Valentine's Day is upon us, and it's always a good time to snuggle up with your significant other and watch a cinematic lovefest that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. ... moreOK, we know that sounds trite and kind of lame, especially when romantic comedies have become so formulaic that you can easily predict the outcome five minutes into the whole affair. Even traditional love can use a kick in the pants once in a while. So if you're tired of trolling the list of movies that everyone else has seen, and you really don't have any desire to check out the latest Katherine Heigl or Jennifer Aniston rom-com, we suggest trying out one or more of the following 10 films to add some zest to your virtual love life. They say that love works in mysterious ways, and many of these movies really operate in their own universe. And that's a good thing.
This early Johnny Depp vehicle, through which he channels his inner Buster Keaton, finds him portraying a quirky, illiterate young man who becomes enchanted by, and then entrances, a mentally ill artist (Mary Stuart Masterson), much to the chagrin of her protective brother and caretaker (Aidan Quinn). As much about grappling with familial and social expectations as the concept of sanity, Jeremiah Chechik's film is moving because it shows how often the only two people who understand why they should be together are the ones in the relationship. And that is something that most people can universally relate to. It should be added that this movie cannot be invoked without also mentioning its infectious and apropos theme song, The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".
'Defending Your Life'
If you're worried that you won't meet your soul mate in this world, there's always the afterlife. Or at least a way station between here and the next life where you are judged on your earthly deeds to determine if you will move to the next plane of existence or be sent back to Earth to get it right. And that's exactly where Daniel and Julia (Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep) end up meeting; it's called Judgment City. But while her life story has been full of passion, self-confidence and heroism, his has been one plagued by self-doubt, anxiety and unfulfilled desires, and his exalted counsel is not doing the best job of defending his case for spiritual ascension. With Daniel's feelings for Julia growing in this unusual setting, he is now facing his earthly dilemmas anew. At its core, "Defending Your Life" is a hilarious and sweet meditation on the nature of love and getting what you want out of life before it's too late. (And also being able to eat as much as you want without gaining a pound, but you'll understand that reference when you watch the film.)
What possible connection or even sparks could be generated between a radio DJ named Debi (Minnie Driver) and an assassin for hire named Marty (John Cusack)? For starters, they are reunited by their 10th high school reunion, and they both share an unconcluded romantic past. (He ditched her on prom night to join the Army and never looked back.) Of course, finding out an old flame now kills people for a living does not exactly sit well with her. Debi still holds a flame for her homicidal ex, and Marty is both adrenalized by his job and seeking redemption and a way out. He planned to come back to their Michigan town for one last job (the reunion was a coincidence), but with federal agents and assassins on his tail, the scenario becomes complicated. A quirky combination of romantic comedy and action movie, "Grosse Point Blank" reminds us that sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with, even if you think he's a psychopath. Not that we recommend that.
Classical composers were the rock stars of their day, although not all of them lived that way. (Amadeus reveled a little in the excess.) The young Frederic Chopin was already in ill health when novelist Aurore Lucile Dupin, a baroness writing saucy romance stories under the pseudonym George Sand, made romantic overtures to him. For their day, they made an odd couple: he the shy, frail composer, she the bold, tomboyish writer with disdain for society's feminine stereotypes. It was really a reverse male-female coupling, and it makes for a truly refreshing and spirited romantic tale, especially when Hugh Grant and Judy Davis play these quirky individuals. Based on real-life events, "Impromptu" is one of those period pieces that are fun for people who don't like period pieces. Watching Dupin defend Chopin's honor alone is entertaining.
Beyond the fact that it's now cool for middle-aged women to snag leads in rom-coms, the pairing of Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin in a romantic triangle is pretty inspired. Streep and Baldwin are divorced, and he is married to a much younger woman. Martin is interested in Streep, but then her ex realizes he still loves her. It's a twist on the other-woman scenario, with the other woman being the original wife. What gives this comedy its flair beyond the fine performances is the way in which each of the characters' insecurities lead to the triangle that poses not only a dilemma for Streep but an emotional trap for her grown children, who are still not over the divorce and who now grapple with the possibility of their parents reuniting. Beyond the mush and mirth lie serious questions, and the ending is not as pat and predictable as one might expect, which is where this film scores bonus points.
