It’s a bone-chilling wintry weekend with freezing arctic temperatures in the minus 40s in Toronto and going out for dinner, dancing or doing anything pseudo-romantic on Valentine’s Day just does not look that enticing. It’s the perfect night to stay in, enjoying a bottle of wine (doesn’t have to break your wallet, a good cheap bottle would do) and watch a non-#OscarsSoWhite-Let’s-Embrace-Diversity classic non-Hollywood (or still Hollywood, but with a racially diverse cast) romantic movie. There’s been plenty of great ethnically diverse movies with non-Caucasian directors, producers and cast and Alma Latina wanted to share with our readers some of the best Rom Coms (which we shared with you a couple of years ago without including race as a principal factor) but this time around we decided to share our top romantic movies from a race-related point of view.
And let’s reiterate the fact that this is the type of Valentine’s Day activity that doesn’t even need to be a romantic night in with your significant other— it could just as easily be a nice night in with friends, maybe potluck style, some tasty snacks and some warming beverages and voilá, Valentine’s Day can be a fun, cosy event for everyone. The beauty of this is also that you can get these films on Netflix, Shomi et al, rent them at a video store (and most will most definitely be there), watch them on your computer or you can even go to your nearest library and find them there. Bonus: cheap and just as entertaining. Here are some of our top choices:
Like Water For Chocolate: A very popular book-turned-movie– written by Mexican first-time author Laura Esquivel in 1989– this is the story of Tita and Pedro, two young people who fall in love but are prevented to fulfill their destiny by Tita’s mother, who opposes their union since she needs Tita, her youngest daughter, to take care of her, offering Pedro her oldest daughter in marriage instead. Pedro accepts only to be close to Tita and she pours her sadness into her cooking and “can only satisfy her desire through her exquisite creations”.
Valentin: It’s the late 1960s and 8-year old Valentin is living with his grandmother in Buenos Aires after his parents bitter separation. He discovers that his family has problems that only he can solve. A heart-wrenching story that will have you rooting for Valentín from the get-go. You will definitely fall in love this Valentine’s Day…but it will be with a wonderful 8-year-old.
Gloria: A fantastic cinematic gem coming from Chile, Gloria is a “woman of a certain age” but still feels young. Though lonely, she makes the best of her situation and fills her nights seeking love at social dance clubs for single adults. Her fragile happiness changes the day she meets Rodolfo. Their intense passion, to which Gloria gives her all, leaves her vacillating between hope and despair — until she uncovers a new strength and realizes that, in her golden years, she can shine brighter than ever. Gloria is one of those movies that teaches us that it is never too late to find love.
About Last Night: I’ve mentioned before 1997’s Love Jones as one of my favourite romantic movies of all time, so I think I’ll include it here again— it’s just such a perfect Valentine’s Day story. But a movie like About Last Night not only has all the elements of romance necessary to make it a classic, but it is just a hilarious romp of naughtiness because— and I don’t need to say anything else after this— it stars Kevin Hart in one of the main roles.
Top Five: Written, directed by, and starring Chris Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist forces him to confront both the career that made him famous and the life he left behind. Starring Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, amongst other great stars.
Slumdog Millionaire: This is a 2008 British drama film directed by Danny Boyle, an adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Vikas Swarup. The film (set and filmed in India) tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the Juhu slums of Mumbai, who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and exceeds people’s expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of cheating; Jamal recounts in flashback how he knows the answer to each question, each one linked to a key event in his life. Frieda Pinto plays Latika, Jamal’s love interest in the movie. This movie was an instant hit with audiences and won 8 of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for (as well as a number of other awards).
The Lunch Box: A mistaken delivery in Mumbai’s famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.
Monsoon Wedding: The exuberant ensemble comedy directed by Mira Nair unites a Punjabi family, a mix of comedy and chaotic melodrama concerning the preparations for the arranged marriage of a modern upper-middle-class Indian family’s only daughter. Cultures and family clash as relatives from all over the world descend on Delhi for the wedding ceremony. Universal in theme, the film explores the bonds that unite families in touching, dramatic, and comedic ways.
Eat Drink Man Woman: Directed by Ang Lee and set in Taiwan, the film features Sihung Lung as a retired and widowed master Chinese chef who cooks a banquet every Sunday for his three grown daughters, each of whom is chafing against tradition and her father’s advice and blundering through her own romantic and lifestyle choices. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. As the film progresses, each of the daughters encounters new men in their lives. When these new relationships blossom, the stereotypes are broken and the living situation within the family changes. The film features several scenes displaying the techniques and artistry of gourmet Chinese cooking. Since the family members have difficulty expressing their love for each other, the intricate preparation of banquet quality dishes for their Sunday dinners is the surrogate for their familial feelings. The film got a Mexican-American remake in 2001 as Tortilla Soup, with Hector Elizondo as the chef.
Shall We Dance: In Shall We Dance?, Sugiyama is a bland accountant, but his wife hires a detective to shadow him because she suspects he’s having an affair. In fact, he’s doing something that traditional Japanese culture considers even more humiliating: he’s taking Western ballroom dance lessons. He and his fellow misfit classmates begin to blossom and find a sense of belonging as they learn to waltz and foxtrot. An unnecessary Hollywood remake starred Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere, but there is definitely no comparison to its original.
Lost in Translation: Although technically a Hollywood movie, this Soffia Coppola award-winning feature stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, but its setting (Tokyo, Japan) is such an intrinsic part of the movie that it becomes its actual scene-stealing star. Bill Murray plays a jaded movie star filled with a sense of emptiness and he meets Johansson, a neglected newlywed, and they form a very unlikely bond as they explore the magnificent city.
