Eight Unconventional Romance Films for Your Valentine’s Day(te) | By Yumitra Kannan

by - February 14, 2022

 

Unconventional Romances | Illustration by Adlina.

Love is perhaps the most multifaceted and subjective human experience to exist. A state of being encompassing a range of emotions, sometimes all-consuming, and at other times it is simply the core of being human — as necessary as a heartbeat and equally subtle. What is more primal and universal than love? What else can we have so much to say about and yet nothing substantial enough to do it justice?

In this day and age where opportunists have commercialised romance, and love is often reduced to the superficial retellings of meet-cutes and dilemmas of infidelity, stories that truly capture the nuances of love are only a handful. Whether you’re celebrating with a loved one this Valentine’s Day or mourning the absence of someone special or just simply relishing that single life, here are eight films that have reframed, redefined and re-told love and romance like no other.

I assure you that you will find a pick to love from my selection (or if you are anything like me then binge everything over the next few days). So, get your tub of vegan ice cream and popcorn ready — the show is about to begin!


Scene from Before Sunrise.

1.Before Sunrise Trilogy: There will never come a time when this writer makes a list on romance that does not include the Before Sunrise Trilogy by Richard Linklater. These three films — Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight — are revolutionary within their genre for several reasons.

Each film focuses on a brief moment in time shared by two characters (e.g. one last day in Europe, a one day reunion, and a day trip). These stories bring out the urgency of finding someone to love and be loved by like no other. The trilogy thrives on the reality that when we find someone with whom we share an incomparable connection, we tend to believe that we will find love like that many times in our life-span. But more often than not, every other bond pales in comparison, and it is best to not wait to have regrets when you can seize the chance encounters.

What is unique about these films is that Linklater breaks the rule of ‘show and not tell’ and fills up these movies with an abundance of conversations between the characters — made even better by the exceptional dialogue writing. It is these intimate interactions between Ethan Hawke’s Jesse and Julie Delpy’s Celine (plus their chemistry) that makes it unparalleled. No other film has achieved something so experimental as early as in 1995. Linklater’s craft is pure genius— novel and pioneering. He created these films with a nine year gap between each and allowed the movies to capture the role of time in love and life..
 

Scene from The Shape of Water.

2.The Shape of Water (Disney+): A janitor, her neighbour, a standup best friend, plus a captive humanoid amphibian set in a government facility during the cold war. Could there be a more unconventional context for love? Yet The Shape of Water captures love in the nuances of what it means to be a misfit. The romance between Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and the amphibian man (Doug Jones) thrives in their silent encounters and a sense of being understood which neither have experienced in abundance before. Their connection is poetic — beautiful and twisted. Two helpless beings empowered to fight and live, for one another. The way director and writer Guillermo del Toro has weaved the red thread that connects Elisa and the creature is exceptional and it leaves you wondering whether it takes the extraordinary to see and love you when you are different from the norm. To top it all off, the visuals are truly mystifying, especially when the romance starts to kick in (erhm erhm hinting at a bathroom flooding scene).
 
Scene from La La Land.

3.La La Land (Netflix): If you have kept tabs on the Oscars then you would know that La La Land bagged quite a lot of awards during the 89th Academy Awards, and rightfully so. I do not exaggerate when I say that this film by Damien Chazelle is a full package. It has a brilliant score, two exceptional performers (Emma Stone as ‘Mia’ and Ryan Gosling as ‘Seb’) and a storyline that expands over the four seasons to show the birth, ageing and death of a relationship. The romance in La La Land is pure and this never fails to come across the screen as you find yourself journeying with Mia and Seb as they find their way through love and life. Focusing on a struggling actress and an aspiring saviour of Jazz, this film is filled with wit and passion. As for love, well, La La Land depicts a rare form of love — the kind that pushes you to be a better version of yourself, to pursue your dreams and to take on life headfirst. It captures the growth of one doubtful and another optimistic pair of twenty-somethings and fills it up with some classic, old school romance. And it probably is one of the few films (if not the only one) to chronologically encompass a relationship’s lifespan and yet end it with the most bitter-sweet form of love — the everlasting kind. So before I spill too much, why don’t you open Netflix on a new tab.


Scene from Our Souls at Night.
 
