Hello everyone, it's been a long while since my first and only post in the CineTV community. I have decided to come back tackling the latest CineTV writing prompt exactly on time. There's no better day to talk about the romance genre than on Valentine's Day.
Why am I not spending time with my loved one? Well, I am single...and lonely. That's how Valentine's Day works, the couples enjoy the day and the singles are here to help these couples enjoy it better -- like recommending some things for them to watch together in the comfort of their home!
These recommendations will not be in any order. Some of them might not be objectively good either. I am just sharing those I have watched and liked. Hopefully, you can find one you enjoy as well.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)
Screenshot from this official trailer
Hitting the list off is one of my favorite action-romance hybrids. This film is clearly not for everyone, as it's a box office bomb that failed to recoup its production budget. It, however, was loved by the critics -- and me, too!
For one, the nerdy characters and all the video games reference really hook me into the film. The visual effect is great in this film and more importantly, it clicks well with the theme and design of this film. Of course, you cannot compare the effects of this film to the likes of Marvel superheroes film but it really has the "indie gaming" vibe that is absolutely fitting. That was very impressive back in its release year of 2010.
The whole idea of having to win the girl's heart by beating all her evil exes is not the most creative plot in the world, but it doesn't need to be. I think romance films aren't going to have mind-blowing plots compared to some other genres and it's more about whether you can feel the love and chemistry between the leads. Michael Cera just fits the main character perfectly as that is the go-to character type for him. Mary Elizabeth Winstead certainly had matured since then and played more serious roles nowadays, but she had the charm of a more colorful and youthful character in this film.
I also loved the fight scenes in this movie and this is coming from someone who had criticized a boatload of Hollywood fight scenes in the past for being slow and just...not well-shot or well-choreographed. I will admit, Hollywood had improved since then and a lot of their modern action movies have solid combat scenes. This was one of the few I liked back then though.
This film is great if you or your significant other (is):
- Loves gaming
- Loves action
- Wants something more than just a typical romance flick
Cyborg She (2008)
Screenshot from this official trailer
This was a very fun film I still remembered from my youth. Back then, I was far more into JDorama and anime than now and I had watched plenty of rather obscure Japanese films. This was one I really liked among them, even more than the regular "pure love" type of romance films that the Japanese were known for.
This premise is very simple. As you would have guessed from the title, the movie is about a guy and his cyborg girlfriend. Slice of life and comedy are the main ingredients in this film but it offers more than that. I can assure you that the plot is deeper than in many romance films. The sci-fi bits are utilized very well to tell an engaging story and it's not just here for "hey, the girl is a cyborg so this is sci-fi now".
Do note that this is more on the sweet and easy side. If you are into a more serious ride for your romance experience, this might not scratch that itch. Of course, it has obstacles like cyborg being indifferent to human feelings and "it's just not human" -- but you won't find the more real-life based issues like distance, financial struggle, status difference and etc for them to overcome.
A little tidbit; this was written and directed by the same director (Kwak Jae-yong) as South Korea's biggest rom-com hit, My Sassy Girl (2001). If you like the vibe of MSG, you would likely enjoy this one too.
This was also a romance film that my friend, who has a very stereotypical guy mindset that he has no interest in the romance genres and romantic love, was okay with. He said the comedy bit was fun and at least he got something out of it. So, if your partner isn't one who is into the likes of The Notebook and the more girl-oriented romance films, this might be a hit!
This film is great if you or your significant other (is):
- Into sci-fi
- Loves a light-hearted experience
- Wants something more complicated than "he loves her and she loves him"
- Not into typical romance films
Your Name (2016)
Screenshot from this official trailer
This is the new-gen Spirited Away and I can just end this section right here. I already summed up everything you need to know with just one sentence. How's the comparison make sense, you might ask? Spirited Away is an anime film that can be enjoyed by anyone and not just regular anime fans. It is a cinematic masterpiece with deep layers if one wants to dive into the motives and lessons within the design of it -- but also enjoyable for someone who just wants to tickle the surface and call it a day. To me, Your Name shares these resemblances but with a stronger dose of romance -- the exact ingredient we want for this list!
Your Name begins with mysterious body-swapping incidents between a big-city boy and a rural girl. They tried their best to make it work and eventually bonded with each other. That was the beginning of a complicated, engrossing love story that transcend time and space as they worked hard to try and meet with each other. It's a love story, and not just a love story. It has a lot of themes and can be pretty deep if you are the kind who wants to understand everything.
