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Lights, Camera, Amour! 6 Valentine's Day Films Set in France 

Love Is in the Air… and on the Screen

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and whether you love it, loathe it, or merely tolerate it for the champagne, there’s no dodging a day filled with candy, cupids, cards, and kisses. Restaurants whip up special menus, bars concoct special love potions, and florists fill their windows with grand gestures. But sometimes the best Valentine’s Day gift you can give (or get) is uninterrupted time together — no matter if you’re consciously coupled, uncoupled, or somewhere in the murky middle of “it’s complicated.”

 


A little sugar to start the night right.
 

A Reel Romance at Home

My sweet Valentine (that handsome Frenchman with the most infectious smile, contagious laugh, and bluest eyes) and I will be having a pretty quiet Valentine's Day this year. After months of juggling the new store, buying trips, and the everyday chaos life throws at you, having a simple, romantic dinner at home, canoodling on the couch, and a movie marathon sounds like a dream date! As Don Draper famously advised, sometimes the best things are simple... and significant. 

We’re taking his advice to heart this Valentine’s Day — keeping things cozy, simple, and très romantique!

 

If you're like Lolo and me and want to enjoy a laid-back night at home watching movies with your King or Queen of Hearts, take a look at six of our favorite films for Valentine’s Day. From rom-coms to classic thrillers to an epic wartime masterpiece, there's something for everyone. These timeless picks let you travel by screen, not by plane — whisking you to the beaches of Normandy, the streets of Paris, the sun-drenched coast of the French Riviera, and the most charming villages in between. No passport required — just a cozy couch and maybe a little champagne. You won’t even need to leave home!

 

1. Sabrina (1954)

"Paris is always a good idea." — Audrey Hepburn


Audrey Hepburn, Givenchy, and a love triangle for the ages.
 

Synopsis: New Yorkers David and Linus Larrabee (William Holden and Humphrey Bogart) are two very different brothers — one a carefree playboy, the other a serious businessman. When their chauffeur’s daughter, Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn), returns home from Paris all grown up and glamorous, both brothers fall for her charms. Sparks fly, family fireworks ignite, and glamour, comedy, and romance ensue.

 

Reasons to Watch: A timeless romantic comedy that gave us Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina in the iconic little black dress designed by a then unknown Hubert de Givenchy. The "Sabrina neckline" instantly became a wardrobe classic and nearly 70 years later, women are still chasing Hepburn’s effortless style, grace, and charisma. One of the best romantic comedies ever made.

 

2. Chocolat (2000)

Life is so much more delicious with a little sweetness.” — Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche)


Sinfully sweet — a story of chocolate, love, and second chances.
 

Synopsis: Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) a spirited single mother, drifts into a quiet, provincial French village with her young daughter just in time for Lent. She opens a small chocolaterie across from the church, and her rich, irresistible confections soon begin to melt more than just chocolate — they stir sleeping passions among the villagers and challenge the town’s rigid traditions. As relationships unravel and desires awaken, things get deliciously complicated, especially when a charming drifter named Roux (Johnny Depp) enters the picture and becomes her love interest. 


Reasons to Watch: A "once upon a time" grown-up fairytale that blends romance, chocolate, and rebellion. Both whimsical and heartwarming, Chocolat explores the clash between indulgence and restraint, tradition and change. Juliette Binoche’s luminous performance, Johnny Depp’s roguish charm, and the lush, sensual imagery make it a feast for the senses. It’s not only sinfully delicious, but impossible to resist!

 

3. To Catch A Thief (1955)

"When you suspect a man, you look at his hands." — Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly)


Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and Riviera glamour — Hitchcock at his most dazzling.
 

Synopsis: Alfred Hitchcock's seductive 1955 thriller stars Cary Grant as John Robie, a notorious, retired jewel thief enjoying a quiet life tending vineyards on the French Riviera. When a string of robberies bearing his MO rocks the Riviera, Robie becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, he teams up with Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly), a wealthy American heiress who may be as smitten as she is suspicious. Together, they go on the lam to trap the copycat thief  preying on the wealthy tourists of the French Riviera.


