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Writer's pictureValeria Sweet
Feb 2, 20194 min read

Top Romantic Movies

Updated: Aug 10, 2020

Day 2: 14 Days of Valentines. Now this is not your typical list of romantic movies.

You won't find When Harry Met Sally... on this list (although I do like that movie). But you will find relationships just as messy, with heightened emotions, soulmate connections, and just a bit of that magic that I think life is about. They will make you feel alive! (The interesting part is that a lot of these were made in 2003/2004 but the only one I saw when it came out was the Notebook.)

You can see most of the movies on Amazon, just click on the titles. There is also an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.
SPOILER ALERT: DON'T READ THE BULLET POINTS UNTIL YOU WATCH THE MOVIES! :)

Let's get into it!


1. LOVE ME IF YOU DARE (2003) (Jeux d'enfants, translated as Children's Games)

It is a game of dare played between two kids who grow into being just as daring when adults. Who will win? Will love win?

Cap ou pas Cap? Are you Game?

"Tell me that you love me first because I’m afraid that if I tell you first you’ll think that I’m playing the game."


"You know... there were lots of things I was game for that you never said." "Like?"

"...loving you like crazy."


  • This is the film where Marion Cotillard first starred with her future boyfriend, Guillaume Canet (together since 2007).


2. CLOSER (2004)

Two couples get intertwined within their relationships, but who will each one end up with?

  • Pete Wentz and I agree on one thing - this is one of the most quotable movies. He is a big fan of this film and you will find Closer quotes in older Fall Out Boy's song titles and lyrics. (Also Panic! At the Disco paid homage with their song Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off, a quote from Natalie's character, Alice.)

  • Natalie Portman and Clive Owen earned Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress and Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. (They were also nominated for an Oscar.)

  • This film is based on a play by Patrick Marber and he also wrote the screenplay. The script differs a bit, especially the ending (for anyone who's interested in what really happened, you can find the Closer play here, or chat me up on @ValeriaSweetOfficial).

  • When the play was performed, Clive Owen used to play Dan before playing Larry on screen.


3. BEFORE SUNRISE/BEFORE SUNSET (1995/2004)

Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight. The trilogy that makes you want to believe in love, fall in love, trust strangers, and to expect to meet your soulmate anywhere, especially in Vienna!

  • Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke will always look like a real couple. Maybe because they did improvise all of the dialog.

  • Rick Linklater (writer/director) based this on a real encounter and a real woman named Amy he met in Philadelphia. Unfortunately she passed away in a traffic accident before he could see her again and before the release of the first film. The memory of her lives through this film and gives her another life.


4. THE NOTEBOOK (2004)

A film set in the 1940s, based on a Nicholas Sparks book, about a love that will not fade throughout the years.

  • The book by Nicholas Sparks was based on the story of his ex-wife's grandparents' 60 year marriage.

  • Since then a lot of stories about people taking care of their significant others with Alzheimer's and dementia have been in the news (for example, this one). Even though The Notebook is an idealized love story, I'm glad it brought awareness to the topic.

If you were hurt by a relationship, would you take a chance to erase your memories of the person you loved? Would they?

  • The original screenplay ends a bit differently. The couple goes on for years, till they are elderly, erasing memories of each other. A little more cynical. I must say I like the movie ending at their beginning, but I guess it does imply the same thing.

  • A few scenes were cut to make Jim Carrey seem the way he is (read: aloof), but if you would like to see it, spoilers at your own risk of why he is the way he is... here

  • Also, Ellen Pompeo was in it before she wasn't.

  • Clementine dissolves her own representation of a manic pixie dream girl by addressing it, "Too many guys think I’m a concept, or I complete them, or I’m gonna make them alive. But I’m just a fucked-up girl who’s looking for my own peace of mind. Don’t assign me yours."

6. WICKER PARK (2004)

Your lover disappears without a word... what will you do to find them? And what will someone do to keep you apart?

  • This is a remake of a French original film The Apartment with Monica Bellucci.

  • My first introduction to Rose Byrne and what a great actress she is! Years later I met her on the set of Neighbors. She walked up to me to chat about the shoes I was wearing. Total sweetheart.


7. MR. NOBODY (2009)

The oldest mortal man wakes up to an interviewer asking him questions about his past. He doesn't remember exactly, but there are only three ways that his life could have gone, with three different women...

  • Two movies on this list with Diane Kruger playing very similar characters and she's always great.

  • Jared Leto's character's name Nemo means "nobody" in Latin.


TO BE CONTINUED...


Let me know in the comments below or @ValeriaSweetOfficial if you've watched any of these movies based on my suggestions or any questions you have!

Stay sweet and warm out there!

Valeria ♥

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