Forsgren: Stream the Love on Netflix this February - East Idaho News
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Forsgren: Stream the Love on Netflix this February

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Wanna hear a secret? I LOVE romantic movies. I know! Holy crap, right?

Now when I say “romantic movies”, I want you to understand what I mean. I don’t mean the formulaic boy-meets-girl-boy-woos-girl-boy-loses-girl snoozers that most people think of when they think of “rom-coms”. I also don’t mean melodramatic Nicholas Sparks cheese-fests.

When I say “romantic movies” I mean movies featuring real emotional stakes, and likable characters that I really pull for because I want to see them happy. An example: “Safety Not Guaranteed”. Sure, that movie features time travel, but at its heart, this is story about two awkward folks I can honestly relate to meeting and developing feelings for one another. The time travel stuff is just tasty icing on an extremely yummy cake.

And while there are plenty of by the numbers romance flicks on Netflix, if you do a little digging, you can find plenty of movies that zig where other movies zag and are replete with gushy romance. Here are five of my favorite romantic films you can stream on Netflix.

”Man Up”

This flick is a pretty conventional rom-com, but it stars the completely awesome Simon Pegg and Lake Bell. Nancy (Bell) is a 30-something who’s trying to get back into dating. When she runs across Jack (Pegg), a guy meeting a blind date at a train station, Nancy decides to pretend to be Jack’s date. Over the course of the film, Nancy and Jack start to like each other. But can a relationship that began with a lie survive?

The joy of this movie is watching Pegg and Bell together. Jack and Nancy are people I wouldn’t mind hanging out with. The writing is funny and witty and by the end, you can’t imagine not getting to see these two kids together. And that’s the mark of a great romance flick.

”To Catch a Thief”

A classic from master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, this movie finds retired cat burglar John Robie (Cary Grant) enjoying life when a crook using a similar method to Robie’s starts stealing stuff. This brings Robie under suspicion. As he works to clear his name, Robie meets Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly, and who wouldn’t fall in love with her). Sparks fly. Fireworks even.

Hitchcock is better known for his suspenseful cinema, but “Thief” is a fleet, sultry little movie that hums along and is buoyed up by fantastic performances from Grant and Kelly. Seeing these together is a sticky hook and you have to keep watching to see what’s next. Do yourself a favor and stream this gem of a film.

”Sing Street”

I rambled about this one in my “Favorite Movies of 2016” column, so I won’t talk too much about this one. All I’ll say is comedy plus teen romance plus killer 80’s pop music equals one great little movie.

”Chasing Amy

Writer/director Kevin Smith’s third movie is one of the most honest-feeling romantic movies I’ve ever seen. It tells the story of a normal guy comic book artist who falls for a lesbian. The honesty comes from how the story unfolds, how the characters are guided by their emotions and how the movie ends. The ending is, in a word, perfect. It’s not a movie for everybody, but if you want an emotional gut-punch filled with honesty (with a few laughs added in for fun), this is your movie.

”Can’t Buy Me Love

So, I saw this movie when I was a kid and even though it’s not a great film, I still enjoy it. In it, nerdy Ronnie Miller (Patrick Dempsey) bribes popular, pretty Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) to pretend to date them. As they hang out, Cindy finds Ronnie to be an appealing guy while Ronnie finds he really digs being popular.

“Love” is predictable, cliched and the ending is somewhat unbelievable. Still, I feel a warm wave of nostalgia wash over me every time I watch it. As a nerd who wanted to date a cheerleader back in the day, this movie is a tiny bit of wish fulfillment. And watching Ronnie and Cindy grow as people is actually pretty satisfying.

These five movies are well worth your time if you’re looking for some Valentine’s romance. But there are plenty of other options available on Netflix. You’re sure to find something you love.

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