Reasons to Watch: A rare Hitchcock thriller with no murder — filled instead with fireworks, Riviera sunsets, and seductive style. The glam costume design and sensational star pairing of Grant and Kelly make To Catch a Thief as stylish as it is suspenseful. The two sizzle on sandy beaches, steal kisses in cozy bistros, and make rooftop escapes look effortlessly chic. 

 

4. Moulin Rouge! (2001)

"The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." — Christian (Ewan McGregor)


Tragic love, dazzling music, and a Paris cabaret that never sleeps.
 

Synopsis: Young poet/writer, Christian (Ewan McGregor), finds himself in a passionate but tragic love affair with Satine (Nicole Kidman), the terminally ill star of of Paris's now legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in 1899 Paris, the story of their doomed love is played out in the city's seedy, fantastical underworld, where the fashionably rich and slumming aristocrats carouse with everyday workers, artists, actresses, and Bohemians. A dangerous triangle develops as the psychotic Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh) desires Satine's affections. As Christian and Satine's love deepens, fate pulls them into a whirlwind of music, passion, and heartbreak. 


Reasons to Watch: A lush, heart-wrenching musical brimming with spectacle. From pop anthems reimagined to the fiery chemistry between McGregor and Kidman, this powerful story of love and conflict, with more sultry shades of red than Toulouse-Lautrec ever painted, is romance at its most theatrical and unforgettable.

 It's no wonder it has a cult like following.

 

5. The Longest Day (1962)

"Only the brave deserved the fair." — Lt. Col. Vandervoort (John Wayne)


A sweeping, star-studded epic of D-Day heroism.
 

Synopsis: This ensemble war epic accurately portrays the Allied invasion of occupied France that was launched on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The conflict is seen through the eyes of soldiers (portrayed by the likes of John Wayne, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, and Roddy McDowall) as well as military leaders (Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, and Mel Ferrer), and chronicles the strategy, sacrifices, and staggering courage that shaped history.

 

Reasons to Watch: The ultimate D-Day film. With an international cast and meticulous detail, it not only depicts D-Day itself, but captures both the enormity of the operation and the human moments that defined it. Epic, moving, and unforgettable, it takes you through all the activities leading up to June 6, 1944 — from the tough decisions and pre-planning of Eisenhower to the legions of men and women fighting, surviving, and dying on the beaches of Normandy that fateful day. 

 

Marie Antoinette (2006)

“I just want to be free. To be with you. To love you.”  — Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst)


Candy-colored Versailles excess, Coppola-style.

Synopsis: Sofia Coppola's candy-colored portrait of Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) is an impressionistic tale of the life of the teenage bride sent from Austria for Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman). From the moment she arrives in France, she's at once trussed up in satin and silk and feathers and furs. Trapped in the gilded cage of Versailles as she matures into France's most iconic, but ill-fated queen, she indulges in fashion, parties, and rebellion — until the tides of revolution rise against her. 


Reasons to Watch: Coppola's account of Marie's rise and fall perfectly captures the fabulousness and outrageousness of the Rococo period. The clothes, the parties, and the passionate affairs take precedence over plot and character, laying forth the trappings of luxury for the audience to revel in. From the pink marble to the pink macarons, Marie Antoinette is a feast for the eyes, rich in both lavish imagery and luxuries.

 

Fade to Love

And there you have it — six films that prove France is always the perfect backdrop for romance, intrigue, and a little cinematic magic. Whether you’re laughing with Audrey, swooning with Grace, singing with Ewan and Nicole, or swept up in the grandeur of Normandy and Versailles, these movies bring France — and love — right to your living room. So pour another glass of champagne, steal a kiss, and grab a few more chocolates as the credits fade on a Valentine’s Day that’s cozy, classic, and oh là là!

 

Cheers to love, laughter, and a little French cinema magic!


À Bientôt!

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Mimi Montgomery

When this self-described Francophile is not reading or writing about all things French, she's dreaming up charming new ways to showcase Lolo French Antiques et More or traveling to France with Lolo to buy delightful treasures for their store. Mimi, Lolo, and their French Bulldog, Duke, live in Birmingham, AL.

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