Now that Valentine's Day has come and gone, the remnants of Single Awareness Day have left some of us in an awestruck wonder. This is because we have seen the declarations of love, the cards, the chocolate, the romantic comedies—those attributes that make Feb. 14 what it is. We see the romantic comedies especially as guidelines for what reality should be. Klutzy, cute girl meets boy (they might even hate each other at first), they go through a series of trials (does he have another girlfriend? is this all just for a bet?) until they end up together at the end. This type of behavior only happens strictly in the movies. I have found, however, that there are romantic comedies that don't stick to this story line. This Valentine's Day, I found comfort in watching films that were a little more realistic about love, portraying its trials and tribulations with more satire rather than rom-com pizzaz.

1. "Midnight in Paris"

Woody Allen's film, set in modern-day and 1920s Paris, portrays the effects of falling in love with the idea of someone as well as the nostalgia of a past era.

2. "Blue Valentine"

This film portrays a marriage on the rocks with so much emotion and depth. Plus, Ryan Gosling.

3. "500 Days of Summer"

Sometimes, people don't believe in true love. This movie asks many questions about soulmates and destiny, and whether those two things actually exist.

4. "Ruby Sparks "

Another movie that asks whether we fall in love with an image rather than an actual person. This time, an author falls in love with his subject.

5. "Intolerable Cruelty"

The Coen Brothers mock marriage and divorce in this satire that includes George Clooney as a highly successful divorce lawyer.

6. "Annie Hall"

Are all relationships doomed to begin with? Woody Allen gets pretty existential here, although he also proves that love may be meaningless but also extraordinary.

Happy watching!