Lesser-Known Romance Movies to Watch This Valentine’s Day
If you are a sucker for good romance films and have gone through all the quintessential ones like 500 Days of Summer, Annie Hall, Titanic, etc. then this list is for you. Here is a list of romantic movies that I think more people should watch. And since it’s Valentine’s Day, today might just be the perfect day to start the viewing.
Destination Wedding — 2018
This movie has one of the weirdest and uncomfortable sex scenes of all time- just a head’s up. This movie has the most annoying and unlikeable main characters that you can ever think of. They complain about everything all the time and it’s so ridiculous that it’s hilarious. The movie includes a bit of physical comedy as well.
This is a dialogue-heavy movie and the fact that the main characters are so judgemental and jaded that they almost feel like the mirror of its time. Lindsay asks Frank, “What if the real destination is falling in love?” Frank’s response is, “What if you never say that again?”
In the Mood for Love — 2020
This is a gorgeous gorgeous film. Even if the film was emotionally and plot-wise an utter failure, I would still recommend this movie to everyone just because of how good it looks. But lucky for all of us, this is a perfect film in almost every way. The movie is truly visceral and the main characters are so charismatic and magnetic that you just can’t look away. I think this is the best Wong Kar-wai has ever gotten.
In the Mood for Love does not give people the closure that they want. The movie, instead, by using carefully curated slow-motion scenes, just gives the illusion of time slowing down and gives you space to ponder and reflect. This is a highly critically acclaimed movie but somehow it hasn’t been a fixture in the current pop culture scape and I think that it should be.
The Handmaiden -2016
This is a gothic romance based in Japan occupied Korea in the 1930s which is filled with secrets, elaborate plots, secret identities, seduction, and mystery. This is a very stylistic movie, based on Sarah Waters’ Victorian-set book Fingersmith.
This movie is filled with twists and turns but at the heart of it, this is a love story. Told in three chapters from three different points of view, the movie unfolds new twists with each chapter. Despite being an out of norm movie for director Park Chan-wook, who is well known globally for darker and gory movies such as Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, the movie does include slightly macabre scenes as well.
The Girl who Leapt Through Time — 2006
This is a high-school first-love romantic comedy anime in the sci-fi genre. The movie has such a fluffy feel with tons of comedic moments but this movie has its deep heart-wrenching moments that do stay with you. The main character of this movie is Makoto — a high school student who is just slacking through life, and failing her classes. She accidentally finds a magic walnut which enables her to leap into the past and she just uses time travel for the dumbest of things.
The romantic interest here is Chiaki, who Makoto at the beginning only sees as a friend. But the relationship is dealt with as awkwardly as teenagers generally treat their first crush or relationship. The best thing about the movie is how refreshingly average the characters are as teenagers and how much of a lovable mess Makoto is.
The Lunchbox -2013
This is a subdued Bollywood romance that is incredibly charming. The movie is about the relationship between a nearly retired accountant and a neglected housewife. The relationship starts with the delivery of the wrong lunchbox. This is an old-fashioned romance that takes place in the form of written letters in the age of instant connection.
The relationship is based on the loneliness and lack of connection that both of the main characters go through in their day to day life. And this new connection provides what is missing in each of their lives — a sympathetic ear of someone who understands them.
The Half of It — 2020
This is another coming-of-age romance movie but this is not your typical teenage movie in the sense that all the characters end up focusing on bettering their own lives rather than prioritizing their romantic relationships. Another main highlight of this movie is how much it focuses on platonic relationships along with romantic ones.
The small-town setting for the movie feels really fleshed out and all the stakes feel real and high for all the characters. The movie is a beautiful reminder of how loving someone and being loved should lead to making us a better version of ourselves.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire — 2019
Set in late 1700s France, this stunning movie tells the story of a painter hired to paint a portrait of a soon-to-be-married woman Héloïse. One of the best films of 2019, this is a very intelligent movie that encapsulates a heartbreaking relationship with an additional, surprisingly profound focus on the arts.
The slow pace of the movie enables the viewers to feel immersed in the relationship. The parallel between the movie and the story of Orpheus and Eurydice is enmeshed so well and provides the main essence of what choices the characters actually had in the movie.
Published
Originally published at http://behindbhairavsmask.wordpress.com on February 14, 2021.
