Affleck seemed destined to play the romantic lead in big, dumb summer blockbusters.

FORBES: Ben Affleck Hits Another One Out Of The Park With 'Argo'

Naturally, Koepp makes it his business to redeem this unpleasant character and recast him as an acceptable stand-in for a romantic lead.

CNN: Review: Gervais gives edge to 'Ghost Town'

Hudson's image as a ruggedly masculine romantic lead was far more significant in terms of challenging stereotypes and changing attitudes, the author argues.

BBC: What Liberace reveals about the march of gay rights

For women, once they hit their mid-30s their chances of getting cast as the romantic lead in a Hollywood film have already become pretty slim.

BBC: Sylvester Stallone meets his match in Driven

Certainly Brahms led his personal life in just such a fashion, presenting a gruff, impenetrable exterior to his friends, and never letting romantic attractions lead to commitment or even, so it seems, consummation.

ECONOMIST: How Brahms saved music from Wagner

Lead singer, Victoria Bergsman, sings with a delicate huskiness about bittersweet memories and missed romantic chances.

NPR: Cosmopop: European Music with a Global Flavor

Today's romantic landscape is full of ambiguity, gray areas and a lack of guarantees about where any given connection might lead.

CNN: Why traditional dating is dead