Roman Holiday and the Brief Encounter Genre

Asking a film buff which film is their favorite can lead to a lot of hemming and hawing about how difficult it is to choose one, or even a top ten. But I've had my answer ready to go since about 1993, when I first saw Roman Holiday, the 1953 romantic comedy starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn and directed by William Wyler.

I can't write an essay claiming that this is the greatest film ever made (something I could do for the next three films on Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:50:34 +0000 https://film5000.com/2026/remake/19951 https://film5000.com/2026/remake/19951 https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19951/2026-Remake-MAIN.jpg Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:50:34 +0000</p> <p>I should say that I've never been a big fan of the "personal documentary"—those films in which the filmmaker is also the subject or the narrative device through which the subject is explored. These movies, with their endless POV shots, interviews with people talking informally to the camera, and endless takes of walking through environments while the director explains via voice-over narration what was happening when they shot the footage, have become more and more common as cameras g... </article> <article> <h1><description/> <pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:22:16 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/l'inconnue/19952</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/l'inconnue/19952</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19952/2026-The_Unknown-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:22:16 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1><description><p>Following on the heels of David Osit's thoughtful and ruminative 2025 documentary <a href="../2025/predators/15041"><em>Predators</em></a>, comes Lance Oppenheim's absurdly heightened satirical drama on the same subject. <em>Primetime</em> is less a fictionalized docudrama about the rise and fall of the ultimate "gotcha-TV" show, the <em>Dateline NBC</em> spinoff <em>To Catch a Predator</em>, but more of an exaggerated character study of its host, Chris Hansen. During the popular series' h...</description> <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:53:08 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/primetime/19950</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/primetime/19950</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19950/2026-Primetime-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:53:08 +0000</p> <p>Following on the heels of David Osit's thoughtful and ruminative 2025 documentary <a href="../2025/predators/15041"><em>Predators</em></a>, comes Lance Oppenheim's absurdly heightened satirical drama on the same subject. <em>Primetime</em> is less a fictionalized docudrama about the rise and fall of the ultimate "gotcha-TV" show, the <em>Dateline NBC</em> spinoff <em>To Catch a Predator</em>, but more of an exaggerated character study of its host, Chris Hansen. During the popular series' h... </article> <article> <h1><description><p>Spooky Season started a little early this year, when Sony Pictures snagged a mid-Sept IMAX release window for the latest installment in the video game-inspired <em>Resident Evil</em> franchise. This latest film comes from the acclaimed director of <a href="../../2022/barbarian/6446"><em>Barbarian</em></a> and <a href="../../2025/weapons/16426"><em>Weapons</em></a>, Zach Cregger. Co-written by Shay Hatten (<em>John Wick 3 </em>and <em>4</em>, Zack Snyder's <em>Army of the Dead</em> and <em>...</description> <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:06:51 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/resident-evil/19948</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/resident-evil/19948</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19948/2026-Resident_Evil-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:06:51 +0000</p> <p>Spooky Season started a little early this year, when Sony Pictures snagged a mid-Sept IMAX release window for the latest installment in the video game-inspired <em>Resident Evil</em> franchise. This latest film comes from the acclaimed director of <a href="../../2022/barbarian/6446"><em>Barbarian</em></a> and <a href="../../2025/weapons/16426"><em>Weapons</em></a>, Zach Cregger. Co-written by Shay Hatten (<em>John Wick 3 </em>and <em>4</em>, Zack Snyder's <em>Army of the Dead</em> and <em>... </article> <article> <h1><description><p>The directorial debut of Padraic McKinley is a nice throwback to a time when movies about groups of desperate men trekking through some kind of wilderness with a high-stakes goal and multiple internal conflicts were common at the multiplex. From John Boorman and James Dickey's iconic existential thriller <em>Deliverance</em> (1972) to Lee Tamahori and David Mamet's underrated survival thriller, <em>The Edge</em> (1997), there was a time when movies about manhood being put to the test in an...