LOVE IS EVERYWHERE!!!
Valentine's Day appreciation post
I love!!! love. In all of its forms. Familial, romantic, platonic, it’s so wonderful to me. Romance is in everything: flowers, shards of sunlight, the miniature intricacies of snowflakes. I know there’s the Charli xcx song about this, aptly titled ‘Everything is romantic’ but it didn’t inspire my outlook of everything…being romantic. I need to see the world in this way because otherwise, I would lose my mind.
“What I see around me would drive me insane if I did not know that no matter what happens, God will have the last word.”
St. Paisios of Mount Athos
Love has many enemies, but it always prevails.
And I am mad about Valentine’s Day. Everything pink and heart shaped just sets me astir. Pink is the color of the future, after all. Kay Thompson sang fabulously about it in Funny Face (1957), where it brims with infinite possibility.
I don’t think I was ever bitter about this holiday even when I longed for a sweetheart who never materialized. And I do have a forever valentine. I plan to spend time with him in the Blessed Sacrament on February 14th. As the late Father Frank McFarland said, we are in a divine romance. The Lord is courting us. No earthly romance could ever compare.
🎥💝
Mississippi Mermaid (1968)
Directed by Francois Truffaut: A man’s mail order bride is not what she seems in this romantic thriller starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Deneuve. Louis and Julie settle into married life, but she abruptly disappears one day, taking money from their joint account with her. Louis hires a private detective but he manages to find Julie on his own. Whatever culpability she may have involving the death of his real bride doesn’t matter anymore. He has been completely captivated by love for her. This film captivated me too. It’s a brilliant portrayal of how all consuming love is, how it makes us abandon logic and self-preservation.
A Warm December (1973)
Not only was this film directed by and starring Sidney Poitier, it’s also inspired by Roman Holiday! Dr. Matt Younger is on holiday in England with his daughter when he meets a mysterious young woman named Catherine (Esther Anderson), who he later discovers is the daughter of an African ambassador. The sparks between them are immediate, and Catherine also wins over Matt’s daughter Stefanie. I love this movie so much, even if it wasn’t inspired by my favorite movie of all time. It’s so gentle and serene; even Matt and Catherine’s parting isn’t quite so devastating. Not only is it a celebration of Black love between two dark skinned people, it highlights sickle cell anemia which predominately afflicts Black people. A real gem of a picture.
Cane River (1982)
Directed by Horace Jenkins: A story of burgeoning love pushing up against a long ago past. Peter Metoyer is a former football player who’s returned home to Cane River. Peter had the chance to go pro, but he now devotes his time to poetry, which he writes in secluded sun dappled fields. He meets Maria and soon begins courting her, which is met with disapproval since his family is descended from slave owning Black Creoles. The commentary surrounding their situation is trenchant. I love Maria, who is fiercely independent with a sharp mind. It’s refreshing to see a young woman finding love without sacrificing her dreams. A gorgeous film saturated with color.
As Tears Go By (1988)
Wong Kar-Wai’s most underrated film and my personal favorite. Love and violence are closely intertwined, with a triad member falling for his distant cousin amid strife in the underworld involving his foolish younger brother. Equal parts yearning and tragedy, drenched in neon, the feelings are too big to contain. Most people view this as a lesser WKW and while I don’t agree, it is a lot looser than his other work. And that’s why I love it. Andy Lau in a tank top and booty shorts is a bonus. A very necessary bonus.
I hope you have a sweet Valentine’s Day! 💌 🍫
