Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!!! Now, I know some feel this holiday isn’t that important to some, but that’s ok! I got you, fam! There’s one thing that always goes with Valentine’s Day. (Besides that! Get your mind out of the gutter!) Movies! Get your popcorn, chocolate, and wine out, because here are some of my favorite Romance films that’ll get you in the mood for romance.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Yep, it is a romance film. Just with Martial Arts, that’s all. Two friends with deep feelings for one another, Li Mu Bai and Shu Yuen (Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh) struggle with how they feel about one another. In addition, Zhang Ziyi’s character Jen Lo is conflicted between doing what her royal family wants or being with her old love.
The Photograph
Newly Grammy award-winning artist Robert Glasper did the score for this beautiful film, starring Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield. In this movie, we get to see different generations of romance. One in the present, where Rae and Stanfield bond while connecting the dots on a mother who loved life on her terms.
Love Jones
A classic! Starring Nia Long and Larenz Tate, Love Jones really made dudes perform sonnets to their interests while playing Maxwell in the background. A good showcase of vibes meshing, Love Jones captures every stage in a relationship; the interest, the chase, the commitment issues, and the question of “are they the one?”. Like a character says, “When that love jones comes down, it’ll be a mother…”
Spanglish
Adam Sandler does have some good movies, showcasing his acting skills, along with co-star Paz Vega. A successful but frustrated chef falls for the newly hired house assistant…while being married to an unfaithful wife. Cultures clash within one home, as Vega’s character, Flor, must juggle dealing with love while giving her daughter the best life possible.
The Bodyguard
Another classic, starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, is a film that really needs no description. The music, the chemistry between the actors, the setting… Nuff said, really.
Entergalactic
One of the rare, animated films I’ve seen from Western studios dealing with romance, Entergalatic showcases the classic “boy meets girl” mixed with some impressive visuals inspired by Into The Spider-Verse and features music by Kid Cudi
500 Days of Summer
Unrequited love can be a real pain in the ass. Feeling such strong feelings about someone who doesn’t feel the same way, it’s a good way of resenting the very idea of love. It’s the situation that the protagonist, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, is in. Dealing with rejection can be difficult. Dealing with the idea of love, rather than the reality of love is more difficult.
Romeo & Juliet (The 90s Version)
While keeping with the vernacular of the Shakespearean epic, and adding 90s style and flavor. Swapping swords for guns, the film still stays true to its verbiage, and with singer Des’ree singing the iconic “Kissing You”, it’s a modern rendition done right.
A Thin Line Between Love And Hate