly dementia sufferer.

He tells the tale of a young American couple, Noah and Allie, who find themselves caught in the middle of World War II America. The two fall hopelessly in love (aw), but the difference in their societal backgrounds proves to be too much of a stumbling block for Allie’s parents.

Without wanting to spoil too much, The Notebook is tear-inducing, but in the best way possible.

1. Casablanca

They don’t make them like they used to. Casablanca is not only an outstanding romantic movie, it’s an outstanding film full stop. Set two years into the second World War, Casablanca follows the very real dilemma of living in the Nazi-occupied and war-torn western world. Nightclub owner Rick, (who don’t stick his neck out for nobody), encounters his ex-girlfriend (Ilsa), who betrayed him years prior by running off without notice.

Riddled with anger and confusion, Rick must choose whether to assist the woman who he once loved.