It almost seemed too obvious a choice -- but then, come on, it's "Casablanca," one of the greatest love stories ever told. But why is it so enduring? Well, not just because of Ingrid Bergman's sad-faced, pouty-lipped, dewy-eyed gorgeousness. Or Humphrey Bogart's soulful, heartbroken "of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world" performance. Not even for "As Times Goes By" -- a song that's so inexorably linked to "Casablanca" that it's impossible not to think about trenchcoats, fedoras and fez when you hear it. It's the story itself, of an exiled, cynical American (Bogart's Rick) who runs a club in World War II Casablanca, where he just happens to bump into his old flame (Bergman's Ilsa). What makes the story unique is the romantic conflict: Ilsa's husband is Resistance leader Victor Lazslo (Paul Henreid), a noble guy both Rick and the audience cannot possibly dislike, which sets up an ending that's as romantic as it is melancholy. Yep, Rick sends her packing with his "hill of beans" speech that still gets us, no matter how many times we watch it.

What is your favorite romantic movie moment? Write us at heymsn@microsoft.com
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Kim Morgan is a film critic for the LA Weekly, DVD Talk and Reel.com. She was a former film critic for The Oregonian and has written about movies for various print and web media. Currently, you can see her every Tuesday on TechTv's "The Screen Savers," where she discusses DVD releases.