10. ALL THE DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW-If you loved ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, you will like this one. Joey Kern and Alexandra Holden have wonderful onscreen chemistry as Wes and Alison, two friends who should be lovers. We want them to be a couple-- they SHOULD be a couple, but we all know how that goes. Told in a non-linear series of vignettes that alternate between various times in their friendship and in Wes’s dreams, this is one unforgettable film perfect to watch with that person you want more from, but most likely will never have. The club scene, by the way, is one of the best in movie history, shot beautifully with the perfect song.
9. KING KONG (2005 Peter Jackson version)-There is something magical in the scene when Kong and Ann Darrow are playing on the ice…you feel this sense of sadness. You see they have that same moment you have when walking with someone you love in park and it begins to rain…and then you share that kiss, dance or that certain hug that elevates your heart into the stratosphere. You hear it in Ann’s laughter and see it in Kong’s playful spin. Your eyes can’t help but well with tears because you know despite that momentary love they share, it will soon end. And that’s a tragedy for both of them. Peter Jackson’s vision for this scene is really what defines this entire film and makes it worthy for lovers who value their moments together just as much as Ann and Kong did for their last dance on the ice.
8. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN-Haunting. Beautiful. Enigmatic. To call this a vampire movie downplays its portrait of adolescent love. To call this a love story takes away from how wonderfully crafted and real its depiction of vampirism is. This is truly a masterpiece that is a fascinating exploration of young love and vampires in a way The Twilight franchise could never even scratch the surface of on an intellectual or profoundly emotional level. Lina Leandersson and Kare Hedebrant are awesome!
7. THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN-Boaz Davidson’s 1982 heartbreaking classic about a young man in love with his best friend’s girl. I wish they still made great, cutting edge sex comedies like this. The ones we get now are so diluted and watered down compared to how raw and reckless they were in the 1980’s. It was a much different time then, back when it was okay to share needles and condoms were still far removed from public consciousness with all things casual. By the end of the decade, in the wake of AIDS awareness, these kinds of films would be almost completely removed from studio production slates and wouldn’t really be chic again until the birth of the American Pie franchise of the late 1990’s. But this movie is a great link to those times and a painful love story with an ending is truly unforgettable.
6. MR. JEALOUSY-Noah Baumbach’s follow-up to his classic KICKING AND SCREAMING. Eric Stoltz plays Lester, a guy who was cheated on as a teenager and lets the jealousy that sprang from that control his relationships nearly two decades later. This movie has a wonderfully unique plot that mixes Lester in a web of deception between his current girlfriend, Ramona, and her ex-boyfriend, Dashiell. I won’t get too specific, but it’s hilarious. Chris Eigeman is wonderful in this and the cast as a whole does a great job with the excellent and witty screenplay. For people who hate typical romantic comedies, you’ll probably dig this one for its more intellectual approach to the genre.
5. MULHOLLAND DRIVE-Will you figure out what the hell’s going on without Googling it? Probably not. But it doesn’t matter. I didn’t need to look up anything to appreciate the intensely erotic love scenes between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. Their passion seems to have a life force of its own onscreen and they have some absolutely awe-inspiring chemistry. It’s a very real love you feel like you’re watching, the kind that makes it seem like these characters are the only two people on Earth. It’s definitely a Valentine’s Day movie that will leave you bewildered, befuddled, and trying to wrap your mind around what you have seen by the end, but it’s not something you will easily forget.
4. CHUNGKING EXPRESS-Okay, subtitle time! Unless your Chinese is up to speed. The film tells two tales about lovestruck cops in Hong Kong. It’s quite a remarkable film and I think the writing is superb, but it’s Wong Kar Wai’s spectacular direction and finely tuned editing that knocks this one out of the park. It’s quite a romantic movie that really explores both phases of love: that weird period just after a breakup and that weird period when you begin to fall for someone new. It’s amazing.
3. MY BLOODY VALENTINE (original 1981 version)-Sometimes the best way to spend time with the ones we love or have sex with on a regular basis, is to throw on a cheesy slasher film with a big tub of popcorn (properly splashed with Lucas lime salt if you’re a real Mexican!), slither under a warm blanket and watch cheesy, low budget horror movies. Or is that just me? This is Quentin Tarantino’s all time favorite slasher film and one mine, too. The music is horrible, the bloody hearts and gore effects are laughable…but that’s what makes it brilliant and fun. It’s these kinds of movies that make you and your partner laugh then it leads to that moment when you stop laughing, find yourselves gazing into each other’s eyes and sharing one of those warm lovey-dovey moments…and you have a deranged miner with a pick axe to thank for that.
2. BUFFALO ’66-Vincent Gallo’s masterpiece about Billy Brown, a lonely just-released ex-con who kidnaps a tap dancer (Christina Ricci) to take home to his parents, forcing her to pretend she’s his new bride. Ricci is amazing as the confused and probably equally lonely Layla. The bond they forge through their hours spent together should be something that reminds us of Patty Hearst, but the more we watch and learn about these two, it seems like fate brought them together. With one of the most bold cinematic visions ever, an immensely talented cast and a powerhouse soundtrack fueled by Yes and Gallo himself, this movie is one of those rarities that is more than just simply a good watch, but a great cinematic experience.
1. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER-My 2nd all time favorite movie love story behind ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. Marc Webb’s fantastic direction and wondrous performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel really made this the truly best film of 2009, technology aside. I love this movie so much because we have all had those kind of weird relationships where we do all the couple things, but aren’t officially a couple and this excellent examination demonstrates just how frustrating those situations can be. With an excellent soundtrack, screenplay, and cast this is one love story we should all see, especially with someone we love or want to be in love with. If you haven’t seen it…DO!
Hope this is helpful to any looking for some different alternatives to standard romancer fare like THE NOTEBOOK or almost anything Julia Roberts has ever done. Thanks for reading!
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