'Serendipity'

I like to think that everything happens for a reason. I like to think that my girlfriend and I have been meant for each other since birth, and that a certain chain of events that started when I was born culminated with the beginning of our relationship nearly two years ago.

Serendipity stars my favorite actor John Cusack and the yummy Kate Beckinsale, eye candy with a sexy accent.

The movie balances sappiness with comedy well, with hilarious support work by Eugene Levy, Jeremy Piven and Molly Shannon. Serendipity follows fate's twisted path for Jonathan Trager (Cusack), who is about to get married to the wrong girl when he begins to reminisce about his encounter years earlier with Sara Thomas (Beckinsale), and begins to wonder if fate is trying to give him signs that he should pursue her.

Trager's obsession with fate leads him on a crazy, seemingly delusional, search for Sara on the eve of his wedding.

Serendipity's plot takes unexpectedly funny and sometimes painful to watch twists on its way to the obvious happy ending. This movie is a good one for couples, as it's lovey-dovey in a cool way. It's smart humor works without ruining the love story. Break out the tissue box, because you might need it for this one. I did.

-- Reviewed by Brandon Linton

There's no question about it. This fantastical masterpiece is my favorite movie of all time, so naturally at this time of year I gravitate toward it. As a hopeless romantic with a soft spot for British accents (and a Mandy Patinkin-obsessed mother), this movie is perfect for me. And with Valentine's Day upon us -- for us single folk, the annual reminder of our status -- The Princess Bride insists that true love looms in the future, and nothing can stop it, "not even death."

Princess Bride, my favorite book as well as movie, also showcases the development of strong friendships. This sealed the deal for me -- in my opinion, V-day is about celebrating the loving relationships you are lucky enough to have, whether with friends, relatives, poor farm boys, lovers, miracle workers or a young and adorable Fred Savage.

-- Reviewed by Randi Milgram

Some people believe in love at first sight, but I've always found the concept a little voyeuristic and creepy. I tend to suspect that what most people really mean when they say "love at first sight" is something more like "love at first meet."

Celine and Jesse fall in love-at-first-meet on a train in Vienna in Before Sunrise. She's a Parisian student and he's an American tourist.

When they start chatting with one another, they start to feel those invisible tingles of electricity we can get from really connecting with somebody. Unlike most movie couples I remember, Jesse and Celine, as played brilliantly by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, have a chemistry that is so palpable that we too begin to feel those tingles of electricity and perhaps experience their budding love affair vicariously.

The relationship blossoms as it grows more complicated in last year's most pleasantly surprising sequel Before Sunset. This pair of brilliant, thought-provoking, bittersweet films make for a delectable Valentine's Day double feature.

-- Reviewed by Nicholas Norcia

The thing about Kissing Jessica Stein is that it's not the best romantic comedy ever. For a start, Hugh Grant's not in it. But what it lacks in foppish British studs it makes up for in wit, heart, Yom Kippur humor and lesbians. Yes, Kissing Jessica Stein is a story of lesbian love, and that alone warrants it eminence as one of those flicks that's worthy of a Valentine's viewing. Well, actually, Kissing Jessica Stein is not quite about lesbian love. This movie is about a bubbly, neurotic "straight" gal, the aforementioned Jessica, who dabbles in some woman-on-woman action with Helen, the bi girl who's as into mixing lovers as she is lipstick shades. There's also some dude named Josh who digs Jess, so as they say, the plot thickens. This all might sound a bit offensive, and hey, who isn't sick of that bogus theory that gay girls will "switch teams" if only they find the right guy, or vice versa. But Kissing ends up being more of a clever commentary on the sexuality continuum than a thorn in its side. Queer pride aside, Kissing Jessica Stein is an innocuously fun and subtly sexy movie with charming characters you wish were your friends and sparkling banter that's more Woody Allen than Nora Ephron.

-- Reviewed by Caralyn Green

Hipolito, a wise writer in the French film Amelie wrote: "Without you, today's emotions would be the scurf of yesterday's." In this one simple line, the fictional writer sums up this quirky, yet lovely film. Amelie is the story of a young French woman, Amelie Poulain, on a quest for meaning and passion in life. Through the eyes of Amelie, the viewer sees the world in an intricately detailed, colorful and almost child-like manner. Because of the innocence of her character, played by the talented Audrey Tautou, Amelie opens her eyes to a new way of looking at things that will leave you with an euphoric feeling. Amelie is a traditional love story in that the main character finds love at the end, but it's unique because she has a love and an affinity for all people, things and for life in general. And that is a beautiful thing.

-- by Sarah Nolan

"You had me at 'hello.' "

Is there a more romantic line in the history of movies? How about "You complete me"? Or "Show me the money!"

OK, that last one really doesn't fit in with the others, but this Valentine's Day, why not check out Jerry Maguire?

There aren't many movies that have the emotional power to make a man cry, but not many movies out there have as much heart as this one. I've found there is no greater joy out there than seeing emotionally reformed sports agent Jerry (Tom Cruise) pour his heart out to his true love, Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger). And this really is Cruise at his all-time best, despite what the Academy Awards say. While co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Oscar for his role as a greedily over-the-top professional athlete, poor Tom was robbed.

But all of this is irrelevant in the grand scheme of the movie itself, an amazingly intimate portrait of love and friendship and how careers can sometimes make us forget who we really are.

-- by Tim Wright