Extending the love after Valentine’s Day, we’re going for romance on this list. I love the Swedes, especially when it comes to film. They do it so well, but unfortunately not with this romantic comedy. We follow Hanna and Samuel as they plan a low-key, intimate wedding on Gotland, but their families and friends shatter that dream and everything ends in chaos. What Hanna doesn’t realise is that it’s all about tradition, and Samuel’s mother is not going to back down. Hannah ends up fleeing the wedding, and that’s okay because I found Hannah a tad boring. Then a fight breaks out. Does this all sound familiar? Look, it’s not too bad. Samuel’s parents are funny and sing a lovely song, Love Forever, at the “bride viewing.” That’s one tradition the Swedes can keep for themselves.

I don’t really like anyone in this film. Likeable characters seem to be scarce in this batch of romantic comedies. Giuseppe Futia as restauranteur Giovanni is the most charming character, plus the ubiquitous elderly Italian ladies in the piazza. They’re infatuation with the American tourist is a bit predictable. In fact, the story is as formulaic as it can be. Of course, the region of Lazio is the real star of the show. Scott Foley stars as Eric, a successful businessman who travels to Italy to stop his daughter from spending all her money to restore an old villa, but Italy has other romantic plans. I mean, does anyone go to Italy and not fall madly in love! I really must get over there.

This drama from Chile is about love in various forms, but it is essentially a story of a crime of passion. Set in the 1950s, it is based on the life of Chilean writer María Carolina Geel, who was accused of killing her lover in a hotel. Geel’s plight captivates Mercedes, a shy paralegal working for the judge assigned to defend the accused, as she sees her life as increasingly mundane and repetitive looking after her husband and two boys. As Geel is incarcerated in a convent whilst awaiting her trial, Mercedes seizes the opportunity to live another life. This film is one of those gems that pops up occasionally. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s an interesting story, and one I was unfamiliar with.

Versions of anything Jane Austen are always on the romance list, even though they’ve been done multiple times. However, this one has not been received well, with some complaining the dialogue is too contemporary and the heroine, Anne, is too “plucky.” The speaking to camera aspect is also a tad annoying. Anne Elliot lives with her snobby family who are on the brink of bankruptcy. She is a non-conformist with modern sensibilities. When Fredrick Wentworth the dashing mariner she once sent away crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances. High dudgeon abounds and attacks of the vapours are ever present as one would expect in any Jane Austen tale. Loved Richard Grant as the pompous Sir Walter Elliot. He does it so well.

This film was surprisingly pleasant to watch, possibly due to the location, with the shoot taking place on the islands of Šolta and Brač in Croatia. The story revolves around Zeynep, a woman at the end of her tether. She’s over-worked and pushed around by her husband, daughter and aging father. Her mother’s death is the last straw for Zeynep. She leaves Munich and escapes to an island in Croatia. In the house her mother bought secretly years ago, and gifted to her in her will, she hopes to find peace, freedom and herself. If only the former owner, Josip, an islander through and through, wasn’t still living on the same property. Yes, it’s basically a romantic comedy, but it’s refreshingly easy viewing and the characters are likeable.

When two people decide they love each other enough to want to be together, whether they formalise it with marriage, or decide to live together without all the trimmings, it’s never going to be just the two of them in that relationship. It doesn’t matter if you’re from different cultures, backgrounds, gender, or the same, you are bringing two very different families together who will endeavour to get along because they love the two people involved. This film beautifully and thoughtfully explores that dilemma as Ezra and Amira find themselves examining modern love and family dynamics amidst clashing cultures, societal expectations and generational differences. It’s a subject that’s been covered many times, but one of the aspects that makes this film enjoyable viewing is the ensemble cast attached to it. It’s written by Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris, who also directs, and they’ve given us all something to think about.

This drama is about love, I think. There appears to be some element of emotion present. Based on the novel by Iain Reid, it is an interesting tale, and although this viewer didn’t know what the hell was going on, one couldn’t look away. The fact that it’s directed and written by Charlie Kaufman will be a drawcard for some. The cast is excellent, especially Toni Collette and David Thewlis, who steal every scene they are in. A young woman takes a road trip with her new boyfriend, Jake, to his family farm, even though she is thinking of ending things. Trapped at the farm during a snowstorm with Jake’s mother and father, the young woman begins to question the nature of everything she knew or understood about her boyfriend, herself, and the world. Be prepared for a slow journey with what has been described as a “metaphysical thriller”. No one is going anywhere in a hurry, unless some of you rush out to get a snack.