Women are making their mark both in life and on the big screen. Cinema continues to be filled with inspiring stories of women who achieve the impossible and uplift audiences with their strength and determination. We have put together a selection of the best films for International Women’s Day, perfect for enjoying your time and perhaps even sparking positive changes in your life.
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Paris Can Wait
IMDb: 5.8/10
2016, Comedy, Romance, Drama
USA, UK, Japan, PG
Director: Eleanor Coppola
Top cast: Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard, Alec Baldwin
The film's main character, Anna, is a woman married to a successful film producer. With her husband always working and rarely at home, Anna feels lonely and unhappy. When he leaves for yet another business trip, Anna embarks on a road trip from Cannes to Paris, accompanied by his business partner, who turns out to be a charming seducer. Over the course of just two days, this journey becomes an exciting adventure that reminds Anna of the beauty of life. Paris Can Wait is the debut film of director Eleanor Coppola, made when she was 80 years old. The film, from start to finish, is a delightful gastronomic and slightly historical journey for Anna. It’s a wonderful, clean adventure through the countryside for two adults, free of any negativity.
One Day
IMDb: 7.0/10
2011, Romance, Drama
USA, UK, PG-13
Director: Lone Scherfig
Top cast: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson
Emma is romantic, sharp-tongued, and dreams of making the world a better place. Dexter is a playboy, a lucky charmer, and wants the world to be his. They first meet at their college graduation and spend just one day together. As night falls, they decide to remain friends. Before parting ways, Emma and Dexter promise to meet every year on the anniversary of their first encounter, no matter what. But did they manage to keep that promise? One Day is a tribute to heartfelt emotions and a celebration of romance, filled with the scent of old books, the rustle of pages, the green of grass, laughter, smiles, and the timeless essence of life. It's a deeply touching, soulful, and incredibly uplifting film.
Home Again
IMDb: 5.8/10
2017, Comedy, Romance, Drama
USA, PG-13
Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Top cast: Reese Witherspoon, Michael Sheen, Candice Bergen
Home Again follows Alice, a single mother raising two daughters in Los Angeles. One night, she meets three young filmmakers at a bar who are looking for a place to stay. Alice offers them to live with her, which leads to some unexpected consequences. Interestingly, Hallie Meyers-Shyer managed to film the entire movie in just 30 days in November 2016. The film is entirely free of any hint of vulgarity. Home Again provides rich food for thought and inspires viewers to live, love, share happiness and warmth, and keep going, no matter the challenges.
Paradise Hills
IMDb: 5.2/10
2018, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
USA, Spain, TV-14
Director: Alice Waddington
Top cast: Emma Roberts, Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina
How do you imagine the world of the future? What if humanity creates a high-tech island called Paradise Hills? Wealthy families send their young daughters there to be molded to their liking. After all, in high society, even in the distant future, marrying for love is a luxury few can afford. Beauty, obedience, and purity are the keys to a new life. A bright future awaits, but only if you're willing to follow the rules. Will the main characters conform, or will they take control of their own fate? Paradise Hills is an aesthetically stunning dystopia built on exaggerated sexism against women captures the eye — a timely issue wrapped in pink chocolate and lace.
Bridget Jones's Diary
IMDb: 6.8/10
2001, Comedy, Romance, Drama
USA, UK, France, R
Director: Sharon Maguire
Top cast: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
We all know the story of Bridget Jones by heart. She begins a diary to track her progress: shedding extra pounds, breaking bad habits, and getting her love life on track. Her parents want to set her up with Mark, the shy neighbor’s son, but Bridget is head over heels for her charming boss, Daniel. Suddenly, the choice isn’t as simple as it seems. Over time, Bridget Jones’s Diary takes on a new perspective. Bridget no longer appears as an awkward, plain woman struggling with her weight, but as an attractive, strong-willed woman.
Romeo & Juliet
IMDb: 5.8/10
2013, Romance, Drama
UK, Italy, USA, PG-13
Director: Carlo Carlei
Top cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Damian Lewis
The 2013 film Romeo & Juliet feels as if it has leapt straight from the pages of Shakespeare’s play. We find ourselves in the familiar setting of Verona during the Early Renaissance. A young man and woman from feuding families fall in love, but fate keeps them apart. In the end, only death, at the height of their forbidden passion, allows Romeo and Juliet to preserve their love. The film was shot in the actual locations where Shakespeare's story takes place — on location in the historic castles of Verona and Mantua, Italy. Interestingly, much of it was filmed in February and March, even though the events in the play occur in late July.
Safe Haven
IMDb: 6.7/10
2013, Romance, Drama, Thriller
USA, PG-13
Director: Lasse Hallström
Top cast: Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders
Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel Safe Haven (2010), the film follows Katie, who has endured years of abuse from her husband. Desperate and out of options, she makes a daring escape and finds a “safe haven” in a small, peaceful southern town. But is Katie ready to open herself up to a new relationship? Can she learn to trust, understand, and love again — even if it's with someone as charming as the young widower, Alex Wheatley?
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