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6 Movies for Valentine's Day |
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Sunday, 01 January 2006 |
 Valentine's Day is fast approaching, but it's not too late to celebrate the spirit of the day. If you are tired of the standard fare, mainstream, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan type of romance flick, this may just be the place for you. I have assembled 6 of my personal favorite romances, each of which is at least slightly off the beaten path. Ranging from "non-romantic love" to supernatural to downright sexually charged, none of them is particularly well known, though they all came out since 1998.
City of Angels
  Fans of independent cinema may know the highly regarded film Wings of Desire by German director Wim Wenders, in which an angel named Damiel, who is assigned to watch over earthbound mortals wishes he could become human when he falls in love with a circus trapeze artist named Marion. Of course, it's not a movie you are likely to find at your local video hut, though it is probably not to most people's taste if you did find it.
 An alternative is City of Angels, the 1998 adaptation by director Brad Silberling (Moonlight Mile) which transports the location from Berlin to current day Los Angeles. In this case, an angel named Seth (Nicolas Cage) accompanies a critically ill young girl to the hospital where he sees a surgeon named Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan) and becomes attracted to her. Unfortunately, Seth is not human. Though he can make himself visible when he chooses, he still has no form and can't touch or feel anything. With the help of somewhat mysterious hospital patient Nathan Messinger (Dennis Franz) Seth learns there may be a solution.
Director Brad Silberling has shown a knack for creating passionate films which are just slightly unusual. In fact, he's so good at it, I have included two of them in this list. They are unusual enough to not quite be typical Hollywood fare, but not so unusual that they are difficult for most viewers to appreciate. City of Angels is warm-hearted but not entirely painless. It has a bittersweet quality that some may find a less than ideal Valentine choice, but in the end, it is an especially good example of affection. On top of that, Meg Ryan is always an effective object of desire and unlike so many romances, her character is worthy of that affection, and Nicolas Cage is outstanding as usual.
City of Angels is rated PG-13.
My First Mister
  For those wanting a movie about non-romantic love, a good example is the 2001 offering from actor/director Christine Lahti, My First Mister. Seventeen year old Jennifer (an almost unrecognizable Leelee Sobieski) is stuck with an absentee father (John Goodman) and a crazy mother (Carol Kane) who isn't exactly coping with her life. Lacking the direction of any stable parental influence, Jennifer has chosen the path of a resentful, disillusioned Goth, until she meets Randall (Albert Brooks), the uptight manager of an upscale clothing store. What develops is an odd twist on the type of father/daughter relationship that has been missing from her life, giving Jennifer her first remotely healthy relationship.
 The first scenes of My First Mister may seem rather odd to most viewers, since they involve much of the fantasy Jennifer uses to deal with those around her. Once she meets Randall, these fantasies quickly fade as her need for them wanes. Albert Brooks once again plays the neurotic character he is known for doing so well, which is a perfect match for Jennifer's equally deep but complementary insecurities. One of the best aspects of My First Mister is how Leelee Sobieski, who is an extremely attractive woman, starts off looking less than appealing, but gradually becomes more attractive, without ever losing her unique appearance, as she sheds her resentment.
My First Mister is rated (a rather tame) R
The Princess and the Warrior
  For viewers who don't mind subtitles comes this rather unusual feature from German director Tom Tykwer. Franka Potente, star of Tykwer's extremely popular Run Lola Run returns as Sissi, a quiet, caring young woman who is saved from a life threatening car accident by a small time criminal (Benno Fürmann) whose initial motivation is only to escape from his latest crime. After recovering from her injuries, Sissi becomes consumed with who saved her and why and sets out to find him. It is a story that is often more figurative or symbolic than real, which may set off some viewers, but it is wonderfully done and one of the most intriguing movies of recent years.
 Tykwer is one of the most visually impressive directors currently working, a fact which sometimes actually works to his detriment. The symbolism and stunningly beautiful visuals he incorporates are occasionally so impressive they actually are a disservice, causing the continuity of the movie to grind to a halt. It's not uncommon to become entranced by what is being seen on the screen and almost forget about what is going on in the story. There are far worse crimes a director can commit, but it is probably more pronounced here than in any of Tykwer's other films. Another aspect of Tywker's storytelling which may put some viewers a bit on edge is his interest in the implausible. His movies are made to look realistic, but don't quite exist in the dynamics of the real world. There is a great deal of "what if this happened" going on and the viewer needs to just go with it.
