What You Should Watch on Valentine's Day

Valentine’s day is known as the most romantic holiday of the year. It is a holiday that Hollywood capitalizes on with films. This year has not slowed down studios from releasing new romantic features.  The three features listed below share the same very romantic ambitions on different viewing mediums. If you want to stay home for a romantic evening in, there are two different Romantic movie options. If you and your loved one are looking for a night out, then movie theaters have an option! Either way, there are options for a very romantic Valentine's Day on the big or small screen.


Your Place Or Mine


Netflix is hoping romance is in store with their new comedy Your Place Or Mine.  The story follows two long-distance friends (Reese Witherspoon, and Ashton Kutcher) who decide to help each other out in life. While Debbie (Witherspoon) is able to pursue a life-long dream, Peter (Kutcher) volunteers to keep an eye on her teenage son. From that premise, I cannot deny that viewers may be able to guess the outcome. There are plenty of decent laughs from the banter of both Kutcher and Witherspoon. What holds the film back is that it does not do anything different from the “romantic comedy” mold. Your Place or Mine is not a disaster, but certainly not a classic. 


Somebody I Used to Know



    The structure of a romantic comedy film is a classic in movie making. Those stories tell of people falling in love no matter the obstacles in their way.  At certain times, those films can completely subvert expectations. Amazon Videos' latest comedy Somebody I Used to Know manages to subvert expectations. Workaholic Ally (Allison Brie) takes a trip back to her hometown, reminiscing about the past with her ex Sean (Jay Ellis).  When she meets Sean's fiance Cassidy (Kiersey Clemmons), things take an interesting turn. To spoil the twists of the film, would be to ruin the fun.  Somebody I used to Know is a charming film for this romantic month because each character is flawed and relatable in naturally clever ways.


Magic Mike’s Last Dance



   The Magic Mike franchise is coming to a close with his Last Dance. After a business deal has gone bad, Mike (Channing Tatum) leaves Miami for London. This is due to a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek) giving him an offer he can't refuse. Steven Soderbergh is back in the director's chair in this oddly tame third outing. Those looking for anything like Last Dance's predecessors will be sorely disappointed. Whereas instead of an audacious comedy or social satire, Last Dance is a love story. This new angle does not always work, but Hayek and Tatum's characters' romantic infatuation is a joy to watch. That romance and some impressive dance numbers would make this a nice night out for Valentine's day. If you're not looking for a romantic night out, audiences can skip this one.




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