Top Ten Tuesday #198

Hi everyone! I hope you’ve had a good week since I last did one of these, I had a lovely weekend, my mum came up to visit and we went to the cinema to see Green Book (great film) and out for dinner, which was very nice. I had a rather frustrating Monday though, as I’m having to chase people up for interviews for my project and not everything is going the way I want it to, which is more than a little bit irritating.

Anyway, enough about my project woes, it’s Tuesday so that means another Top Ten Tuesday courtesy of Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we’re talking my least favourite topic, Valentine’s Day. We’re supposed to be talking Favourite Couples but honestly, my list hasn’t changed much since the last time I did this topic, so I’ve decided to switch it up a little, and share my Top Ten Films To Watch on Valentine’s Day For Those Who Are Just Done With Love i.e. if you’re single and cynical like me. So here they are:

1. The Last Five Years

This one is going in my own Valentine’s Day film rotation this year, it’s perfect for those of us who aren’t wanting to watch a happy couple film on Valentine’s Day, instead you can watch the deterioration of Jamie and Cathy’s relationship from beginning to end (and end to beginning)!

2. Ocean’s 8

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a single woman than gathering your girls and watching this awesome heist movie? I can think of none.

3. A Monster Calls

If you prefer to take the sad, depressing way out of Valentine’s Day, then A Monster Calls is a perfect call, instead of having to watch happy, loved up couples, you can watch Conor face his mother’s terminal illness.

4. Gone Girl

After watching the twisted relationship that is Amy and Nick Dunne in Gone Girl, you’ll be thanking your lucky stars that you are single and not involved in a relationship like theirs!

5. The Book Thief

If you’re feeling a bit maudlin on Valentine’s Day, you can always pop in The Book Thief, and listen to Death narrate the tale of Liesel Meminger, a young bibliophile living in Nazi Germany and using the only weapon she has at her disposal, her love of books and stories.

6. (500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer might look like a rom-com on the surface, but as the movie itself will tell you, this is no love story. It’s a tale of unrequited love and how our expectations and reality of love can be completely different things.

7. The Break-Up

The Break-Up is described as a romantic comedy, but it’s really not, much of the movie follows the main couple Brooke and Gary, after their breakup, as the two fight it out in a battle of wills as to who will keep the couple’s shared condo following the breakup. If you’re not wanting to follow a loved up couple on Valentine’s Day, then this film might be perfect for you.

8. War Horse

There’s not even a whiff of romance to be found in this film, at least not of the human kind, it’s all about the love of a boy for his horse and the harsh times they face during WWI. If you are looking for a movie to make you cry on Valentine’s Day, look no further, you’ve found it.

9. Mulan

There’s nothing like a good bit of Disney, and Mulan is one of the best-yes there is a whiff of romance between her and Shang but that’s not the main focus of the film and this is no princess gets saved by handsome prince narrative, Mulan is the one who does the saving here, and it’s her country, China, not a man.

10. Ruby Sparks

On the surface, Ruby Sparks might appear like your average rom-com, but it’s a dark, twisted look at what happens when an author falls in love with his own character, and writes her to life. What initially starts as a happy romance, quickly spirals into chaos, so if you’re not wanting a typical romantic comedy on Valentine’s, then this might be perfect for you.

So there we go, my suggestions on films you can watch, if like me, you are just done with Valentine’s Day and don’t want to indulge in all the love with everyone else. Have you watched any of these? Did you enjoy them? What films would you suggest for those who don’t want to share in the love this Valentine’s Day?

I will be back next week with another Top Ten Tuesday, this time we’re talking Books I Loved With Fewer Than 2000 Ratings on Goodreads, but to be honest, I think I’ve done that topic before and I doubt it’s changed much since last time, so I will probably do something different, though I’m not sure what yet. In the meantime, tomorrow is my fifth blogaversary, so look out for a very special Jo Talks post to celebrate!