Valentine’s day, the day we are either reminded of our lone wolf status or display our love for that special someone by panic buying anything which is red or branded with Lindt on the box. Whether you choose to spend the day with your significant other, your besties, or with your sweet, sweet self, aAh! has five films to suit your needs.
For those in need of a good cry: Blue Valentine (2010)
For those yearning for a sob fest, be sure to watch Blue Valentine this weekend. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star as Cindy and Dean, a couple whose marriage is gradually disintegrating. Through alternating between the past and present, the film explores what went wrong for Cindy and Dean. Blue Valentine is sure to bring a tear to even the most cynical of hearts.
To warm that cold heart:About Time (2013)
About Time will surely warm any cold heart. Tim Lake learns from his father (Bill Nighy) that he, like all the men in his family, possesses the power of time travel. Tim decides to use this power to make some significant improvements to his life – the first being to get himself a girlfriend. When he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) it’s love at first chat; they meet in complete darkness. Despite his special abilities, Tim soon learns that he does not have the ability to fix the lives of everyone around him. Alongside Gleeson’s lovely, albeit Hugh Grant-like performance, About Time encourages us to cast aside our cynical perspectives on love and life.
Lost faith in love? All will be restored:500 Days of Summer (2009)
Joseph Gordon Levitt in 500 Days of Summer will restore your faith in love. This story of a failed relationship, (if it really was a relationship, a debate for another time) is both bittersweet and heartbreaking. Tom, a failed architect and hopeless romantic, reflects on the 500 days he spent with Summer (Zoey Deschanel), the girl he thought would be in his life forever. Despite all the heartbreak, the film has a hopeful ending, where Tom rediscovers his passions in life and meets another possible love interest.
Feeling bitter or cynical about love?Her (2013)
Joaquin Phoenix stars as our protagonist, who, aside from wearing some seriously nice shirts plays Theodore, a sensitive and introverted writer who is going through a painful divorce and develops a relationship with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), a computer operating system. This sci-fi/romance/drama reinforces any cynical notions of love; whether in human or technological form, love can be equally heart-wrenching.
A warning for those who desire to be hit by the avalanche of love: Force Majeure (2014)
Ruben Östlund’s compelling film, Force Majeure follows yet another failing marriage after a husband’s selfish reaction to the possible danger posed by an avalanche. Instead of rushing to save his family, he grabs his iPhone and makes a run for it. So if your hoping to find love this year, (in a Covid-19 friendly way of course) this film may have you thinking twice.
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