Films To Fall For This Valentine’s Day
We Brits have been accused of being rather emotionally distant – celebrating anniversaries with a chaste peck on the cheek and the satisfied nod of a job well done. The tidal wave of heart-shaped merchandise that overwhelms the high street at this time of year can leave the more cynical among us a little cold. But the month of love is upon us once again, and whether you’re a singleton, attached, or have ‘it’s complicated’ tattooed on your forehead, it’s worth talking a leaf out of Hollywood’s book, and doing this romance lark properly. But forget about trying to book a table at your local, the real action this Valentine’s Day takes place on the sofa: with 24 hours’ worth of film, designed solely to sweep you off your feet.
Film and romance have always gone hand in hand throughout the years, and the cinema is still considered the perfect place to take your crush on that sweaty-palmed first date. What better way to break the ice and avoid the awkward chat, if you’re feeling nervous, than by letting Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and company do your smooth talking for you? Fifties girls would have gone along to the movies with their Prince Charming to see Disney’s Cinderella, or, a decade later, canoodled in the back row to the beautifully affecting Oscar®-winning rom-com The Apartment. This year’s lovebirds will be entering the Red Room of Fifty Shades Of Grey – it’s fair to say, times have changed…
It’s enough of a challenge deciding what to wear on date night, let alone deciding which film to watch, from amongst hundreds of brilliant romances. Perhaps you might go for the off-beat, futuristic gem Her, for Valentine’s Night, before turning off the smartphone and catching up with Audrey Hepburn over croissants in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, the following morning? Or are you one for the grand gestures of The Notebook and Titanic? For those still struggling, True Entertainment are showing the films of Janette Oke, with adaptations of the Canadian author’s Love Collection, playing from 1pm to 9pm on the big day.
So, to help you indulge in a little romance this month, we’ve pulled together a list of some of our favourite Films To Fall For, this Valentine’s Day. Whether you spend the film wrapped in someone’s arms, sobbing into your popcorn, or diligently taking notes from the experts, shrug off that British reserve and allow yourself to do V-Day the Hollywood way, this time around…
Breakfast At Tiffany’s
This classic cemented Audrey Hepburn’s status as a style icon for the ages. Her stylist on the film deserves huge credit for pulling the poster-ready look together. Yet, whilst Holly Golightly might always look the part, she struggles to juggle her chaotic life in New York. Her neighbour Paul begins to fall in love with Holly’s vulnerability and works to pull her away from the dangers that plague her. Whoever thought of getting both leads to wear trench coats during that kissing scene in the rain is a genius. But the real question is yet to be answered; can you actually have breakfast at Tiffany’s?
When Harry Met Sally
Two close friends argue over the age-old question of whether a girl and boy can ever, truly, only be just friends. Ten years later, they begin to realise that being platonic BFFs is harder than they first thought. Their story is packed full of hilarious moments, as they begin to see each other in a new way, half of which was improvised by the brilliant Billy Crystal. The film reflects relationships and personality traits we can all see in ourselves. And let’s not forget that memorable scene in Katz’s Delicatessen, where Sally shows Harry that women can fake it… Now, that’s true friendship.
True Romance
Written by the master of violence himself, Quentin Tarantino shows he has a heart too, with this alternative Valentine’s choice. The story is based around the passionate relationship between cool Clarence and his stylish wife Alabama and includes Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette in its first-rate cast. With a total death count of 21, this film is not for the faint-hearted. However, Alabama’s sickly-sweet ‘90s wardrobe is sure to distract you from all the blood. A neon blue bra, teamed with either cow print skirt or pink leopard leggings, is a pretty strong look – and possibly, one to replicate on your next date.
Titanic
A biggie. It’s hardly surprising that one of cinema’s greatest love stories became one of the highest-grossing films of all time. It just shows that we really do love love – and are willing to splash the cash to see it in action. Only the deepest cynic wouldn’t want Rose and Jack to end up together, despite society, class, and family telling them otherwise. Telling the story of two lovers, lost amidst one of history’s most haunting moments, tugs on our heartstrings and turns us all into an emotional wreck. Bonus Romance points to the elderly couple holding hands in a tender embrace, as the ship floods around them.
10 Things I Hate About You
Based on the tricksy Elizabethan romance The Taming Of The Shrew, this late ‘90s film surprised teenagers the world over, as they finally managed to sit through Shakespeare without falling asleep. The film makes several references to the great playwright throughout, including direct quotes from his sonnets and plays. Following the classic ‘will they, wont they?’ storyline, we ultimately fall for Kat (Julia Stiles) and Patrick’s (an effervescent Heath Ledger) fiery relationship and desperately want them to be together.
Love Comes
Award winning writer Janette Oke sets the scene for an adaptation of this western love story, with Golden Globe-nominated actress Katherine Heigl, who plays the role of Marty. The first of many TV films to accompany the series of books, it takes us through a heart-warming tale of love and loss, between Marty and Clark. They begin the relationship for all of the wrong reasons, but fall in love, just as the audience does, with their story. The sequel, Love’s Enduring Promise, stars Mad Men actress January Jones, playing the role of Clark’s daughter Missie.
The Notebook
Up there with Titanic as one of the most unashamedly romantic films of all time, this tear-jerker is very popular with the ladies. It might have something to do with the Adonis himself, Ryan Gosling starring in it, but who knows… The film, based on the bestselling novel written by Nicholas Sparks, produced so many sparks (and box-office receipts) that the pair actually dated afterwards. However, it is a well-known fact that, during production, the co-stars surprisingly didn’t get on very well at all! You wouldn’t have guessed, from the on-screen chemistry.
Up
Disney and Pixar certainly know how to make us get emotionally attached to animated characters. We’ve certainly all blubbered away at Toy Story, and, if they can get adults crying over toys, then, with the incredibly-conceived human characters of Up, we never really stood a chance… As we delve deeper into the story of the grumpy Carl Fredricksen, we realise we misread his moodiness for sorrow. As the audience floats away with the two-time Oscar-winning characters, we learn all about the deeply touching relationship between Carl and his one true love, Ellie. Supreme cinema.
Moonrise Kingdom
The Hollywood Reporter’s description of the film as an “eccentric pubescent love story” just about perfectly sums up this cult favourite. Wes Anderson brings real depth of feeling to his aesthetic marvel. The film will have you laughing at the sheer playfulness of the script and the naïvety of the two characters – ideal to show your valentine that you’re not afraid of having fun! A good reminder of your own first fumbling steps at romance.
Her
Possibly one of the most eccentric love films on the list, but an excellent love story, none the less. Theodore is a lonely writer who seeks affection and companionship from the sultry-voiced Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) and, as the relationship builds, he falls for her. The only stumbling block being that she is a body-less operating system. So many relationships, these days, start with online dating, so falling for someone over the Internet isn’t exactly unusual. However, the film makes us ask questions about the nature of human relationships and their potential form in the distant future.
Don’t miss Janette Oke’s Love Collection (Love Comes Softly, Love’s Enduring Promise, Love’s Abiding Joy, and Love’s Unending Legacy) playing on True Entertainment from 1pm-9pm on Valentine’s Day.
