According to SaltWire Network’s meteorologist Cindy Day, Valentine’s Day is going to be very chilly.
“A very cold Vantine’s Day. Some sun, high near -7 with a wind chill of -14,” Day said.
So it’s a perfect time to Netflix and not chill, by staying inside.
Modern Love, available on Amazon Prime, is a wonderful way to not just enjoy and saturate yourself (and your partner) in love but also to contemplate its more complex components.
Love is messy, love hurts, love is traumatic and love can be many different things to many different people based on their own experiences.
This series, an anthology of nine one-off stories, is based on a New York Times column of the same name and each one is wonderful in its own weirdly tragic, yet comforting way.
It’s not a fun/silly romantic comedy where ‘the guy is going to get the girl in the end’ — or vice versa, or guy gets guy, or girl gets girl — although those can be a fun escape as well — this deals with how dark and brutal (but wonderful) love is.
Take Me As I Am, Whoever I Am, (episode 3), is a perfect illustration of this.
Lexi (Anne Hathaway), literally dances around a supermarket, brimming with jubilation and has a ‘meet-cute’ with a new potential love interest Jeff (Gary Carr), while she’s on the hunt for some peaches.
Everything seems perfect for Lexi, it’s as if she’s wrapped up in a musical or an old Hollywood movie. ‘Not a cloud in the sky’ she sings, as the New York skyline is blanketed by overcast.
She’s killing it at work, although missing some days. But with her bright sequin blouse, nothing can go wrong.
Then she gets home, and it hits her. Her bipolar disorder flips the switch and she collapses onto her bed in despair for days, her peaches spoiled.
It all seemed too good to be true because it was. And the remainder of the episode shows Lexi’s strength, coming to terms with her illness, connecting with friends and seeking help.
Ultimately it’s not about the cute guy she met and the romance that could have been, it’s about taking care of herself, the most important relationship.
Each episode touches on a different theme of love and the surrounding issues that orbit it: marriage, divorce, children, friendships, trauma, death and even daddy issues get a peculiar moment in the spotlight.
The second season of Modern Love is expected sometime in 2020.
If you’re in the mood for something a little less dark, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix is an adorable teen rom-com starring Lana Condor as Lara Jean.
Based on the book by Jenny Han of the same title, TATBILB is a heartfelt look at modern teen life — dealing with an eccentric family dynamic, dueling crushes and a constant ‘will they, won’t they?’ that pulls the story along.
A sequel released just in time for Valentine’s Day on Feb. 12.
OSCAR WINNERS
Here’s a breakdown of some 2020 Oscar winners available to stream right now. The other winners are expected to be available on the various streaming networks in the coming months.
Marriage Story - Best supporting actress, Laura Dern (Netflix)
American Factory - Documentary feature (Netflix)
Hair Love - Animated short (YouTube)
Toy Story 4 - Animated feature (Disney Plus)
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