Vanessa Paradis claims old movies keep her romance with Johnny Depp alive.

The French singer-and-actress - who has children Lily-Rose, 11, and eight-year old Jack with the 'Alice in Wonderland' star - believes it is important to have quality time for you and your partner in order to maintain a successful relationship.

When asked for her tips to make a relationship work, she told Stylist magazine: "Love, respect and patience. I think it's important to spend quality time together.

"We like watching old movies with Bogart and Bacall and Jean Gabin and Alain Delon."

The 37-year-old beauty has been in a relationship with Johnny for 12 years but the couple still have no plans to marry, a situation Vanessa insists she is happy with.

She added: "Will we marry? I really have no idea.

"I'm not really for it or against it. There is something romantic about it and there's something scary about it.

"If you're happy without it, why bother?"

Johnny recently revealed he and Vanessa are going to work together for the first time on a movie.

He confirmed: "It's in preparation. It's called 'My American Lover'. Vanessa plays the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir and I play her lover Nelson Algren