Amy Lemco, Arts & Life Writer Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s, (and all associated spin-offs) our first-quarter quota of sweet and sappy—of love, friendship, and self-care—is here. Valentine's Day may be the center of the Netflix-and-Chill universe, nowadays: you can even buy a greeting card about it. But, like a Hallmark movie where the prince and a waitress fall in love, Valentine’s Day can be quite typical. To refresh your viewing list, here are some less-than-predictable sorta-romance films: "Harold and Maude" (1971) The ultimate in ironic opposites: he’s a young man obsessed with death, she is an octogenarian obsessed with life. While you try to work out how you feel about shipping these two, rest assured there is a reason this film makes every cult-classics, best-classics, best-movies-of-all-time list out there. In "Home Fries" (1998) Helicopter pilot Dorian (Luke Wilson), takes a job at a local burger joint to do reconnaissance on the pregnant (unaware) mistress of his step-father, Sally (Drew Barrymore). Dorian starts to have feelings for Sally, but it may be the least of their problems: there is still an involuntary manslaughter to deal with. "Happy Accidents" (2000) After a lifetime of bad relationships, Ruby (Marissa Tomei) falls quickly in love with Sam Deed (Vincent D’Onofrio), a man who works with the elderly, speaks many languages, and loves polka records. When Sam claims to be from the year 2470, the shift between plausible and impossible changes line by line. "He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not" (2002) If you loved Audrey Tautou in "Amelie," see her as Angelique, an art student madly in love with her cardiologist boyfriend--though he will not leave his wife. As the title implies, there are two sides to every story; to say more would give it away. "The Tiger and The Snow" (2005) Never has love been put so much into action as when Attilio (writer-director-actor Roberto Benigini of "Life Is Beautiful") travels to war-torn Baghdad to save the comatose love of his life, Vittoria (real-life wife Nicoletta Brashi). How much Attilio is willing to risk, and the backstory of his love are slowly revealed, with humor and pathos. "Lars and the Real Girl" (2007) Ryan Gosling plays Lars, an intensely shy man who can barely stand to speak to or touch others. His family is thrilled to learn Lars has fallen in love with a missionary he met line, Bianca--until they realize Bianca is...a lifesize doll, to put it politely. A film about growing pains and community, "Lars and the Real Girl" sets a surprising standard for how people should treat each other. "Warm Bodies" (2013) This zombie’s heart still beats: when R---pronounced “rrrrrr”--(Nicholas Hoult), meets a living girl, Julie (Teresa Palmer), a modern-day Shakespearean zombie-love unfolds. A nice allegory for the difficulty of young adult-hood, toxic masculinity, and disconnectedness in the modern world. "Jexi" (2019) A timely, comedic look at the too-close relationship many have with their technology: Phil’s (Adam Devine) attempts to unplug are complicated by his phone’s obsession with him. If you haven’t seen the more serious A.I. love story, "Her" (2013), which "Jexi seems to parody, it might be fun to watch side by side. Whatever movie line-up your heart desires to binge, whoever you binge it with, remember (even if Captain & Tennille didn’t say it first, they gave it with a catchy tune), “Love. Love will keep us together.”
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