3 films you shouldn't watch when depressed

Be advised, if you haven't seen any of the films bolded in the titles and you intend to, then this post may contain spoilers!

Last night, in a bid to treat myself and end the day in a positive manner I decided to watch a DVD. My other half was working lates so I watched Marley and Me. Big mistake. Now I don't often cry at films and indeed have been accused of having a heart of the flintiest flint, but this got me. It got me good. And I knew it was coming too - talk about sado-masochism in action. I could have watched One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest or something with gangsters shooting each other if I'd really wanted to lift my mood. But no I thought, I'll watch a romcom! Pft. My man is the romcom queen, he's seen them all - including the crappiest straight to TV Jennifer Love-Hewitt ones, but even he won't watch the one where the dog... well, you know. So today, now I've composed myself I got to thinking, what other films should you definitely not watch when a wee bit down? Here are my top 3, starting with last night's sobfest.

Marley and Me

You know what happens at the end. Unless you lived in a cave around the time it was released then you know that the dog dies. And if you're anything like me then a big-eyed animal coming to harm is far worse than if 10 humans are murdered in some blockbuster killing spree. They don't even have to be real animals. I cried at Bambi, I cried at Watership Down, there was no way that a gorgeous labrador with a rascally personality wasn't going to make me blub - especially when I'm low, which I was. What I didn't know about was the first trimester miscarriage, and the post natal depression. Doh! I actually liked the film, but damnit if it didn't depress the hell out of me. Seriously, since when did Jennifer Aniston romcoms contain any sort of depth?

Life is beautiful

The Italian Roberto Begnini film where that mad actor bloke won the Oscar and jumped over all the chairs? Remember? Anyway, I unwittingly watched that about 8 years ago. I also made my sister watch it (she cried), and I made my partner watch it, before our first date no less. He cried too and it's amazing he went out with me after that. It starts off so bright and happy before descending into tragedy - but in a really upbeat way. I defy anyone to watch this film and not shed buckets. Triumph of the human spirit in adversity and the lengths a father will go to to protect his son, and so on. Just leave off until you have no underlying mental illness.

The Notebook

Now my other half is most definitely in touch with his sensitive side when it comes to weepies, but still...I've never seen anyone crumple with such complete devastation as when we watched this. I wish I could have caught the moment on camera. To be fair, it was so perfectly sad, you couldn't help but choke up. No fluffy animals, but heartstrings will be tugged nonetheless.

Now, after all that think I might need a bit of cheering up. Box of jaffa cakes and the Die-Hard box set? Don't mind if I do!