Everyone needs an escape sometimes. When you can’t travel physically, you can always travel through film and hope that one day, life will imitate art.
Here are some movies that will give you the travel bug:
1.Before Sunrise (1995)
This movie just has a dreamlike ambience throughout. It’s about a young man (Jesse) and woman (Celine) who meet on a train in Europe and decide to get off in Vienna together. They must part ways in the morning, so they know their time together is limited. You get an intimate look into their conversations about everything from philosophy to love, all with beautiful Vienna as the backdrop.
The beauty of it is that something like this could happen in real life; this movie was actually inspired by the director’s personal experience! It embodies that classic dream of meeting a handsome stranger on a long train voyage. Well, this is a peek into what actually happens!
Fun Fact: This movie is part of a trilogy, so if you’re curious to see what happens next with these two, check out Before Sunset and Before Midnight.
2. Midnight in Paris (2011)
If you want to see a Woody Allen film, here is your chance! Midnight in Paris is about a world-weary writer (Gil) who finds himself on vacation in Paris. Feeling increasingly distant from his fiancée, he roams the city streets alone, trying to desperately capture the romance of Paris he had envisioned.
During a midnight walk, Gil somehow gets whisked away to Paris in the 1920s. There, he meets his literary heroes and gets a glimpse into their personal lives. This journey makes him realize that the human condition is the same, no matter what time period.
3. The Holiday (2006)
This is just a feel-good movie. It’s witty, funny, heartfelt, and the soundtrack is amazing! It’s about two women that want to escape their lives, so they decide to swap houses for the holidays. One travels to a mansion in LA and the other goes to a cottage in a small English town. There, they find what they were both running away from, love.
It’s that classic tale of how you end up finding something when you least expect it. This is one of my favourite movies, as it truly makes you believe that you’re never stuck in your circumstances and that, sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery and anything can happen!
4. Mamma Mia! (2008)
I remember watching this in a packed theater when it first came out. This movie is based on a musical and features a lot of classic ABBA songs. It’s set on a beautiful island in Greece, and is about a young woman who yearns to find her father. She ends up secretly inviting three men from her mother’s past to the island, in hopes of getting clues into which one is her dad. Through this journey, a lot of singing and dance numbers ensue, along with gorgeous shots of a Greek island under the summer sun.
5. The Tourist (2010)
Despite this movie being panned by critics, I really really enjoyed it! The story line was fun and engaging and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. It’s mainly set in Venice, so you get to really explore the city throughout the film.
It’s about a woman who is in love with a fugitive on the lamb. The feds are following her, in hopes of her leading them to her lover. In order to throw them off, she befriends an unsuspecting tourist on a train ride to Venice. They get off together and a wild goose chase ensues. This is a fast-paced and quirky film, so if you want a light-hearted adventure and gorgeous Venetian scenery, definitely watch it!
6. The Dreamers (2003)
I placed this movie last on the list because it’s a bit explicit. There is a lot of nudity, so please don’t watch it if that makes you uncomfortable! It is made by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, who was famous for his unconventional and provocative style.
It’s set in Paris, with the 1968 student riots as the backdrop. An American exchange student meets two Parisienne twins and enters into their land of make-belief. He stays with them while their parents are away and the three develop a close bond in which they explore their fantasies. At its core, it’s about three young people discovering themselves through an interesting blend of eroticism and innocence.