Love is in the air, and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. If you are skimping on budget against lavish dinner, buying insanely expensive roses, or a box of limited-edition chocolates, why not spend quality time with your loved ones on a couch and pop a DVD to watch romantic movie together? Need inspiration? Here's my pick for "Top 10 Best Romantic Movies This Valentine's Day!" right below.
Cameron Diaz may have been a breakout star in 1994's THE MASK, but it was this highly-successful romantic comedy that skyrocketed her into Hollywood superstardom. She's simply funny, lovely and charming in her title character here, and that now-classic "hair gel" scene remains one of the most unforgettable highlights in a raunchy romantic-comedy genre. Oh, did I mention this is also the funniest movie both Peter and Bobby Farrelly has directed?
Big Apple in the wintry Christmas, coupled with a irresistibly charming John Cusack and lovely Kate Beckinsale. This is one magical love story about embracing one's fate and destiny.
A classic romantic comedy about two unlikely friends Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) who subsequently blossoms into close friendship, but of course eventually falling in love. Nora Ephron's Oscar-nominated screenplay is brilliant with witty verbal exchanges and the movie is particularly boosted by an amazing chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. For those who have watched this movie before, who could forget the classic roadside cafe scene where the fussy Sally ordering an apple pie and ice cream that goes like this:
Sally: But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side. And I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it's real. If it's out of a can, then nothing.
Waitress: Not even a pie?
Sally: No, just the pie. But then not heated.
And lastly, another classic scene involving Sally simulating an orgasm in front of Harry at a crowded New York deli restaurant... ("Ooooh. Oh, God. Ooooh…")
One of the most beloved classics of the 1980s, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN was hugely popular during its era. Blessed with a top-notch performances by Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Robert Loggia and of course Louis Gossett Jr. (who won Best Supporting Actor Oscar as the no-nonsense drill instructor). Apart from its gripping storyline of a lonely man who fight against all odds to prove his worth, it's also especially memorable for its unforgettable love story between Gere and Winger -- the passionate lovemaking scene and the fairy-tale ending where Gere sweeps Winger off her feet and holds her in his arm. This is one love story that truly lifts them up where they belong (Yup, I'm talking about the Oscar-winning song of Up Where We Belong here).
A classic tearjerker that earned its reputation as a landmark romance movie that has something to do with tragic illness. Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw are excellent as two star-crossed lovers from different background. The movie, is of course, made immortal for its unforgettable dialogue: Love means never having to say you're sorry.
Renowned Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai is a true cinematic poet of love and heartache. Here, he crafted a love story where romance and beauty can be found in unexpected places (alleys, stairways, cramped offices, cramped apartments). What makes this uniquely different is how the two lead actors (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung) are seen rarely connected to such intimate moments and yet Wong Kar-Wai manages to feed our senses with a lushly sensual experience. Christopher Doyle's expressive cinematography is breathtaking, and so do its well-selected soundtrack ranging from Nat King Cole and of course, Yumeji's Theme. Maggie Cheung is particularly stunning here in an eye-catching cheongsam.
A perfect mix of disaster genre and a classic tale of doomed love separated by social divide with a state-of-the-art special effects wonder that struck an amazing chord for the young and old generation. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are immortal in their roles as two star-crossed lovers who never give up against each other until the very end. Coupled with that is of course, the unforgettable (if overplayed) love song of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On.
3. GHOST (1990)
A highly-conceptual movie that blends spooky setting, fantasy, romance, melodrama and a dash of unexpected comedy (courtesy from an Oscar-winning performance by Whoopi Goldberg), GHOST was one of the biggest hits during the 1990s. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore are downright sizzling, and their lovemaking scene in the opening act is especially romantic with The Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody perfectly accompanied the mood.
1939 was widely known as the "Hollywood's Golden Age Of Cinema", and GONE WITH THE WIND was certainly one of them. This nearly 4-hour romance epic was a cinematic milestone made possible by Victor Fleming's breathtaking direction and timeless storyline. But who could forget the remarkable chemistry so vividly portrayed by Clark Gable as the dashing Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as the spoilt rich girl Scarlett O'Hara?
One of America's most beloved movies and one of the all-time great wartime romance drama. It's a quintessential Valentine's Day movie in a timeless story that involves lost chances, lost loves and love versus honor. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are terrific together.
Happy Valentine's Day!