</description> <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:06:32 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/the-weight/19947</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/the-weight/19947</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19947/2026-The_Weight-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:06:32 +0000</p> <p>The directorial debut of Padraic McKinley is a nice throwback to a time when movies about groups of desperate men trekking through some kind of wilderness with a high-stakes goal and multiple internal conflicts were common at the multiplex. From John Boorman and James Dickey's iconic existential thriller <em>Deliverance</em> (1972) to Lee Tamahori and David Mamet's underrated survival thriller, <em>The Edge</em> (1997), there was a time when movies about manhood being put to the test in an... </article> <article> <h1><description/> <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:06:09 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/i-want-your-sex/19932</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/i-want-your-sex/19932</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19932/2026_I_Want_Your_Sex-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:06:09 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1><description><p>Like the Muppets after Jim Henson's death, the Looney Tunes characters have struggled since well before the passing of their legendary directors, writers, and vocal talent to recapture the quality and relevance of their glory years. <em>Space Jam</em>, the 1996 feature that mixed live-action stars with the iconic animated characters, was the last major hit for the media franchise. Three attempts have been made since to reignite the comedic magic of the original Warner Brother cartoon short...</description> <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2026 19:10:21 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/coyote-vs-acme/19942</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/coyote-vs-acme/19942</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19942/2026-Coyote_vs_Acme-MAN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Sun, 20 Sep 2026 19:10:21 +0000</p> <p>Like the Muppets after Jim Henson's death, the Looney Tunes characters have struggled since well before the passing of their legendary directors, writers, and vocal talent to recapture the quality and relevance of their glory years. <em>Space Jam</em>, the 1996 feature that mixed live-action stars with the iconic animated characters, was the last major hit for the media franchise. Three attempts have been made since to reignite the comedic magic of the original Warner Brother cartoon short... </article> <article> <h1><description/> <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:32:38 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/blind-love/19945</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/blind-love/19945</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19945/2025-Blind_Love-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:32:38 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1><description><p>Scott Mann's 2022 film <a href="../../2022/fall/6571"><em>Fall</em></a>, a survival thriller about a couple of thrill-seeking gals who climb a 2,000-foot-tall radio tower and get stranded at the top with no way down, was a damn satisfying picture. Working with a $3M budget, Mann convincingly staged this harrowing 107 minutes in ways that make you grip the sides of your chair even if you're not especially afraid of heights. It wasn't universally loved, but I thought it was about as effectiv...</description> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:24:06 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/fall-2:-deadpoint/19941</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/fall-2:-deadpoint/19941</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19941/2026-Fall_2_Deadpoint-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:24:06 +0000</p> <p>Scott Mann's 2022 film <a href="../../2022/fall/6571"><em>Fall</em></a>, a survival thriller about a couple of thrill-seeking gals who climb a 2,000-foot-tall radio tower and get stranded at the top with no way down, was a damn satisfying picture. Working with a $3M budget, Mann convincingly staged this harrowing 107 minutes in ways that make you grip the sides of your chair even if you're not especially afraid of heights. It wasn't universally loved, but I thought it was about as effectiv... </article> <article> <h1><description><p>For everyone who thought that Barney the Big Purple Dinosaur was the Antichrist, the feature debut of Casper Kelly (director of the 2014 viral sensation <em>Too Many Cooks</em>) should be very reassuring. Set in the world of a terrible '90s kids' show starring a big, plush, orange, anthropomorphic talking unicorn with magical powers who teaches life lessons through God-awful songs but isn't what he appears to be, the picture is delightfully unhinged but not developed enough to sustain its ...</description> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 01:32:14 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/buddy/19940</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/buddy/19940</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19940/2026-Buddy-Main.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 01:32:14 +0000</p> <p>For everyone who thought that Barney the Big Purple Dinosaur was the Antichrist, the feature debut of Casper Kelly (director of the 2014 viral sensation <em>Too Many Cooks</em>) should be very reassuring. Set in the world of a terrible '90s kids' show starring a big, plush, orange, anthropomorphic talking unicorn with magical powers who teaches life lessons through God-awful songs but isn't what he appears to be, the picture is delightfully unhinged but not developed enough to sustain its ... </article> <article> <h1><description><p>Film programmer and critic-turned-director Kent Jones (<em>Hitchcock/Truffaut, <a href="../../2019/diane/5571">Diane</a></em>) and casting director-turned-Oscar-nominated screenwriter Samy Burch (<em><a href="../../2023/may-december/6988">May December</a>, Coyote vs. Acme</em>) provide a terrific late-career role for the always wonderful Willem Dafoe. I guess we have to start saying Dafoe is in his late career now, even though the 71-year-old actor has always seemed kind of ageless. This p...