In the end, The Princess and the Warrior is a mix of romance and fantasy with some visuals which are absolutely stunning to behold. It is a love story and character study with some truly unusual twists and I don't think I'm giving away anything crucial when I say it has probably the happiest ending I have ever seen in a movie. An interesting bit of information regards a stunt late in the film, which was not done with stunt doubles. That is really Potente and Fürmann doing that stunt.
The Princess and the Warrior is rated R and has German dialog with English subtitles.
B. Monkey
 This is the only movie on this list which is not likely to be found at the local video rental hut, but it is also something of a personal favorite, so I felt it was definitely worth including. Beatrice, aka "B. Monkey" (Asia Argento) is a sexy Italian woman who got her nickname due to her ability to break into any building, which makes her perfect for her occupation as a thief. The problem is, she is growing tired of her tumultuous lifestyle. When she is followed one night by Alan Furnace (Jared Harris), a bookish, trumpet playing grade school teacher, it seems the perfect time to change her life for the better. They begin a steamy relationship which challenges them both as B tries to leave her old life, friends and mob boss behind, while Alan struggles to deal with B's significant wild side.
 B. Monkey is by far the most sexually charged movie on this list, which is not unusual for anything starring Euro-vixen Argento. What makes it appealing in the end is the dynamic between the two leads as they each cope with the conflicts in their two lifestyles. Each wants and needs what the other will bring them, but it's not an easy journey. Sacrifices have to be made and there is a great deal of change in store for both of them. What sets this movie apart is that they are ultimately both willing to make the changes needed. Still, this is hardly a perfect movie. It has been reported that once it was completed and put in the hands of Miramax, it was gutted a bit, which is evident by the scenes in the trailer which are missing from the movie. Nonetheless, what is being said is well worth seeing.
B. Monkey is rated R
Angel Eyes
 Jennifer Lopez stars as Sharon Pogue, a Chicago police officer who has pretty much shut herself off from everyone around her, even going to the point of sleeping in her bullet-proof vest. She seems completely unwilling or unable to attempt establishing new, meaningful relationships. Even her own family, including her sister-in-law, seem to despise her. While chasing an armed criminal, she is saved by a mysterious man named Catch (Jim Caviezel) who seems to have an odd fascination with her. There is a connection between these two neither of them is aware of which can help them both move on with their lives.
 Angel Eyes is a quiet and warm-hearted film about accepting and moving beyond the past. It is a bit of a surprise it has remained so little known, since it involves easily understood and moving themes. The dynamics, while amplified for theatrical impact, are fairly universal, particularly the simmering resentment within Sharon's family. All of this is handled quite nicely by director Luis Mandoki, who has shown a real flair for subtlety in effective character studies. Jennifer Lopez is effective as the insecure, posturing Sharon, but it is Jim Caviezel who makes the movie. Thanks to him, Catch is mysterious and engaging, elevating the entire movie well beyond what it would have been otherwise.
Angel Eyes is rated R.
Moonlight Mile
 This autobiographically inspired movie by writer/director Brad Silberling is his second in this list and yet another about moving on after tragedy. Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) plays Joe Nast, a young man who lives with the parents of his fiancée for several months after her murder. While the story is based on Silberling's own experiences, the interesting fact is that, while several details have been changed, it is the most unusual aspects which are based the most on reality, with less important details, such as the year and location, having been changed. While the premise may seem far from romantic, it actually plays out very much as a romance in many ways.
 The true appeal of Moonlight Mile is in seeing how everyone struggles to find a place for themselves after this tragic event and work to discover what is truly important to them. There are many other reasons it succeeds, including the wonderful direction by Silberling and excellent performances by Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman as the parents of Joe's fiancée, Holly Hunter as prosecutor Mona Camp (based on the actual prosecutor, Marcia Clark) and Gyllenhaal as Joe. A particularly enjoyable, break-through performance is given by Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy) as Bertie Knox. While the dialog occasionally pushes the boundaries of believability, so many other aspects keep the movie on track, it is not all that noticeable.
Moonlight Mile is rated PG-13
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