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:
- 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!
Great spin on this week’s topic! I love Mulan, and Ocean’s 8 was so much fun.
Thank you!
Haha great spin on the topic! I’ve not seen War horse but I read the book as a kid and it is reallly emotional 😥 I actually didn’t even notice that this topic was Valentine’s day themed when I wrote mine 😂 I’m spending Valentine’s Day with my long lasting, very loving companion: chocolate since I’m making brownies 😂😂
Thanks! I’m the other way around actually, I never read the book, but I’ve seen both the film and the play-the play is my favourite, you honestly forget that the horse is a puppet after a while. Ha ha love it. We have very similar ideas, I’m spending Valentine’s Day with waffles from Urban Bubble!
Oh I’d love to see the play! It sounds so good!! I read so much Micheal Morpurgo when I was kid, I loved his stuff! Waffles sounds amazing 😍
It’s amazing, definitely recommend. I did read one of his books, Born To Run and I liked it, but for some reason I never read any of the others. I know right!
This is a perfect list and I agree with all these films. I enjoyed watching them all.
Thank you! Yes they are all great 🙂
I just watched Ruby Sparks last weekend – so messed up! Also I LOVE The Last Five Years and cry about it a lot.
I know right it really is! I love it though, such a subversive take on the “manic pixie dream girl” trope. Yes! I was just like yeah, this is pretty good on my first watch of it, but several rewatches later, call me completely obsessed.
I love your spin on the topic, fellow single cynic here! I am hoping to rewatch ‘valentines day’ this year as I don’t remember a lot about it. https://racheleanne.wordpress.com/2019/02/12/favourite-couples-in-books-top-ten-tuesday-february-2019/
Ha ha thank you! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I love Mulan! And you’re absolutely right, the balance between the romance and it really being Mulan’s story, is perfect.
Yes it’s such a great film!
I’ve only seen one from your list (I’m not much of a movie-watcher). 500 Days of Summer was really good but you’re right – it definitely wasn’t a typical rom-com love story!
Fair enough-I would probably have far more time to read if I watched less movies and TV. Yes, it’s a very different kind of rom com which I loved.
The Monster Calls was such a good story. I can’t agree with your recommendation more.
This is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
It was-I actually should read the book, the film was so good.
Interesting take on this week’s topic! Thanks for visiting Long and Short Reviews!
Thank you 🙂
Mulan is my favourite Disney movie! I also really liked The Book Thief, although it doesn’t beat the book 🙂
I haven’t seen Ocean’s 8 yet, but it does sound like an interesting movie.
It’s definitely up there with mine, my favourite is The Lion King. No, The Book Thief is an incredible book and the movie had no chance of beating it, but it did a pretty good job of living up. Ah it’s great, I definitely recommend it.
I just recently watched Ocean’s 8 and really enjoyed it. I also think Gone Girl is a great pick if you’re not really looking for a romance or if you were recently spurned, haha.
Yes it’s a great film! Ha ha yes, it’s perfect for that-I will admit, some parts of it were a little too graphic for me, but I did overall enjoy it.
Whew! Love your post!
Thank you 🙂
Nice topic change! I’m not big on V-Day either, but pretty sure my couples list changed since the last time this topic popped up! Though it usually has some old faves as well as new ones too!
Thanks for visiting my TTT post!
Thank you! Mine probably has a little, but I just wasn’t really feeling like doing it again. No problem 🙂
Ooh Gone Girl. I still haven’t seen that (or read the book) but both are on my list. Valentine’s Day does seem like a fun time to watch it!!
It’s weirdly perfect, if you’re feeling bitter and single, it’s a great film (and book) to remind you that things could be a LOT worse.
Great post!
I loved The Last Five Years. Such a musical theater dork over here and have always wanted to see the show on stage but still have yet to see it. Loved the movie though, such good songs. I loved the book Gone Girl, the movie was a fair adaptation.
Thank you! Yay, hi from a fellow musical theatre dork! I haven’t seen the show on stage either, I’m not sure if it ever made it to London, or if it did, it was long before I had even heard of it. Yes, the soundtrack from the movie is amazing. I enjoyed both, which is rare for me.
Hmmm…. I’m not sure it ever played London. A few years back there was a revival in NY Off-Broadway, but I missed it. I really thought there was a chance that that production was going to transfer to Broadway because it did really well, but it never happened. It’s funny how such a well liked show like that still hasn’t made it’s way to Broadway yet. One day, hopefully.
