|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— by Ben Cosgrove
For such a straightforward holiday, Valentine's Day sparks some mighty diverse reactions, in both believers and doubters alike. Sure, most of us approach the day with a healthy mixture of anticipation and anxiety ("Umm ... what am I going to get for my boo?"), but other attitudes also appear.
The naysayers, for example, find the whole notion of romantic love repugnant and absurd. And then there are the cynics, telling anyone who will listen that the hullabaloo is a marketing ploy invented by florists, candy makers and greeting-card manufacturers. And let's not forget the lonely hearts, dreading the day for the simple reason that they're sick of seeing shiny, happy people holding hands.
Thus, as a tribute to the variable spirit of the holiday, we offer up a slew of Valentine's Day-appropriate movies in hopes that, no matter how you feel about love, lust and romance, you'll find a film below that will match your mood.
The Outsiders
There's something wonderful about seeing two people who have absolutely nothing at all in common with the rest of the world somehow finding a way to each other's heart — and for as long as there have been movies, filmmakers have brilliantly explored the phenomenon.
 "Lost in Translation" (2003)
If Sofia Coppola's meandering meditation on identity and passion did nothing else, it at least nailed its key plot element: the utterly believable attraction between 50-something Bob (Bill Murray) and 20-something Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). Rarely has a lack of sex onscreen been so sexy.
"Punch-Drunk Love" (2002)
Described by writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson as "an art house Adam Sandler film," this unpredictable tale casts a light on two loveable creeps, Barry and Lena (Sandler and Emily Watson), as they slowly wade together through a seemingly endless series of awkward situations. That the audience actually cares whether the two lovebirds make it or not is a testament to Anderson's talents, and to Sandler (yes, Sandler) and Watson's courage as actors.
"Ghost World" (2000)
So what if Enid (Thora Birch) and Seymour (the always amazing Steve Buscemi) don't exactly engage in a whirlwind romance? That, after all, is part of the point here: If two people can find comfort and even a little happiness in one another, then maybe there's hope for all of us. This film is most definitely not an old-fashioned love story, but it has more genuine humanity, warmth and romance in it than a thousand Hollywood blockbusters. |
Funny Girl (And Boy)
Admit it: how many "romantic comedies" have you seen that were both romantic and comedic? Allow us, then, to suggest several films that go for the heart via the funny bone. After all, when you get right down to it, what's sexier than a sense of humor?
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002)
 |
|||
|
|
As much a fantasy as a romantic comedy, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was, hands down, the surprise hit of the year, pulling in more than $240 million — partly on the strength of viewers who went back again and again to bask in its warm, goofy glow. Writer and star Nia Vardalos pulls off the near-impossible trick of creating a date movie that doesn't talk down to its audience and makes falling in love look both scary and funny, just like it is in real life.
"There's Something About Mary" (1998)
 |
|||
|
|
There are two types of people in the world: those who think the Farrelly Brothers, who wrote and directed this movie, are absolute geniuses, and those who think that they're about as funny as whoopee cushions in church. But whatever your feelings about the filmmakers, it's hard not to enjoy the lengths that Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and the rest of the nutcases here are willing to go to in order to get laughs. Yep, love is in the air — but what's that in her hair?
"Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994)
 |
|||
|
|
The movie that, for better or worse, introduced Hugh Grant to American audiences, "Four Weddings ..." is that rare creature: a romantic comedy that makes you laugh and then laugh some more — and get all weepy and then laugh all over again.
Fight Club
Couples counselors will be the first to say it: If you don't learn how to fight constructively with your partner, you'll never have a strong relationship. But some of the screen's most passionate couples have found that fighting destructively somehow keeps the spark in their relationships. Watch out for flying dinner plates and worse…
"X-Men" (2000)
 |
|||
|
|
For Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), love means never having to say, "I'm going to shred you to bits with my endoskeletal claws." Alas, the object of his affection is also the one person on the planet who seems to really know how to push his buttons: Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). They sure are cute when they're fighting. And fighting. And fighting.
