Forget Paris (1995)

Forget Paris depicts a very well crafted plot that makes a perfect blend of a fairy tale love story that however comes along with the realistic depiction of how relationships are like in reality. Mickey and Ellen's love story started off as the ideal concept of falling in love as they fell in love and made memories in one of the most romantic cities where everything seemed beautiful and all too fairy tale like in the name of love. Love seemingly swept them off their feet in a short period of time during Mickey's short stay in Paris, however, they eventually had to come down to earth and return to their own issues and lives to deal with, and things eventually took a turn.

The couple soon started to realize the amount of obstacles that are preventing them from having the love they imagine, and this is where the real challenges comes to light that inevitably puts the strength of a relationship to a difficult test. It is also a phase in relationships where most people would choose to avoid, and ultimately giving it up as we are often more interested in the good parts alongside reliving the rewarding feeling of being 'high' in love, but never the ugly sides of it.

However, no amount of 'highs' from being in love would last to survive the long haul of relationships.

One profound lesson I learned from this movie, is that falling in love is easy, but staying in love on the hand, always falls back down to a choice. It is about making a choice that stems from sheer commitment and courage to make, which adds to the essence of a growing relationship that will be more rewarding on the long run as nothing good comes easy without effort. Through the struggles and trials that comes in hand with relationships, we are given a platform to gradualyly discover more about ourselves and our partner, and ultimately, the right way to love and finding the best foundation to sustain a healthy and loving relationship.

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Another aspect about this movie which I also found particularly helpful on the qualities of a strong relationship, is the importance of giving space and freedom for your partner to reside in their own individuality and be who they are. Most people are often inclined to change their partner accordingly to fit their preferred standards and needs, which in this case, Ellen notably tried to encourage Mickey to quit his job because she wanted him to spend more time with her but did not consider the importance of his job to him. Mickey on the other hand, exerted a crucial trait in a relationship which I found admirable, which is the ability to sacrifice what he truly loves in order to make the woman he loves happy, but at a cost of feeling miserable on the other end. This goes to show that sometimes it does not just take one party to sacrifice and settle for the other but rather working together as a team to fulfill each other's needs as it can potentially breed resentment and negativity which may disrupt the dynamic of the relationship.

We often tend to forget that the person we fall in love with is a person of a different background that comes with their own form of individuality to offer, which also actually makes the person we choose to fall for in the first place. Hence having able to find a middle ground to compromise in regards to allowing your partner to be at their best alongside feeling happy in a relationship is vital and important to consider. I would believe a healthy relationship is a relationship in which it allows an adequate amount of space for both partners to evolve and grow into better individuals. This is because a love that is alive is a love that is constantly evolving. It may be fulfilling to always go back to the past and reside in the things that started off as a fairy tale as things were seemingly better. However, sometimes, as the title goes, "forget Paris", for it is more realistic to focus on the present and continue working on the best possible aspects to keep a relationship alive alongside keeping in mind the root of the relationship from how it started off which makes a perfect balance to sustain a strong relationship.    

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

The major themes I found particularly insightful to ponder on from this film is the concept of conformity and courage revolving around a soaring champion ballroom dancer, Scott, who refuses to adhere to the typical rules laid out for ballroom dancing and believes in his own choreography towards winning the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship.

Fran's character, stood out to me more compared to the main lead Scott, as I think Fran was the root to Scott's ability to break free from the ballroom dance rule norm and gained the freedom to express due to Fran's encouragement. I found her character particularly inspiring in the sense that she was courageous enough to step her foot forward and believes in what she wants, and was not intimidated or discouraged by where she was coming from, which in this case, the beginner's level. Her determination was one admirable and crucial trait to have in living the life we want for ourselves which includes the dreams we aspire to achieve without having anyone taking control and discouraging our ability to strive for what we really want. Furthermore, Scott would not have been able to carry his own style into the ballroom dance picture if it weren't for Fran's courage towards asking him to be his dancing partner.

I also enjoyed the development of both the characters towards stepping forward in what they believe, and the relationship they eventually established and share. It depicts an ideal relationship where love comes from bringing out the best in the other, and both of them has indeed successfully managed to bring out the best in one another alongside opening each of their horizons towards discovering their fullest potential and talent.

It it often easier to conform to what other people tell us to do, because it is seemingly safer to be doing what everyone else does, and being different on the other hand, is scary as it brings uncertainty and doubt that makes us feel uncomfortable. Hence we are often more inclined to stay within our comfort zone that adheres to rules that may be unpleasant to follow, but keeps us away from trouble.. However, if we were to adopt Fran's perseverance and courage to believe in what you can achieve, life would be in fact more worth living as it is a life you take full control of by determining what you want.