WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
Many people seem to think that as a female, I should be into chick-flicks and rom-coms. Well let’s just say I’m not your average woman, and Valentine’s Day never really interested me until I met my boyfriend. So, here’s a group of films for those of you, like me, who aren’t into the in-your-face romantic stuff.
The Princess Bride
I harp on and on about not having a specific favourite film but honestly, this is one of the many that I do have. So much so that this isn’t the only time I’ll be covering it. My boyfriend even claims I forced him to watch it. At its heart, The Princess Bride is a love story and I’m not going to deny that but it’s also a tale of revenge and conspiracy all wrapped up in a slightly medieval bow. Yes, there’s comedy, thankfully not the overly cheesy kind, but there’s also sword fights and magic so really the romance side of it doesn’t take over the whole film.
True Romance
Now here is a film that I think the men in our lives can enjoy. All the violence and disastrous antics that take place throughout the film centres around what starts out as an unconventional love story which evolves into two people that would do anything for each other – truthfully, you slightly forget that it’s a love story at all. At the end of the day, it is the love between them that brings us to the climactic and unexpectedly happy ending.
My Bloody Valentine
Here is the real inspiration for this article. If you haven’t been able to tell already by this blog – I am a massive horror fan so obviously I couldn’t resist throwing this in for what is supposedly the most romantic day of the year. It’s your typical 80s slasher film but it’s got everything you could want in a Valentine’s film – the reunion of teenagers in love, young couples enjoying a party and a murderer going around cutting people’s hearts out. I guess nothing makes the heart beat faster. I love the fact that the title actually works on two levels as the film is set in Valentine’s Bluff and on Valentine’s Day.
Moulin Rouge
This film actually sparked a bit of conversation in the house when I was devising this article. Mum says chick-flick, me and my dad whole-heartedly disagreed with her. Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t have a happy ending! So how can it be a chick-flick? The love is imperfect and truthfully nothing really works out but if you want a film about love that also has an amazing soundtrack – then this is for you. I won’t lie to you, don’t be surprised if you’re crying by the end.
Secretary
Move aside Fifty Shades of Grey! Alright, James Spader is no Jamie Dornan but if the opening scene of Maggie Gyllenhaal in bondage handcuffs makes you think you know what kind of film it is setting you up for, you’ll be wrong. It doesn’t set you up for the more serious side of the story and this is what I love about this film. It isn’t just about the sexual and intimate connection between Lee and Edward Grey (I’ll admit I’ve been wondering if it was a coincidence) but it’s also a story about falling back in love with yourself – and isn’t that more important than being in love with someone else?
