Catch some movie magic on Valentine’s Day

If you are done with getaways and romantic date nights on Valentine’s Day, why not curl up with a good movie with your significant other? Here is our compilation of some classic films known for their romantic themes, beautiful dialogues, fine actors and excellent screenplays. Read on…

Talk till you drop

Before Sunrise

If you love movies that carry the promise of infinite romantic possibilities, the Before Trilogy is a good place to begin. Among the three movies, Before Sunrise, the first in the series, is a good watch for Valentine’s Day. The story is about a young man (Ethan Hawke as Jesse) and woman (Julie Delpy as Celine) who meet on a train from Budapest and make a sudden and impulsive decision to disembark together in Vienna. Jesse is on his way to the airport to catch a flight back to the US, while Celine is heading to Paris.

When they realise they only have one night together, they spend the whole evening walking through Vienna and talking to each other. Gradually, they get to know each other but what will happen at sunrise? Will they part ways or will Jesse stay back for Celine’s sake?

You will have to watch the movie to find out, but the suspense will definitely keep you hooked. There are endless dialogues, but movie buffs will enjoy the chemistry between the couple. By the time the movie ends, you will want to know what will happen in the second movie, Before Sunset which takes the story forward by nine years and the third in the series, Before Midnight happens 18 years later.

2. The Dreamers and the Romantics

La La Land

This multi-award-winning film is known for its beautiful jazz pieces and picturesque landscapes and will appeal to romantics who don’t give up on their dreams. The story revolves around Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress who works as a barista in between auditions for films, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician who makes a living by playing in bars. The two of them are struggling artistes – Sebastian barely gets by with his music and Mia frantically hopes for auditions to get a big break in the movies.

There’s love, there’s music, and the glorious inky blue of the backdrop of the city of dreams. There’s a heroine in pretty dresses and a charming hero who loves to dance. What’s not to love in a film like this?

The change in fortunes comes much later and the nostalgia of the roads not taken can leave you hopelessly sentimental by the end of the movie. The movie won in every category for which it was nominated at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and received 14 nominations at the 89th Academy Awards. It’s the perfect movie for a romantic rendezvous.

3. Love and friendship take a bow

When Harry Met Sally

Any movie with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is always a delight and if you want to go down memory lane on the most romantic day of the year, When Harry Met Sally would be the right choice. Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film moves forward by many years and as they go through different stages of their lives and search for love.

Every now and then, they bump into each other again and again, till they finally become good friends. When do they finally fall in love? And when does Harry make his epic declaration of his feelings when he says -"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. … And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night…. when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” Some of the finest romantic lines ever.

4. No cure for love and insomnia

Sleepless in Seattle

This beautiful romantic movie is one of director Nora Ephron’s highest-grossing films. Even today, it holds you in its spell as true love unfolds on the silver screen between Annie (Meg Ryan) and Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks).

The story begins with a back story. Sam is an architect who has lost his wife to cancer and has moved to Seattle with his young son, Jonah, to forget the past. Unable to see how sad his father is, Jonah wants to find his dad to find a new wife. So, he persuades his father to go on air on Christmas Eve and talk about his late wife and their perfect marriage.

One of the listeners of the show is Annie who is instantly infatuated with Sam, despite being engaged to someone else. How will this infatuation pan out? Watch the movie for its many twists and turns, and the most romantic - scene on top of the Empire State Building.

5. Love in the time of sacrifice

Casablanca

This tender romance is full of some of the most quotable dialogues dating back to 1942, but is still one of the most-loved movies even today, despite being in black and white and despite being a doomed love story. If you remember lines like, “We will always have Paris” and “Here’s looking at you, kid”, you have probably already watched the movie several times.

The story revolves around Ricky Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) who runs a nightclub in Casablanca and Isla Lund (Ingrid Bergman), his former lover and the woman who broke his heart.

There is the conflict between desire and duty, self and selflessness, and love and loss. A must-watch if you love an oldie and want to slip into the past this Valentine’s Day.

6. Different strokes for different folks

Love Actually

Here is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with love itself. It follows the life of eight different people dealing with the loves in their lives in different ways.

The movie is nearing its two-decade mark but is just as endearing as it was once. From Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley to Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Rowin Atkinson, this movie features some of the best-known actors in the film world.

The movie explores the many facets of love, from familial and platonic to caring and compassionate. It is one of the best movies to enjoy with your own true Valentine.