As January comes to a close, a holiday that many will begin looking forward to is Valentine's Day! Pink and red will flood stores as couples rush to find their significant others thoughtful presents to express their affections. For this year's Valentine's Day though, consider spending some cozy time indoors watching some movies from this list with them!

La La Land Review

As I begin to write this review with the sensational soundtrack starts playing through my headphones. What I am writing about here is arguably one of my favorite movies. In this review, I shall discuss the plot, my thoughts, why people weren't so keen. The movie I am talking about is La La Land, the fourteen times Oscar-nominated and five-time Oscar winner. I first watched this very late, as I missed the arguments on whether this film was good or not. However, I'm glad I eventually saw it. I'm certainly not the first one to choose a musical when deciding on what I want to watch, but I am a fan of musicals no doubt.

The plot. I understand some have issues with whether the plot was very fulfilling or not. However, I choose to ignore this because I am in love with the plot. The story follows a struggling actress, Mia (Emma Stone), and Piano Player, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). Both characters crave their dream job and dream life, which eventually draws them together. This 'relationship' we follow is amazingly written due to its honesty. These characters have both this love for each other but also maintain a love for themselves too. We get to understand how desire can sometimes overrule love, especially when trying to support yourself and your dreams as well as, each other.

My feelings towards the film, and what I love about it. I have to start with the beautifully made soundtrack! Each song is so unique to the film, and I'm obsessed with the many layers in the songs. My personal favorite is 'City of Stars', as I'm a huge fan of when films use musical repetition (repeating the same piece of music to enhance an emotion). I feel this makes the movie so much more memorable, and the song is on its own so beautiful. I also love how unpredictable the film is. In most romance and musical films, you can usually guess the ending due to cliche or repeated storylines, however, this wasn't the case for La La Land. Without spoiling, I know some were upset with the ending, but I felt it was realistic, and although gutting, left me thinking, 'wow they did that'. I truly love this movie and all the artistic choices made, it's a wonderful watch.

I want to touch on the controversy when the film first came out in 2016. I understand I didn't personally watch it at this time, however, I did hear that a lot of people loved and a lot of people hated this film. I suppose I can never fully understand why people don't like this film but research showed it was due to an unfulfilling plot and out of place scenes. I respect people's opinions and think this is due more to people's taste in cinema. The other factor I found when researching was people weren't happy with Stone and Gosling's singing and dancing. I find this to be strange, I love to see these famous faces pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and giving something different and unexpected. Given they aren't the best singers in the world, but they made some great music in the films, and the infamous 'A Lovely Night' dance scene, which no-one could argue with.

I conclude my review with a few final thoughts; I will always find this film much more than enjoyable but an amazing example of a musical and romance story done right. I can understand why there was controversy over people's tastes and own opinions whether I choose to agree or not. La La Land has won awards and has mostly a fantastic response which I feel one cannot argue. It is and will always be a beautiful film, with amazing actors, fabulous musical numbers, and brilliant directing no doubt. I would most definitely recommend it for all to watch, It's one of my favorites, and I wish I could have seen it in theatres.

The Princess Bride Review

Grandson: "Has it got any sports in it?"
Grandfather: "Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."

The Princess Bride is often described as a fractured fairy tale, but I don't think that's accurate because it's so much more. In his original book, William Goldman took the standard elements of a fairy tale and twisted them off center into something exceptionally funny, while still retaining all of the elements that made it an enjoyable fairy tale. And then Rob Reiner took Goldman's story and translated it into a movie that was just as good and did the same thing, which is a remarkable achievement. The Princess Bride is a satire, a tale of true love, a touching story of bloody vengeance, and it's hilarious. It's unique, and defies categorization.

It's difficult to launch directly into a fantasy world, so Goldman cleverly encapsulated the fairy tale into a story that a grandfather (Peter Falk) is reading to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). I've always loved the skillful way it goes back and forth ("Is this a kissing book?" "She does not get eaten by the eels at this time"). Because the grandfather clearly loves the story he's telling, and at the end, his grandson does too, it bridges the generational gap between them. Lovely.

But it's the fairy tale that's important, and I love every minute of it. I want Buttercup and Westley to live happily ever after. I want Inigo to avenge his father and find peace at last. And there are so many scenes that are absolute gems. The duel at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity is probably my favorite because of the way the Man in Black and Inigo bond as they're trying to kill each other. The duel of wits with the iocane powder is priceless. I love the shrieking eels. I love the R.O.U.S.'s in the fire swamp. Inigo's duel with the six-fingered man is just wonderful, a perfect emotional climax to the movie.

