If you’re going to stay in this Valentine’s Day, make sure you celebrate the spirit of the acclaimed saint by losing yourself in some wonderfully romantic celluloid stories. Some evergreen classics and others more New Age, we’ve sifted out the 10 best choices.
1. The Notebook – This one’s a story within a story. Young lovers Allie and Noah are separated by disapproving parents, circumstance and fate. Allie suffers dementia later on in life but has penned their story, which Noah reads to her.
2. Love Story – A classic from the early ’70s, this one’s the ultimate for hope and heartbreak. Adapted from the novel of the same name written by Erich Segal, it made cinema-goers reach for copious amounts of Kleenex, yet trumps as one of the most romantic films of all time.
3. Pretty Woman – This movie is an evergreen hit that can be watched a zillion times over. The role of Vivian Ward catapulted Julia Roberts to fame alongside Richard Gere as millionaire Edward Lewis. The blossoming love between two individuals with drastically different backgrounds will leave you grinning goofily at the fairytale ending.
4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 – Continuing from part one, Toula and Nick are married with a teenage daughter and are juggling the challenges that life throws them. This one is as good as its predecessor, with a wholesome message and a reminder of love’s important lessons.
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – This is rom-com and sci-fi all rolled into one. After a tumultuous relationship, Clementine has all her memories of Joel erased, and Joel follows suit. But while the scientists work on his brain, happy memories come to him, which he wants to preserve. The couple (who have no memory of one another) uncannily keep getting drawn together, finally deciding to give love a go.
6. Sleepless in Seattle – Starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, the story starts with a little boy wishing for a new wife for his widower father over the radio on Christmas Eve. The movie unravels how the pair meet, with funny and romantic moments along the way that never fail to hit you in all the right spots.
7. An Affair To Remember – A delicate predicament about two youngsters who are engaged to be married to different people. Destiny brings them together on a ship, where they connect instantly. To test their love for one another, they decide to meet atop the Empire State Building six months down the line. This cheerful 1957 rom-com is just what you need staying in on Valentine’s Day.
8. The Holiday – In a home exchange programme, Iris Simpkins travels all the way from Surrey to Amanda Woods’ home in Los Angeles to get over her unrequited love for a colleague, while Amanda travels to live in Iris’ quaint countryside cottage. In unfamiliar environments, things are put into better perspective when the ladies meet new people, situations and eventually – love.
9. Breakfast At Tiffany’s – How could we leave out the delectable Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in this lighthearted romantic film of 1961. Struggling writer Paul Varjak, played by George Peppard, embarks upon a romantic escapade with the beautiful leading lady, giving audiences an entertaining time.
10. La La Land – The latest blockbuster about a pianist and an aspiring actress who fall head over heals for one another. A twist in the tale keeps audiences hooked on to this beautiful story. The sets and the cinematography dazzle from start to end. Definitely worth your time on the day of love.