"My Cousin Vinny" (1992)
The high-decibel Brooklynese banter between Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei puts a whole new spin on the slapstick genre. But one thing's certain: No matter how loud they get with one another, the love always comes through. Picture Ralph and Alice Kramden.
"Do the Right Thing" (1989)
Mookie and Tina love each other. Mookie and Tina are made for each other. Mookie and Tina can't say two words to each other without screaming their heads off. Actually, to be fair, it's Tina (Rosie Perez) who really does most of the shouting in Spike Lee's breakout joint, and if there were an Oscar for Best Indignant Screeching by an Actress, Rosie would have won it.
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966)
Edward Albee's play brought to brutal, merciless life by Elizabeth Taylor (an Oscar for Best Actress), Richard Burton, and director Mike Nichols. You think your relationship has its rough patches? Spend two hours with George and Martha and you'll be clinging to your partner in gratitude and adoration evermore. One of the harshest movies about marriage ever made — and one of the best. |
Stranger Than Paradise
Love, almost by definition, is irrational. And what better way to illustrate this truism than by dramatizing the weird, inexplicable and downright bizarre things that happen when people, willingly or not, let love into their lives?
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004)
 |
|||
|
|
The only thing more astonishing than this film's visual and intellectual audacity is how scarily accurate it is in its depiction of the havoc that love can wreak. Memories blur, fade and merge; time stops and starts and stops again; houses literally implode under the unbearable weight of broken hearts. Yep, love hurts. We've been there.
"Heathers" (1989)
 |
|||
|
|
"What's your damage?" "Are we going to the prom or to hell?" The quotable lines from this movie are legion, perhaps because they're uttered by two of the era's most eccentric young stars: Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. (Where are they now, anyway?) As J.D. and Veronica, Slater and Ryder are like aliens from the Island of Misfit Hotties — too strange to be popular, too good-looking to be ignored. And who knew that lighting a cigarette could be both revolting and romantic?
"Beauty and the Beast" (1946)
 |
|||
|
|
Jean Cocteau's classic telling of the legend of "La belle et la bête" is, quite simply, one of the most strangely wonderful and wonderfully strange films ever made. Countless directors have copied or paid tribute to its scenes — most famously the human arms emerging from a wall, holding lit torches to light a dim corridor — and the story itself has the feel and appeal of myth.
True Romance
Even we wouldn't be stupid enough to list a handful of movies and then claim that they're "The Greatest Romances Ever Made." But no Valentine's Day list would be complete without a few genuine, no-nonsense love stories to round it out. Here are several that make the grade.
"Spider-Man 2" (2004)
Superhero thriller? Sci-fi masterpiece? Love story? All three? However you want to categorize this one, the phrase "love is blind" might as well be its tagline. Come on! How long was it going to take for Mary Jane to realize that Peter was Spidey? But all cynical griping aside, we're happy to report ourselves among the millions who found the gradual unveiling of this romance to be one of the greatest teases in recent movie history. And we mean that in the best possible way.
"Amélie" (2001)
Maybe in the past few years there's been a more perfect matching of an actress to her role than Audrey Tatou as Amélie, but if so, we missed it. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's graceful fable of the good-hearted girl who finds love while helping others is as close to a modern romantic classic as we have these days. Get out the handkerchiefs.
"Casablanca" (1942)
What's there to say? Bogart, Bergman and "As Time Goes By"; trains, planes and the French Resistance; Nazis, casinos and lots of booze; and more classic lines of dialog than any other 10 films combined. People always say that a great movie is one that gets better with each viewing, but this is one of the rare examples of a film that, somehow, miraculously, actually does. Six decades after its release, "Casablanca" is still the greatest romantic Hollywood movie ever made. Period. Here's looking at you, kid. |
|
|
|
|
Photos: New Line Cinema
|
|
|
|
|
