Cinema Betty

Never Say Goodbye is all about communism (no it's not, more's the pity).  But is has some characters hoping to break free of Communist Russia or it's numerous satellites.  Have I got a favorite movie about that? Easy-peasy:

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Watch out, Sam!

The year is 1984. Ramius receives orders to take the boat to sea for exercises with the submarine V.K. Konovalov, commanded by his former student Captain Tupolev. Ramius murders political officer Ivan Putin, the one man not under his command and the only man aboard besides himself who knows the sub's orders, then burns the orders and tells the crew they will conduct nuclear missile drills off America's east coast.
Where to begin?  Grizzled and ruthless Sean Connery?  Hot (but not as hot as his future more corpulent self  (This is Betty Keira here.  Just go with it.)) Alec Baldwin?  Sam Neill being mortally wounded when his only wish in life was to have a fat American wife and go RVing in Montana...Montana!?  Saboteur cook and possible KGB agent who bears a disturbing resemblance to harry-er Vladimir Putin?

Never Too Late has a side plot about separated lovers who reunite after a years-long absence.  Only one film could fill this bill.  Though there are several versions to choose from my favorite is:

Persuasion (1995)

Ciarán Hinds...mmmm, mmmmm, good.

There is a newer version that has some serious eye candy as Captain Wentworth but the attractiveness disparity between the principle characters is a gulf too far to cross and all the snotty lines said by other characters are folded into his speeches (for expediency) and I just don't like him.  This version (despite the scene when Louisa injures herself which is laughably hilarious) threads the needle handily.