This Friday is Valentine's Day, which for many people will mean a romantic evening consisting of dinner and a movie, but before you underwhelm your date by popping in that cliché DVD you've both seen a million times before (steer clear of "The Notebook" and "Titanic" at all costs), consider these following unconventional titles:
Chances are you've both seen the wonderfully bizarre "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind". If you have, choose instead this equally bizarre romantic sci-fi film that also features a shadowy organization attempting to alter history -- but instead of Lacuna erasing memories, it's the Adjustment Bureau course-correcting lives in an effort to prevent two people from falling in love. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are terrific as the star-crossed lovers the black-suited men are desperately trying to keep apart. It's a trippy action movie that speaks volumes about the ability of love to overcome even the most determined of obstacles.
Nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars last year (and taking home the trophy for Best Foreign Language Film), this drama by director Michael Haneke examines the relationship between an elderly couple, Georges and Anne, as Georges is tasked with caring for his wife after she suffers a debilitating stroke. "Amour" relentlessly explores the true meaning of commitment while Anne's illness tests the limits of Georges' patience and the strength of his love. Warning: film may rob you both of the will to live.
Movies about murderous lovers are not hard to come by. But forgo more recent entries like "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" or "Natural Born Killers" and trace the genre back to its roots with this classic crime drama. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway kill it (pun intended) as a pair of lovers/bank robbers. Knowing the grim fate these young murderers meet shouldn't diminish your enjoyment of the film -- if anything, it adds a dichotomous sheen of Romeo & Juliet-esque tragedy to the story. It's precisely for this romanticizing of violence that the film has remained such a controversial touchstone for so long.
You may have already seen this thriller, but chances are good you never thought of watching it on Valentine's Day! Glenn Close seared herself into our collective memory with her utterly psychotic turn as the vengeful, violent Alex, scorned lover of Michael Douglas's Dan Gallagher. Bonus: it's a wonderful deterrent to infidelity -- Glenn Close herself claims that, to this day, people still come up to her on the street to tell her she saved their marriage by scaring people away from having affairs. For the perfect date, match this film with a delicious entrée of rabbit.
I know what you're thinking... That gross David Cronenberg sci-fi film where Jeff Goldblum turns into an insect?? Yep. Underneath the horrifying mutations and ooey gooey special effects is a surprisingly tender love story between a nerdy scientist and a sweet journalist. In fact, Seth Brundle's love for Ronnie is what drives his increasingly mad experiments. His terrifying master plan involves fusing himself, Ronnie, and their unborn child into one living being so they can live together forever as the "ultimate family". Now, isn't that just the height of romance?
Forget "Annie Hall". Trade in Woody Allen's romcom for this much darker look at love, also starring Diane Keaton and released later the same year. In "Goodbar", Keaton stars as the mousy Theresa, whose severe body image issues drive her into a series of increasingly dangerous affairs with violent men she finds in seedy bars. The erotic drama is also famous for launching the career of Richard Gere (who was 28 at the time), thanks to his dangerously charming performance as Tony, a street hustler Theresa has a fling with. The film is based on the real-life murder of NYC schoolteacher Roseann Quinn...which tells you all you need to know about how this not-so-happy story turns out.
We've already discussed how watching "Titanic" would be a mistake of titanic proportions. (Get it?) But that doesn't mean you have to skip the other collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, this adaptation of the 1961 Richard Yates novel. Over the course of two excruciating hours, you can watch as Frank and April Wheeler succumb to middle-class suburban ennui, sabotage their own relationship, and systematically destroy each other. Basically, it's a master class in how not to be married -- a handy tutorial for those couples out there thinking about getting serious.
Proving the rule that there's something out there for everyone, "Secretary" is the perfect film for those who might like their Valentine's Day a little...kinky. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as the eponymous receptionist, a pathologically submissive woman who embarks on a sadomasochistic relationship with her very dominant boss (played by James Spader). Think of it as "Fifty Shades Of Grey" before it was cool, and you know, actually good. Tackling the controversial subject of BDSM with both humor and tact, "Secretary" is the perfect choice for the more adventurous lovers out there.
Director Alexander Payne's father/son road trip movie "Nebraska" was a critical favorite this year, earning a Best Picture nomination. Take a look at some of his past work with this charming comedy-drama starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. When an alcoholic writer decides to take his soon-to-be-married best friend on a trip to wine country before the wedding, romantic entanglements ensue. Perhaps the most relatably human film on the list, "Sideways" is simultaneously hilarious and depressing. Pair with a nice Bordeaux for maximum enjoyment.
The ultimate anti-romance movie, "The War Of The Roses" stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a separating couple who hate each other so much that they'd literally rather die than let the other "win" the divorce. Featuring mayhem, pet murder and the most famous chandelier scene outside of "Phantom Of The Opera", "Roses" is a hilarious cautionary tale that encourages couples to settle their differences civilly...or else. It's a lesson worth reminding ourselves of on this, the most romantic day of the year.
Tweet us @Stagebuddy to let us know what movie you're planning on watching this Valentine's Day!