The performances are also gems. Westley (Cary Elwes) is gorgeous, dashing, and ridiculous. Buttercup (Robin Wright) is earnestly beautiful and beautifully earnest, the perfect straight woman. Inigo's story is the most compelling, and Mandy Patinkin brings perfect comic timing as well as pathos to the role. It's not easy to pull off a line like "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" not just once, but many times, and to give it so much impact each and every time.

I can't say enough good things about Wallace Shawn as Vizzini; practically every line he says in this movie is terribly funny. Andre the Giant imparts such sweetness to the role of Fezzik, while still being physically imposing. Honorable mention to Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. And Peter Cook as the minister, who made one small scene unforgettable; I start laughing even before he opens his mouth. "Mawwidge. Mawwidge is what bwings us togedder today."

The sight gags are special, too. The climb up the Cliffs of Insanity. Vizzini laughing maniacally before keeling over. Inigo leaning against the tree. Practically every scene with Westley after they give him the pill. The men standing guard in front of the gate makes me laugh every time I see it. But my favorite has always been this one:

"We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby?"

If I have any complaint at all, it's that while Andre the Giant is well cast, Fezzik's lines are sometimes difficult to understand. The scene with the holocaust cloak in particular is almost incomprehensible without subtitles. Okay, I've always hated Inigo's hair, too. Small things, though. And I can't imagine The Princess Bride without them.

I still laugh out loud every time I watch this movie, even while I know the lines so well that I repeat them with the actors. It's that good. William Goldman is probably best known for writing one of the great movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I love that movie. But I love The Princess Bride more.

The Notebook Review

The Notebook is the most successful Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Released in October of 2004, The Notebook is everyone's go-to romance/drama movie; it's certainly one of mine. Fortunately, The Notebook had such a successful release and made such an impact on the romance genre as it one of the biggest genres filled with thousands of romances. In my review, I will discuss some details about the author of the successful novel, the director, my thoughts on the ultimate romance movie and, some interesting facts.

The decade-long classic is based on a truly challenging romance between Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) narrated at the present day by an elderly gentleman reading to a woman with Alzheimer's in their shared nursing home. It is a classic romance film that nearly everyone I've spoken to has seen, as it includes romance, heartbreak, and plenty of tears. This making it a go-to when wanting to cry and fulfill the ultimate romance wishes.

The Notebook was firstly a romance novel written by Nicholas Sparks also known for, The Best of Me, The Longest Ride, Dear John, and many others. The Notebook is Sparks first published novel and his most successful; when the film adaptation was released it earned $13 million in the US on opening weekend and $116 million worldwide. Spark's novel was based on a true story about a couple he knew and, in the book gave the character of Allie a much smaller part in comparison to the film.

Nick Cassavetes is the Director of The Notebook and was not the first choice to direct. Many other directors were considered for the job including Steven Spielberg, Jim Sheridan, and Martin Campbell but it was Cassavetes who took on the role. Cassavetes had quite the job of adapting a novel to a screenplay and whilst to some, it's a go-to on the weekend for others it lacks passion. When researching the film I came across a few times when people were unhappy about the direction and the adapted screenplay written by Jan Sardi and Jeremy Leven due to unimaginative and cliche characters and plots.

My personal opinion on the film varies. I cannot stand watching a movie I find to either be cliche or cringe. With The Notebook, I did not find this. The plot I can understand sounds basic than is viewed, I feel the screenplay may be more cliche than the actual direction and production not to mention the amazing actors and actresses playing their roles. The entire plot does live up to expectations and has some emotional moments. I love sitting down and watching this movie. It tells a romantic story and although follows some cliche material it doesn't feel like something I've seen a million times before, it's a beautifully told story and I love it.

To conclude my review I want to share some interesting facts I found whilst researching. The American Composer Aaron Zigman was responsible for the amazing soundtrack behind The Notebook, and this wasn't his first Sparks movie. Zigman has gone on to write the soundtrack to, The Best of Me and The Last Song. One of the most crucial moments in the film is when Noah and Allie argue about what she wants, creating one of the most iconic scenes in the film which is read differently on the script than to how Gosling said it. Gosling's emotions carried this scene and he managed to improvise the best lines in the entire film. I love watching romance movies, and The Notebook will always be top of my list.

Past Lives Review

When do you know a relationship is real? Is it when you exchange glances that last a little too long so you can stare into each other's eyes? Is it when you can't stop talking to each other? Is it when you two do something together that feels more special than usual? Or is it when domesticity has set in, and you're lying next to your partner discussing dinner plans? In Celine Song's brilliant “Past Lives,” each subtle brush with affection is a spark that could—and sometimes does—lead to something more. The film explores the tender feelings of relationships at various stages, from budding playground crushes to adulthood's alleged certainty. It's the kind of nuanced movie that allows for self-reflection as well as entertainment, following two characters who illustrate how relationships—both fully realized and not—influence our lives.

