Ruby Sparks
With a romantic soul, talented novelist Calvin Weir-Fields wrote a novel about his dream girl named Ruby Sparks. And the miracle happened the next day, when a real Ruby Sparks appeared and became his girlfriend. From then on, whenever there was something wrong in their relationship, Calvin just had to write down his wishes and Ruby would act according to what he wrote.
With many humorous and unexpected details, natural acting and the "on cloud" style of the couple in a fantasy love, the film has brought more messages about love than just simple entertainment moments - that even with a perfect lover, you cannot have a perfect, flawless relationship.
Recommended if you like: Stranger than Fiction, 500 Days of Summer
Flipped
Based on the young adult novel "There's a Freak Across the Street" by Wendelin Van Draanen, Flipped revolves around the story of Juli and Bryce. From the first time they met, 7-year-old Juli knew that Bryce was the love of her life, while Bryce felt uncomfortable because Juli was always following him around. However, in 8th grade, everything turned upside down when the boy Bryce from back then started to have feelings for Juli, while she was wondering about her own feelings... The cute and gentle film will remind viewers of a nostalgic "love poem" time.
Watch if you like: Stand By Me, The Sandlot, Moonrise Kingdom
Before Sunrise
The film takes place in ancient Vienna, the city of love and music. Jesse, an American who has just been dumped by his girlfriend in Madrid, in a state of depression, buys a train ticket to travel around Europe. Céline, a beautiful young French woman, is on her way home to start a new semester. They meet by chance on the train and after just a few minutes of talking, Jesse makes a crazy suggestion that they get off at Vienna and walk around the city. The next morning Jesse catches an early flight back to the US, while Céline returns to France and they never see each other again.
With a minimalistic storytelling, throughout the film, there are only two main characters wandering the streets of Vienna and talking about everything under the sun. There are no incidents, no challenges to overcome, no misunderstandings that create drama or tension in the relationship. Just two young people leisurely strolling the streets, exploring Vienna, discovering each other and discovering themselves. Yet, along with the two following parts, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, Before Sunrise has become a memorable film that can satisfy every romantic heart that still dreams of adventures in the ancient and beautiful cities of Europe, along with the belief that true love will never end.
Recommended if you like: Lost in Translation, Once
Beginners
Beginners is a comedy/drama about the humorous and profoundly transformative ways life can be, even at its most serious moments. It explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprise of love as Oliver meets Anna, just months after his father's death. This new love fills Oliver with memories of his father, who came out of his shell at age 75, after 44 years of marriage, to live his gay life fully, energetically, and wonderfully fiercely. His father's sudden changes, through humorous and touching events, bring them closer than ever. And now, Oliver strives to love Anna with all the humor, courage, and hope his father taught him.
Watch if you like: Mary and Max, The Go Getter
Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom is set in 1965, on an island in New England. While attending a summer camp for Boy Scouts, orphan Sam Shakusky suddenly disappears for unknown reasons. It turns out that Sam is looking for a rendezvous with a girl named Suzy, who is living with her family on the island. Having planned this by letter a year in advance, the two escape from their confined environment and enjoy a free life without adults. Watching Moonrise Kingdom, the audience feels like they are reading a picture fairy tale, or watching an oil painting that is both vivid, realistic and abstract... and can't help but wish that they, like the children in Moonrise Kingdom, would never grow up, and their love for each other would remain small, cute and funny...
Watch if you like: Flipped, Stand By Me, Stranger Than Fiction
Safety Not Guaranteed
Would you believe a few lines of advertisement in a newspaper with the following content: “Looking for a time travel companion. This is not a joke. You will be paid after returning. Remember to bring a weapon. Safe but not guaranteed, I have only succeeded once before”. It is silly and fantastical, yet Darius Britt, an intern at Seattle magazine, still has to rush into the investigation to get information for the readers. From here, Safety Not Guaranteed expands into a journey, love - comedy with a sci-fi but no less warm ending, showing that love and happiness can come to anyone, even the most "eccentric" people in the world.
Watch if you like: The Go Getter, Celeste and Jesse Forever
The Spectacular Now
The Spectacular Now tells the story of Sutter Keely, a party-loving, self-absorbed boy. However, after being dumped by the hottest girl in school, he gets so drunk that he blacks out. When he wakes up, Sutter finds himself next to Aimee, a beautiful but eccentric girl who is discriminated against by many people in school. This ironic situation opens up a romantic and touching love story. The film won a special award for acting at the Sundance Film Festival and received a lot of warm affection from the audience for its heartbreaking honesty in portraying teenage love: not only beautiful and poetic love, but also selfishness, ambiguity, abandonment and hurt.
Watch if you like: Stuck in Love, Short Term 12, The First Time
About Time
If you look at the poster or watch the trailer of About Time, many people think this is a love story. That is true but not enough. The romance in the film is an excuse for director Richard Curtis to tell a story about a colorful life, a story about Tim's journey, when at the age of 21 he discovered that he had the ability to travel through time and he could change things directly related to his life. Deciding to use his ability to focus on the goal of finding true love, Tim had to go through unforgettable memories and things that he never expected. About Time is as gentle as a ballad with all the ups and downs of life, making viewers appreciate every moment with the people they love more.
Recommended if you like: Ruby Sparks, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
It's Kind of a Funny Story
Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, the film is about Craig Gilner, a depressed teenager who, after trying to stop himself from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, visits a psychiatrist and is advised to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. From here, It's Kind of a Funny Story touches on the stress and anxiety in life and psychiatric hospitals, but it is also the psychiatric hospital that helps the poor characters in the film to step out of their pain. Love between people is no different from grass, it can grow strongly and take root firmly even in places we cannot expect - psychiatric hospitals, which are home to sick and perverted people.
As the name suggests, It's Kind of a Funny Story - A funny story, this is a movie for people who always love life, always believe in the good things in life but due to some difficulties, feel a little disappointed. If you are having difficulties, feel that everything is too bad and want to overcome obstacles to move on, then this is the movie for you.
Watch if you like: Definitely, Maybe, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Youth in Revolt
Lars and the Real Girl
Lonely and suffering from paranoia, Lars chose Bianca, a sex doll, as his lover. Despite the dissuasion of his brother and sister-in-law and the ridicule of others at first, Lars's love gradually seemed to change people's hearts because of its sincerity and loyalty... The most touching point of the film is probably the reaction of the people in that small town. They have a secret pact with each other that they will treat Bianca the way Lars treats her. They love Bianca, blame Lars when he treats her badly, tell him stories about what Bianca confides in them. There are moments when viewers also feel that Bianca is a real girl, sitting there listening to people talk about her, looking at Lars lovingly, silently sulking at her boyfriend who is yelling at her...
Starting out as a comedy, then gradually turning into an emotional love story, Lars and the Real Girl is not only about a lonely boy searching for a way back to human love, but also carries a message about accepting the differences of abnormal people in society.