4.Our Souls at Night (Netflix): Next up on the list, I have something about finding love when life and time have both washed over you. Based on a book by Kent Haruf of the same title and directed by Ritesh Batra, Our Souls at Night tells the story of two elderly, widowed neighbours who make an arrangement to become platonic bed-sharers. What starts off as an innocent attempt to fight the loneliness that comes with age and loss soon becomes an eye-opening and heartwarming tale of friendship and affection that lasts whatever little is left of their lifetimes. Contrasted against one of their child’s failing marriage, this movie really brings perspective to the realities of lives unlived for a young audience. With Robert Redford’s Louis and Jane Fonda’s Addie whose on-screen chemistry is comforting and almost tangible, this story will surely give you a fresh take on love, intimacy and belonging. 
 
Scene from The Danish Girl.

5.The Danish Girl (Netflix): To me, this biographical drama that follows the story of Lili Elbe who is one of the first few to receive a sex reassignment surgery is actually a tale of romance on many levels, and a heartbreaking one at that. Imagine the struggle of revealing to your spouse of six years that your body does not match your gender identity. That is the case of Gerda Wegener and her husband Einar Wegener who then journeys to embrace his true identity and transform into Lili Elbe — the woman he always was. But a change like that does not come easy, especially in the mid-1920’s Copenhagen. Filled with art, expression and a fight for identity, The Danish Girl is layered deep with heart-wrenching love. Love that few dare show themselves enough to put themselves first. Love that is so tenacious that it would rather deceive than accept. Love, which at the end of the day wins because you would rather let go than let your loved ones suffer. In the current times where love is breaking boundaries and definition, The Danish Girl is a must watch in understanding what it is like to embrace newness whilst caring for the people we love. 
 
 
Scene from Highway.

6.Highway (Netflix): If I were to describe this film in one word it would be: all-consuming. Fine, that might technically be two words. But Highway is a watch that you cannot easily digest or put behind you. It forces you to question what is normal, what is crime and what is love. I have to warn you, this movie addresses a lot of sensitive subjects ranging from kidnapping and Stockholm Syndrome to sexual abuse and the power inequality between the rich and the poor. And more importantly, it addresses the grey area in which we all become vulnerable humans, nothing more and nothing less.

 As the audience, you will initially find love in this movie planted subtly within a much larger plot. But then the love becomes a louder, more palpable truth, shared between the two most opposite characters in a single frame. 

“I do not want to go back to where you took me from, neither do I want to reach the destination where you are taking me to; this road that we are journeying on… I do not want this to end” - Veera, Highway (2014) 

Highway is touching and tragic and it will leave you questioning everything you think you know about reality. Directed by an exceptional storyteller - Imitiaz Ali - and starring two truly gifted actors - Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda - this movie gives perspective to being human like no other.
 
Scene from Sir

7.Sir (Netflix): Can the bond between a domestic help and her employer ever be accepted as love? Is it not odd? Does it not question the intentions of both — is he abusing his power or is she trying to sleep her way to fortune? Even if the lovers themselves dare step out of the invisible line and embrace one another without apprehension, will society let them be? In this particularly refreshing spin on ‘forbidden romance’, you will find that love thrives so innocently, so silently when surrounded by prejudices, resistance and ego. It is pure and patient, proving that tags like superior and inferior pale in comparison to the attraction and connection shared between two souls. 

Scene from Once Again.
 
8.Once Again (Netflix): When we look at mainstream romantic films, the storyline almost always follows two characters till the point they fall in love and unite. But what about the reality of what comes after? Once Again is a film that is not afraid to navigate through these waters. In fact, this movie is crafted on all that is unsaid. It is built on silences and nuances, minimal dialogue and an abundance of body language and facial expressions. It is a slow-paced, independent film that follows the story of a wealthy, ageing actor in the midst of a divorce - Amar played by Neeraj Kabi - and a widowed restauraneer - Tara played by Shefali Shah - who caters his meals.

After developing an over-the-phone relationship where they speak to one another every night about their lives and days, we witness Amar’s desire to meet Tara physically and Tara’s hesitation. They are both engaged in their own familial and professional commitments and yet in their ageing years have once again found love. This film shines light on society’s judgement towards finding love when you are much older, our own apprehensions that hold us back, and children’s lack of understanding when it comes to single parents prioritising a personal relationship. This thought-provoking film is filled with subtle and poetic content that it is best relished without distractions. So what are you waiting for? Dig in!

Whilst there are numerous other films that have a rather unconventional take on love and romance, these few that have managed to get on my radar are some of my personal favourites. I would like to acknowledge that this selection of films is not the most culturally diverse, but the listicle claims nothing — it only shares eight brilliant movies on love that you ought not to miss.

Happy Valentine’s Day, dear readers!

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