Recommending Casablanca may seem like a cop-out, since it's considered by many to be the greatest American film of all time.  However, many people are rightfully skeptical of such accolades, and as a 1942 film, many younger individuals may avoid seeing it on that basis alone. Indeed, it has come to my attention just how few young people have actually seen the film, so as such, recommending it doesn't seem redundant.

Beyond its intelligently witty screenplay (something rarely produced today) and impressive cast of yesteryear's stars, the story is unique and compelling. Produced in the middle of WWII, Casablanca highlights a particular aspect of the war that is not often remembered - the stream of refugees seeking to find their way to America pre-Pearl Harbor.  For that reason alone, the setting - Casablanca - is intriguing as one of the main way-points for refugees.

But of course, the film is most remembered for its iconic and compelling love story, ending with the oft-spoofed line, "Here's lookin' at you, kid." Yet while the love interest between Humphrey Bogart (Rick) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa) is certainly strong, the real power of the film is actually in the interplay between the male leads that takes place in the shadow of that love story - something that is often missed in discussions of Casablanca. The film would not be nearly as compelling without the interaction between the mercenary Rick, the stalwart Victor (Paul Henreid), and the corrupt Captain Renault (Claude Rains), which is particularly powerful in the climactic closing scene of the film where each must find the strength to act better than themselves - perhaps even to their own surprise.