I'd say this is a film one might not enjoy if one just wants a simple watch without having to think a lot. It's one of the best anime films because it offers a lot of things at once while keeping its core as a story about two human beings searching for love. It also has a very strong Japanese style vibe. I might not be able to explain it very well but the Japanese does a specific style of "slow, chilling slice of life with deep life lessons and philosophies" very well and I have not seen any other country being able to duplicate this. If you enjoy that style of film, this one's great!
Besides the Japanese style I mentioned above, this movie is also an art masterpiece. The director, Makoto Shinkai, has a very distinct visual style that separates his films from their peers. If you are a fan of animation cinematography, then you'd like this even just for studying purposes.
To me, this film does everything right for a romance-based story. It is a fantasy entangled in reality and does a fantastic job.
This film is great if you or your significant other (is):
- Into the more artistic and deeper stories
- Loves anything from Japan
- Wants a safe pick that is unlikely to disappoint
- Prefers animation over live action
Perhaps Love (2005)
Screenshot from this official trailer
If you are the one that goes "screw all the happy stuff, I want to cry and go into the night in a sad mood on Valentine's Day" then this is for you. If you are into the "entertainment industry" romance subgenre, this IS the film on this list for you.
Perhaps Love is likely the heaviest on my list when it comes to emotional stress and negativity. It is also the only one to have a love triangle. As per the tropes of entertainment industry romance (but more Asian in the sense that this has no rock'n'roll and drugs), this is the story about an actress who loved a man, but chose the other man who could give her career and success over one true love 10 years ago. Their fates are entwined once again in the girl's newest film and amazingly in a plot that is not too different from what actually happened in their real life. Is she acting? Or are her feelings real? Will their real life entanglement affect their acting in this film? Perhaps this could provide an alternative closure for them? This film is an intriguing tale and a perfect play on their complicated relationships. It's also very real as this kind of breakup and choices happen every day in life, especially among the younger people who are just getting into society.
While the director had blatantly stated that this is not a musical (after drawing comparison to Bollywood films), it does have a very strong musical score. One of the main leads, Jacky Cheung was known as the "God of Music". Dude ain't playing around when it comes to singing. Speaking of the cast, it is full of superstars. The three leads Jacky Cheung, Zhou Xun, and Takeshi Kaneshiro are all entertainers you might see before just by watching random Chinese movies.
This film is great if you or your significant other (is):
- Looking for a Blue Valentine (pun intended; seriously, don't watch that flick on 2.14)
- Loves a more realistic plot or something more "grounded" than all the fantasy hoopla above
- Wants films with great acting
- Wants a non-English exotic option
The Holiday (2013)
Screenshot from this official trailer
If you want to go, "wrong holiday, dude." then my response will be: I. Don't. Freaking. Care! This is the movie I still watch once almost every year and the one I discussed when I first came to the CineTV Discord a year ago:
There is no way in the Hell of Love that I don't close the list with this personal favorite of mine. I just love everything that this film offers. It has a very lovable cast who I cannot find much to hate about, at all. Sure, they all have their own issues in life and they are not perfect. Yet, they are so humane that I find myself sympathizing with them instead of disliking them. It's actually incredible writing even though this film is not the kind that will win anything critically.
As you can see in my chat screenshot above, I love Jude Law in this film but I can also say the same for all four main leads here. Jack Black is surprisingly charismatic in this film, like out of my expectation on a more serious role that he can't be "Jack Black", if you get what I mean. Kates Winslet is just so relatable in her role, she plays a lady who is blinded by love, and is mentally strong yet somehow weak at the same time. I love this kind of character; like you can see that she's strong and independent yet she is vulnerable in some way. I often find this kind of characterization much more lovable than the typical "superhuman, great at everything" lead.
Aside from the house swapping, the whole plot is nothing groundbreaking for a rom-com. It follows the typical rom-com formula and doesn't reinvent itself. It merely executes its simplicity to perfection and that's enough for me. I have watched plenty of "simple films" that I cannot rate very high critically, but I loved them for what they provide. After all, not every film is created to be an Oscar winner and box office killer (despite all the investors wanting the latter part, I am sure). Sometimes you just want a "feel good" movie for roughly two hours of your life and this movie easily provides that -- and a lot of that. It's arguably the simplest watch on this list and a great film to just sit back and relax on.
Just a side note though, I came to this film hoping for some good "com", but it has very little of that albeit the categorization. It's like 90% "rom" and 10% "com".
This film is great if you or your significant other (is):
- Just wants a simple and lovely story for a relaxing time together
- Looking for a typical life-based romance
- Wants to not bother with subtitles and foreign languages
And this is all from me today. I hope this list can provide you all readers with at least one movie to watch with your significant other. I originally wanted to add some dramas as well but it had gotten too long. I might do that in another blog entry if I have the time.
Until then, enjoy your Valentine's Day with your loved one!
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