Romantic films are like boxes of chocolates— you never know what other mood you might get! So if you’re looking to rent one this Valentine’s, here are 10 flicks to watch... or avoid. Check out our recommendations to watch, approach with caution, and avoid.
WATCH
Up (2009)
Give Me a Reason: The poignant, four-minute-long montage of Carl and Ellie’s married life packs more romance than most romantic movies.
Mood Meter: Light-hearted, mildly tear-jerking goodness.
Recommended for: New relationships, Golden Anniversary folks.
The Notebook (2004)
Give Me a Reason: Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie’s (Rachel McAdams) 2012 MTV Awards Best Kiss-winning smooch.
Mood Meter: Star-crossed-tragedy-turns-touching-life long-devotion with heady, heart-pulling passion.
Recommended for: New relationships, reignite relationship-ers.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Give Me a Reason: Anthony Dod Mantle’s breathtaking, vibrant cinematography super-charges this seemingly conventional rags-to-riches romance.
Mood Meter: Feel-good, uplifting, euphoria.
Recommended for: Just about anyone.
APPROACH WITH CAUTION
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Give Me a Reason: Mixed signals alert. Protagonist Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) gets dumped in the buff by his long-time girlfriend and spends most of the film trying to mend that broken heart, while new love creeps up on him.
Mood Meter: Wacky, awkward humor, light-hearted rom-com.
Recommended (hmmm) for: Singles, stable relationships.
500 Days of Summer (2009)
Give Me a Reason: Warning lights should flicker after you hear the narrator say “This is not a love story”— right at the movie’s start.
Mood Meter: Optimism, pessimism, emotional roller coaster.
Recommended (hmm) for: “I-just-want-something-casual” relationships.
Love Actually (2003)
Give Me a Reason: This light-hearted rom-com that follows different people finding love should be perfect for Valentine’s Day— if only all the action didn’t take place around Christmas. Doh. But still...
Mood Meter: Feel-great, everybody’s-happy, Yuletide joy.
Recommended (hmmm) for: Anyone who wants to just feel good about life, couples who want to relive Christmas on Valentine’s Day.
Avoid
Bright Star (2009)
Give Me a Reason: Waxing lyrical about love is great, but as Romantic poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) show you in this fictional spin of an actual romance, who eats poetry?
Mood Meter: Whimsical, literary-artsy, early 19th Century.
(Not) Recommended for: Struggling full-time poets in a relationship, graduate student couples, hippies/hipsters.
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Give Me a Reason: Seeing Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April’s (Kate Winslet) marriage come together and fall apart makes this one of the most uncomfortable romantic movies you can watch. More ironic, director Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet’s marriage when downhill after filming, leading to their divorce in 2010.
Mood Meter: I-don’t-even-wanna-talk-about-it.
(Not) Recommended for: Happy relationships in general, married couples in particular. Just. No.
Blue Valentine (2010)
Give Me a Reason: Not even the re-appearance of the dreamy Ryan Gosling (Dean) in this list can divert attention from the fact you'll be watching a relationship that is the very definition of “existential crisis.”
Mood Meter: What is “love” again?
(Not) Recommended for: Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, right?
This is My Relationship (2014)
Give Me a Reason: Come on, its Valentine’s Day— write your own romantic moment in the script of life!
Mood Meter: Singles, time to make a move. Couples, (re)discover the exhilaration of falling and being in love.
Recommended for: Everyone. Yes, even you reading this list. You can even show Epoch Times some Valentine’s love by hitting the “share” button.
