When it comes to the topic of ‘Love’, nothing can tickle our imagination and sweep us off our feet more than romantic movies.

Film is entertaining but it also has that magical ability to make us time travel, fall in and out of love, laugh and cry and experience things we would either identify with or have no chance of experiencing otherwise – just by sitting in front of the screen.

So when Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, it’s no surprise that many singles as well as couples choose to stay tucked in to watch a movie or two.

But picking the wrong movie can be a big disappointment. A too-cheesy rom-com, or the pointless weepy melodrama can do more harm and good.

Whether you’re single and want a cheer-me-up fix with your friends, hopelessly in love, or a couple looking for some romantic time together – We have picked a movie for everyone.

So get that bucket of popcorn (or perhaps more appropriately a glass of wine) ready, sit down and enjoy as these memorable love stories play in front of you.

You’re single and looking for something to re-ignite your believe that ‘true love is waiting’ then the Bridget Jones’s Diary with Renee Zellweger is a fail-proof option! Better still, watching the sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason right after this one makes for a perfect chick flick marathon.

The ‘allowed to dream’ ‘90s rom com Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts comes next. But our all-time favourite is the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn in her most memorable role. We say invite all your single friends around and have an LBD and pearls themed party and pop open a bottle of champagne! Who needs a date when you can dress up and have fun with the girls?

Recently single after a painful breakup then don’t be afraid to tackle one of the best movies on the topic – no not The Breakup – but the ingenious Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. It will be a little painful to watch but nothing like a good movie as an excuse to weep your heart out. But if you don’t mind stepping out, head to your nearest cinema and watch Her starring Joaquin Phoenix (hence eye candy guaranteed) who was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role. It is an elegant and original movie which captures intense emotions in an unusal yet beautiful manner.

Hopelessly in love with someone whom you cannot be with then go for the tear jerkers all the way – it’s only healthy! Movies like the Wong Kar Wai’s visually stunning In the Mood for Love (starring Tony Leung Chui Wai and a stunning Maggie Chung), its sequel 2046, and Martin Scorsese’s only romantic title The Age of Innocence (set in the 19^th century with Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer) are some of our top picks. All three films talk about a would-have-been relationship with potential but where reality and conventions stand in the way of these star-crossed lovers.

However the one unmatched masterpiece about the topic is Clint Eastwood’s brilliant rendition of The Bridges of Madison County where a younger and stunning Meryl Streep plays one of her best Oscar-nominated roles ever as a rural housewife who falls for a travelling photographer passing by her town. The Way We Were with Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford is a less weepy one for the more faint-hearted.

A couple looking to remind yourselves how lucky you are to be together then seeing less fortunate and doomed love stories might just do the trick and eve bring you closer. The Notebook is a favourite among ladies (naturally as Ryan Gosling stars in it!), The Revolutionary Road (with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) is another great film about the realities of being in an intense yet unfulfilling relationship. Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain (with Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) and Wong Kar-Wai’s Happy Together (with Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chui Wai) are also a great watch.

Single and vowed to laugh your way through Valentine’s Day then nothing like a great rom-com and those don’t come very often – at least our inner movie buff thinks so.

Safe bets are Notting Hill, There’s Something about Mary, Roman Holiday, Shakespeare in Love, Practical Magic, the French classic Amelie and of course the appropriately-titled Down with Love.

Time to head to the store and grab a couple of those DVDs!

Rana Wehbe-Flinter

More Valentine’s Day articles: 

Beauty S.O.S. for Valentine’s Day

Bringing sexy back: How to pick the perfect lingerie set

Single in Singapore: 4 Things to do on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day gift guide For HER

Valentine’s Day gift guide for HIM

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with LUSH!