It did, but only for a very short run and I don’t think I’d watched the film then so I honestly wasn’t aware of it. Hopefully!
Nice bitter Valentine’s list. I always figured there was nobody stopping me from buying my own damn candy and flowers, if that’s what I wanted. Otherwise, kind of a non-event, honestly.
Oh yeah, it’s basically just another Thursday for me, I get my own dessert and watch films and honestly probably have more fun than I would if I was being forced to be romantic with someone else just for the sake of a non consequential day.
Stories like 500 Days of Summer kind of break my heart. Those non-HEA movies about the breakdown of a romance are tough, though I loved watching them fall into love.
See cynic that I am, I love those kinds of films, I think it’s great when we get to see that love isn’t always a fairytale and most of the time things do go wrong.
I love your take on this topic, great list!
Thanks 🙂
LOVE this list. GONE GIRL is perfect for the Anti-Valentine. And I kept thinking THE BREAK-UP was going to end differently and was kind of sad when it didn’t?? I don’t know, it clearly states that it’s about a break-up and not a get-back-together, but I still had hope 😦
Thank you! Yes, it really is, it’s like it was created for that purpose! Ha ha I kind of liked that it didn’t, I think if they’d got back together after all that, it would have felt earned, plus I liked that it didn’t end with a HEA.
Love your spin on this week’s topic and your choice of movies. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Single and cynical? That’s totally me! Lol
And of course, I’ll be watching these! Thanks for the recommendation!
My #TTT: https://mybkishescapades.blogspot.com/2019/02/my-top-ten-favorite-couples-ttt.html
Ha ha we have that in common! No problem 🙂
i’ve watched 5 of those movies, and the rest sounds interesting! definitely gonna check it out when i have the time 🙂 thanks for the recs! ❤
No problem!
I’m really neutral toward Valentine’s day (I actually didn’t really make the connection between this TTT and the date until I was halfway through the post…). Also I still haven’t gotten around to Ocean’s 8. It really does look fantastic, though!
Fair enough-I just don’t particularly love the commercial aspect being shoved in my face. Oh you definitely should watch it, it’s so much fun!
I love your twist on this!
Thank you 🙂
I haven’t seen any of these (except Mulan when I was very young!), but I really want to see almost all of them. Espeically 500 Days of Summer though, because I really like Joseph Gordon Levitt (I’ve only seen one film of his, but I enjoyed it loads!). This has reminded me of quite a few I need to track down so I can see, and introduced me to a few new ones so thank you 💜. Loved this idea too; it’s a bit different and really fun!
Amy x
Thank you! I’m glad I’ve helped you find some new films to watch, I really enjoyed all of these and definitely think they’re well worth watching.
I like your list! Ocean’s 8 brings me so much joy, I love a good heist movie. Actually, I might just watch this when I get home 🙂
Thank you! Yes, it’s such a fun feel good film. I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Love the topic you chose! The Last Five Years sounds super interesting. Couldn’t agree more with Mulan, it’s easily my favorite Disney movie. 🙂 I’ve never heard of Ruby Sparks, but wow that sounds good! I’m going to have to do some movie watching….
Thank you! Yes, it’s super cool, the songs are amazing and the way they tell the story in both forward and reverse chronology is brilliant. Yes, it’s a really interesting subversion of the manic pixie dream girl trope. Ha ha glad to have helped you find some new films to watch.
Great topic, Mulan is always a good watch 😀 I think St. Trinians is my favourite girly but unromantic film – or Bend it like Beckham! And I really need to watch Oceans 8.
Thanks! Yes it is. Ooh I totally forgot about that one, I should have added it here. I’ve never actually seen Bend It Like Beckham. You should, it’s so good!
Haha I love this idea! So many great films! The Last Five Years is amazing and I love the soundtrack so much!
Thank you! Yes, I love The Last Five Years, I have the film soundtrack basically on constant repeat.
I hope things start working out with the project for you. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be. I watched Mulan the other day and it’s a film that always unleashes that girl power in me.
Thanks Lois, things have been going better in the last week, I’ve had more people get back to me, so I’m feeling a little better about it than I was. Yes, Mulan is definitely a great girl power film!
A Monster Calls is so heartbreaking. Have the tissues ready.
I’ve actually seen it, watched it in cinemas when it came out-I cried a little I think, but there was someone in the row behind us who was definitely bawling!