They say love is blind, but sometimes you wonder if it just needs a good pair of glasses. At first glance, the idea of a movie about a man who orders a blowup doll to be his female companion sounds sleazy, but in fact it's the impetus for an unusual love story. Socially awkward Lars (Ryan Gosling) clearly has some emotional issues, and when he first orders "Bianca" through the mail, his brother and his wife have no clue what to think. But Lars is not interested in her as a sex toy, but as a real companion, and he soon begins taking Bianca out in public. Rather than spurn him, his neighbors and co-workers display a refreshing amount of understanding, acting as if his "girlfriend" is real as well. Then it seems that real love could enter Lars' life, if only he would let it. But can he? We won't spoil the ending, but "Lars and the Real Girl" will tug at your heartstrings in unexpected ways.
"When Harry Met Sally" posed the question "Can men and women just be friends?" and answered it with a resounding "No." Sofia Coppola proves them wrong with a platonic love affair between a middle-aged actor (Bill Murray) away from his wife and kids (and stale marriage) and the lonely young spouse (Scarlett Johansson) of a self-absorbed photographer, who meet at their mutual hotel in Tokyo. Coppola's film is a sharp, insightful look into the pains that lurk in the human heart when the most important relationship in one's life seems to ring false. It also shows how two souls who are otherwise spoken for can be united in empathy and walk that fine line between emotional straying and actual adultery. Their emotional connection proves cathartic and healing for them and for us.
'The Moderns'
Alan Rudolph's love letter to 1926 Paris is also a clever send-up of famous expatriate artists living in that fabled city, including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Rudolph intertwines their personal stories in an Altman-esque fashion (he worked under the famed director for a time), with the romantic triangle here between artist Nick Hart (Keith Carradine), his ex-wife Rachel (Linda Fiorentino) and her new husband, Bertram Stone (John Lone), a rapacious millionaire and art collector. At the heart of the film is the question of truth and what is real: A talented artist, Hart has been hired to create forgeries for a client; Stone values art for its monetary value but cannot perceive what is genuine; and Rachel's affections for her new husband are suspect. The resultant comedy is whimsical, satirical and magical, with Mark Isham's seductive score providing the perfect sonic backdrop to this musing on the nature of art, love and our love affair with art.
Two redheaded gambling addicts – a sensitive, aquaphobic Anglican priest (Ralph Fiennes) and a wealthy, tomboyish glassworks owner (Cate Blanchett) – meet by chance on a sea voyage to Sydney and soon grapple with faith, fear and societal pressures. After his bad habits get him banished from his divine post, the duo take on a bigger risk by building a glass church for a small village. The journey in creating this literally transparent house of worship, then him transporting it down a river to its destination, both bonds and alienates the couple, who struggle with expressing their true feelings for each other. Sometimes one expresses love for someone in what he or she does rather than directly with the person. This left-of-center love affair is sweetly melancholic and offers a haunting resolution.
Romance is relative. Some people prefer a candlelit dinner together, others prefer having wax from said candles dripped on them. While at first glance "Secretary" might look like a perverse romance story, Steven Shainberg's unorthodox tale of a relationship between a lawyer (James Spader) and his submissive secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal) will push your buttons in a good way. The duo's office etiquette veers toward the kinky side, and steamy undercurrents rise up through fully clothed S&M scenarios, even though the two do not consort outside of work. What gives this film its heart is how the protagonists grapple with a dalliance that pushes the boundaries not only of their job but the desires stirring deep inside them, desires that others might find a little unusual. In the end, the emotional and sexual liberation of the couple is at stake, and you'll feel invested in it as well.
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