It's not hard to see why to this day Casablanca remains one of the most unanimously adored movies of all time. Humphrey Bogart is unforgettably appealing as the acerbic antihero whose hard-boiled shell conceals a heart full of compassion and nobility. Ingrid Bergman, radiantly beautiful as always, plays wonderfully off of him with great tenderness and emotional nuance. The script is one of the finest ever written, striking a perfect balance between romance, melodrama, and humour, filled with more quotable dialogue than any film ever produced. Producer Hal Wallis and director Michael Curtiz constructed a distinctive and exotic atmosphere with elegant photography and production design. All in all, it's close to being THE perfect screen romance. After the cut are ten moments that always come to mind when I think about this movie.
