Welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks hosted by Wandering through the Shelves Blog again. The only series I constantly do for the last two weeks.
Care to join this series? Please visit the series main page here.
The Valentine is coming and so Friday the 13th. However, this week’s Thursday Movie Picks theme is quite, you know, bridging the two events; it’s about Unrequited Love—there’s a joy of Valentine and the nightmare of the Friday at once. So, here’s my pick:
01. (500) Days of Summer
Tom and Summer get into my picks for two consecutive weeks; but, how could I help with this? The first movie to come in my mind when talking about unrequited love. We know from the start that Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls for Summer (and he gives up everything he has for her only. Yet, Summer never feels the same way, right? She only loves being with Tom, but she’s never really into him. Wish that Tom realized it earlier…
02. Leon: The Professional
I always love Leon for the depiction of the relationship between Leon (Jean Reno) and little Mathilda (Natalie Portman). What makes it pathetic is: Leon’s a professional hitman and Mathilda’s just a kid whose family were murdered; there’s a generation gap and, more than that, there’s a moral gap. Mathilda mistakenly takes Leon’s sympathy as a love; and she’s always craving for love and affection to Leon. I feel so sorry for her; she should’ve been growing a little more to understand.
03. 5 Centimeters per Second
This is the most heartbreaking animated feature I ever seen. Toono and Akari met when they’re both little, but distance separates them. The thing is, there must be some barriers to hinder them being together and we never really know why they can’t be together. This is a real unrequited story fueled by fate and all beautiful imagery; ironic, isn’t it? Further description of what’s going on in 5 Centimeters per Second can be read here!
Oh, it’s a raining Thursday here in Indonesia, so I give an honorable mention to The Garden of Words, another work from Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters per Second).
I love Leon the movie…and Leon’s and Matilda’s relationship is difficult to say the least. Natalie Portman when she was younger just has this maturity to her that soon after Leon she played another young girl falling in love once again for a much older man in Beautiful Girls.
It was a complicated role, tho, ’cause it might seem deviant. But I loved her performance in Leon so much!
Leon is a great choice! I had never even thought of that. I haven’t seen (or heard of) you last two films, but now I want to check them out.
It’s off to Netflix I go!
I just watched Leon a few weeks ago, and I was strucked by the idea that Mathilda loved Leon but he didnt do the same. You should check Makoto Shinkai’s!
I would add Almost Famous and My Best Friend’s Wedding
Haven’t watched both. How about joining this series, Kezia?
I’m writing right now 😀
Good luck!
Ooooooooooooooh Leon – interesting pick! Love that movie. I think there is a mutual love there, of a familial kind, although you could argue that her love runs a bit deeper.
Also, that still from Garden of Words is GORGEOUS.
Perhaps there is a mutual love, only they have it differently. Glad you like the movies!
(500) strikes again! This was a popular one today. I love that you picked Leon: The Professional. That’s an excellent film.
I just love it. You know, 500DoS is a real pin of my generation lol.
Glad you acknowledge Leon, too!
I haven’t seen your last two picks (Leon being one of my blind spot choices this year) but I’m looking forward to watching them. 500 Days of Summer also make it on my list, it was a wonderful movie.
Great! You watch it and tell me what you think.
Great that you think the same, especially about (500) Days of Summer
Great choices! I’ve only seen (500) Days of Summer but that made it on to my list too 🙂
– Allie
It seems like everybody agrees with 500DoS!
500 Days of Summer is THE pick for this topic! Made my list as well. The Professional is a great movie that I haven’t seen in a long time. Never would have crossed my mind here, so I applaud you for that. The other two I haven’t seen. I’ll definitely look into them.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂 500 DoS is definitely a choice of everyone. Lol. You gotta check the others and tell me what you think. Cheers!