As the calendar turns from January to February and Valentine's Day approaches, love is in the air. Romance is, of course, one of the oldest genres in storytelling of any kind, including cinema. Titles abound of movies worth seeking out for Valentine's Day, and with the advent of streaming, the possibilities for Valentine's movie marathons are endless.
The intimacy of romance stories lends itself well to smaller independent films. For every commercial blockbuster like The Notebook, there are a dozen or so indies just waiting to be discovered, or perhaps revisited. Here are just a few options to watch this Valentine's season.
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Two teenagers embark on a cross country road trip with a beautiful older woman in Y Tu Mama Tambien. Directed by the great Alfonso Cuaron, the film was released in Mexico in 2001 and came to the U.S. a year later, where it was a hit with critics, as well as audiences who sought it out. Cuaron's script and direction are excellent, capturing several scenes in his signature long takes, creating maximum realism.
At the end of the film, the audience learns a secret about one of the characters that gives the film a bittersweet, even tragic quality.
Sidewalks Of New York
Prolific indie filmmaker Edward Burns writes, directs, and stars in Sidewalks Of New York, a romantic comedy about the interlocking lives and relationships of six New Yorkers. The film plays as somewhat of a Woody Allen tribute, given the locale and the subject matter, but Burns is a distinct screenwriter and performer who makes his own films on his own terms.
Sidewalks of New York is as much a love letter to New York City as it is a love story between the characters themselves.
All The Real Girls
Nowadays, director David Gordon Green is most known for stoner comedies like Pineapple Express, and, most recently, the new Halloween remake. However, Green's first four films were low budget indie dramas, all of which are excellent. His second feature, 2003's All The Real Girls, is a small town romance drama starring Zooey Deschanel in her first leading role, and her last film as a mostly unknown actress before Elf would catapult her to stardom.
She is terrific in the movie, which tells the story of a womanizing man who falls in love with his best friend's sister. The writing, directing, and acting are all first-rate, making this one of the most authentic indie romances in recent memory.
Reality Bites
1994's Reality Bites holds up to this day as one of the great indie rom-coms of all time. It's a coming of age story about an aspiring filmmaker and her friends making the transition from college to early adulthood. Ben Stiller, then a mostly unknown actor, directs and co-stars.
Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder are thoroughly charming in the lead roles, with Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn rounding out the ensemble. Reality Bites is a big-hearted comedy with lovable characters, making it pure indie comfort food to be enjoyed over and over again.
Blue Is The Warmest Color
2013's Blue Is The Warmest Color is a French film about the relationship between a teenager and an older art student who she meets in a lesbian bar. The film is a screen adaptation of the graphic novel by Julie Maroh. The book is 160 pages long, but the film manages to get three hours of runtime out of the material.
Despite its length and its NC-17 rating, thanks to its sexually explicit material, Blue is the Warmest Color succeeded with audiences and at the box-office, leading it to garner near-unanimous critical praise.
Take This Waltz
Actress Sarah Polley found success as a director with 2006's Away From Her. In 2011, her second directorial effort, Take This Waltz, premiered to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival. Michelle Williams is terrific as Margot, a married woman who falls in love with an artist who lives across the street.
The cast includes Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman, which may lead audiences to think this film is a comedy. While it has its funny moments, at its core, Take This Waltz is a drama and a convincing one at that. Polley would go on to direct the acclaimed documentary Stories We Tell, and recently announced her next film, Women Talking, starring Frances McDormand.
Away We Go
Acclaimed director Sam Mendes followed up his heart-wrenching drama Revolutionary Road with the smaller and lighter Away We Go. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are terrific as Burt and Verona, an expectant couple who travel the country, looking for a place to settle down and start their family. Along the way, they reconnect with family members and old friends, some of whom are more likable than others.
Through it all, Burt and Verona remain a team, their bond never strained. In this way, Away We Go is a refreshingly original film that doesn't engage in cliched rom-com tropes like "the couple drifts apart and gets back together." It's a warm hug of a movie that's perfect for any Valentine's Day binge list.
Call Me By Your Name
2017's Call Me By Your Name is the Oscar-nominated romance about a teenage boy's relationship with his father's research assistant, a 24-year old grad student (Armie Hammer).
Director Luca Guadagnino shows his appreciation not just for the romance, but for the culture and history that serve as both the film's context and subtext. The locations and cinematography are as lush and rich as the story itself, which is elevated by great acting and scene writing.
Once
Made for just 180,000 Euros, Once became a phenomenon in the U.S. and around the world, inspiring a hit Broadway musical and catapulting Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova to international stardom. It's a documentary-style film about two working-class musicians who share their art with each other.
The romance occurs in the music itself. It isn't in the cards for the two lead characters to be together, so they use their songs to express their true feelings for each other. The music is terrific, and the bare-bones style of the movie gives it an authenticity that's undeniable. Years later, Once remains a mini-masterpiece of great cultural relevance.
Before Sunrise
Director Richard Linklater's "Before" trilogy follows Jesse and Celine, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, who encounter each other at various points in their lives, sharing romantic moments, and then parting ways. 1995's Before Sunrise is the first installment in the series and boasts a perfect 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
All three films in the trilogy are excellent, thanks to the great writing and natural chemistry of the two lead actors. They're some of the best films in Richard Linklater's long and illustrious career as one of the all-time indie greats.