Sunda- Er, Valentine’s Day List: You Can Probably Guess The Topic
Bloody hell, how long has it been since I posted? It’s not as if I ventured to another dimension or stopped watching flicks. Let’s just blame the finale of Lost (I’m planning to get a lot of mileage out of that) and get on with it, yes?
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So, it’s Valentine’s Day, a “holiday” that I frankly have little use for. You might say that I’m not romantic or that I’m too much a curmudgeon, but really it comes to this: I dislike the idea that I should put a day aside to celebrate my lover. If I really love Sandra, shouldn’t I try to do that every day, be it a fun one or a lazy one or a difficult one?*
Okay, pontificating done. My whinging aside, I do like seeing the Facebook updates and Tweets and watching guys frantically assault florists on that late afternoon. And I do realize that we all get too busy with minutiae to give proper affection to those we adore.
Today I present a list of my favorite filmic swatches of romantic love.
3. Better Off Dead- ah, Monique Junot (Diane Franklin), a sort-of Manic Pixie Dream Girl who teaches one Lane Meyer (John Cusack) how to fix a car, ski the K-12, and survive the psychotic paper boy. But all it took for her to win my heart was two words: “language lessons.” At last- a woman that can literally save your life!
2. In The Mood For Love- the whisper into the wall. Is it strange that one of my most cherished romantic moments in any film is the culmination of unfulfilled love? Because it is. It’s unbearably perfect that this story ends with Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) sharing his secret love with the only safe listener available.
1. Shoot The Piano Player- Charlie and Lena’s first night together. Charlie (Charles Aznavour) might be my favorite film protagonist: buttoned-up and taut as a bow at all times, yet buzzing with a frenetic inner monologue. But for one night, Lena (Marie Dubois) quiets his mind and softens his body. They lounge in bed, and the film cuts back and forth between affectionate whispers and slackened dozing. Charlie and Lena haven’t been broken by love (that came before and will return later) but melted, tenderized, kneaded. A wide, envious smile crossed my face the first time I saw this scene.
Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife, if only to tell her that she helped eliminate the envy.
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*Yes, I realize that this is a strawman and no, I’m not saying this to criticize you and how you choose to celebrate February 14th. As well, Sandra always gets me something for V Day, and I don’t feel unloved the other 364, so I openly concede that this is my issue.