As a child in South Korea, Na Young (Seung Ah Moon) crushes on another boy in her class, Hae Sung (Seung Min Yim). Their relationship is just starting when her parents decide to move to Canada. The two childhood friends drift apart as their lives move on in different countries. Twelve years later, Na Young—now Nora (Greta Lee)—is an aspiring playwright in New York City. Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) is an engineering student back in Seoul who never stopped thinking about his childhood sweetheart. The pair reconnect over Facebook, and soon, their lives revolve around regular Skype calls, time differences be damned. However, with no sign that either one of them is willing to upend their early careers, the stream of video calls stop. Nora and Hae Sung's lives continue over another 12 years before they reconnect again. Hae Sung finally visits New York and brings up all the feelings they thought they had left behind.

Song's feature debut is a masterclass in storytelling. A playwright before jumping into film, her focus is visually and narratively on Nora and Hae Sung, making the world around them seem to dreamily melt around them when they're in each other's company. There is a special connection between them, even if it never had the chance to take root physically. Every longing stare, late-night video call, unsent email, or excited smile details the trajectory of their relationship. The characters' ample dialogue in Song's script moves the audience not with dramatic overtures but with realistic conversations that reveal vulnerable emotions.

Tenderly framed by cinematographer Shabier Kirchner, “Past Lives” gives us careful close-ups of Nora’s face and Hae Sung’s expressive reactions as vividly as any line of dialogue. During their long-delayed reunion, the pair move seamlessly from basking in the glow of magic hour on Brooklyn’s waterfront to sunny trips on the ferry to street-lit walks in the East Village. It’s a playful comparison to the movie’s earlier setting in Seoul, where, as children, Hae Sung and Na Young took hilly routes home and play among modern sculptures in a park. No matter where they meet, the camera creates a sense of their connection, of the feeling that nothing else around them matters as much as this moment.

While it is first and foremost a love story, “Past Lives” ventures beyond romantic yearning and burning questions. For Song, it’s also the chance to express feelings about the immigrant experience. Before leaving her home country, Nora’s mom justifies the couple’s choice to move the family abroad: “If you leave something behind, you gain something, too.” It’s a sentiment echoed through Nora’s life as her experiences lead her to a career in New York City and married life with a kindhearted writer named Arthur (John Magaro). But it’s a departure from the world she once knew as a child, and she confesses that she rarely even speaks Korean these days. When filling in her husband on meeting her girlhood crush, Nora confesses, “I feel so not Korean when I’m with him,” bringing up what sounds like insecurity about her own relationship with her culture.

Song makes Nora and Hae Sung’s mutual background an integral part of “Past Lives,” like a secondary connection beyond their personal interests. He represents the life not lived because she moved away—that something left behind for something else to be gained. Their shared language is something her American husband can’t keep up with, functionally giving them a private conversation even when he’s at a bar with them. But sharing something doesn’t mean they share the same feelings, as seen in the movie’s running motif of In-Yun, the encounters in past lives that can influence your connections in the present. It’s something Nora laughs off with Arthur during their first meeting at a writers’ retreat but that Hae Sung takes seriously when reflecting on his long-delayed visit to New York. They are, as the movie literally depicts, on two different paths. If at heart, they’re still the kids who first locked eyes with each other.

With much of the film focused on Nora and Hae Sung, Lee and Yoo step up to the challenge with a lived-in sense of ease and grace. Their characters’ excitement to talk to one another is natural; their meandering conversations feel real. How Lee and Yoo look at each other creates the impression of a long backstory without so much as uttering a word. Their faces show their characters’ restrained emotions just under the surface of a polite smile, but just one heavy sigh is enough to break the tears out to mourn the love that was never meant to be, the life that was never theirs, and a childhood that grows more distant with the years.

That mix of nostalgia, love, and remorse makes “Past Lives” so effective and lovely. The film carries echoes of other movies like Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love,” Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise,” and David Lean’s “The Passionate Friends,” but “Past Lives” so confidently belongs to Song—the way she envelopes the settings around her characters, how carefully she constructs their relationship over the years, and how quickly she returns that excited feeling to their conversations after years of silence. It takes a romantic view of the if-thens of what could have been, enjoying them like sandcastles washed away by time. We can delight in the memories of our past lives while acknowledging the loss of childhood things left behind, roads never taken, and relationships that were never meant for us.