</description> <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:46:41 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/late-fame/19931</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/late-fame/19931</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19931/2026-Late_Fame-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:46:41 +0000</p> <p>Film programmer and critic-turned-director Kent Jones (<em>Hitchcock/Truffaut, <a href="../../2019/diane/5571">Diane</a></em>) and casting director-turned-Oscar-nominated screenwriter Samy Burch (<em><a href="../../2023/may-december/6988">May December</a>, Coyote vs. Acme</em>) provide a terrific late-career role for the always wonderful Willem Dafoe. I guess we have to start saying Dafoe is in his late career now, even though the 71-year-old actor has always seemed kind of ageless. This p... </article> <article> <h1><description><p>Rustin Thompson's quiet, patient road movie showcases the 123 small, independent theaters he visited while traveling the American West. As he explores the state of the contemporary movie theater business, he visits long-abandoned Art Deco jewels converted into churches and furniture stores that have long since gone out of business, single-screne movieshouses all forced to run the latest superhero film no one in town wants to see, two-and-three-cinema multiplexes running mostly studio produ...</description> <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:36:12 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/the-last-picture-shows/19936</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/the-last-picture-shows/19936</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19936/2026-Last_Picture_Shows.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:36:12 +0000</p> <p>Rustin Thompson's quiet, patient road movie showcases the 123 small, independent theaters he visited while traveling the American West. As he explores the state of the contemporary movie theater business, he visits long-abandoned Art Deco jewels converted into churches and furniture stores that have long since gone out of business, single-screne movieshouses all forced to run the latest superhero film no one in town wants to see, two-and-three-cinema multiplexes running mostly studio produ... </article> <article> <h1><description/> <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 03:12:35 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/chris-&-martina:-the-final-set/19935</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/chris-&-martina:-the-final-set/19935</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19935/2026-Chris___Martina-The_Final_Set-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 03:12:35 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1><description><p>My favorite type of biopic is the kind that focuses on one chapter of the subject's life and fictionalizes the events in such a way that <em>feels</em> truthful, rather than attempting to be factually accurate. So I was hoping I might enjoy this snapshot of celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain's early years working in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Knowing little about Bourdain, but well aware of how beloved a personality he was, I looked forward to irreverent Ca...</description> <pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:20:49 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/tony/19930</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/tony/19930</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19930/2026-Tony.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:20:49 +0000</p> <p>My favorite type of biopic is the kind that focuses on one chapter of the subject's life and fictionalizes the events in such a way that <em>feels</em> truthful, rather than attempting to be factually accurate. So I was hoping I might enjoy this snapshot of celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain's early years working in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Knowing little about Bourdain, but well aware of how beloved a personality he was, I looked forward to irreverent Ca... </article> <article> <h1><description><p>The latest work of Amblin-colored '80s nostalgia comes from writer/director David Robert Mitchell and producer J.J. Abrams. Abrams' own example of this directorial cosplay, <a href="../../2011/super-8/3412011/super-8/341"><em>Super 8</em></a>, was about as disappointing as it gets, despite being produced by Spielberg himself. It was all about surface recreation of a time and a vibe without any of the bits that actually made us love those movies. Mitchell seems equally interested in paying ...</description> <pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:47:01 +0000</pubDate> <link>https://film5000.com/2026/the-end-of-oak-street/19927</link> <guid>https://film5000.com/2026/the-end-of-oak-street/19927</guid> <image> <url>https://film5000.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/review/image/19927/2026-The_End_of_Oak_St-MAIN.jpg</url> <title>Film5000: Latest Reviews</h1> <p>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:47:01 +0000</p> <p>The latest work of Amblin-colored '80s nostalgia comes from writer/director David Robert Mitchell and producer J.J. Abrams. Abrams' own example of this directorial cosplay, <a href="../../2011/super-8/3412011/super-8/341"><em>Super 8</em></a>, was about as disappointing as it gets, despite being produced by Spielberg himself. It was all about surface recreation of a time and a vibe without any of the bits that actually made us love those movies. Mitchell seems equally interested in paying ... </article> </main></body></html>