Groundhog Day
If you think about it from a non-romantic perspective the premise of this film could do well as a psychological thriller. A man reliving the same day until he gets his crush to fall in love with him. A woman who suddenly finds that this stranger knows everything about her, knows exactly what to say to impress her, etc. Kind of creepy.
But because this is a romance I find myself wondering where to find someone like Bill Murray in this film. I felt swayed by his earnest actions to win Rita’s heart, over and over again doing anything in order to make her happy - whether that be by being a master at the piano, ice sculpting, or just bring a genuinely nice person who helps others and treats them with kindness. As Bill Murray’s character is unaware that these actions cause him to break away from the curse of reliving the same day, I find his efforts charming and sweet as he does not expect any benefit from repeatedly doing the same kind deeds, not even to win Rita’s favour as he had actually fallen for her during the days he spent helping others.
Bill Murray during this film is unrelentlessly patient, thoughtful and empathetic towards others by the end of his development arc, which makes me consider his character one of the most compelling in terms of protagonists of the romance genre.