Now more than ever, I am itching to explore new places and escape the realities of 2020. It is a true privilege to be able to travel and experience the excitement of meeting new people and the thrill of seeing something new for the first time (or revisit some favorite corners of the globe). Something that I miss dearly. I have been searching for something to cure my travel bug and I think I have discovered a couple of temporary solutions to help keep myself and you all inspired through travel.
Walkthrough some of your favorite destinations (or scout new ones for your next adventure), sit back and travel first class through film. Below are 25 of my favorite films, grouped by region, where the location is a central character in the story and will allow an exquisite escape, no passport or removal of shoes in the TSA line is required. Just Netflix or your fave subscription service. Enjoy and let me know some of your favorite travel films to add to this list.
Europe
Cinema Paradiso In Italian with subtitles, the film is about the fictitious famous film director Salvatore “Toto” and his relationship with his small town in Sicily and the projectionist at his small-town movie theater named Alfredo. Prepare to luxuriate in the rich character development and elegant simplicity of this film.
Call Me by Your Name Simply a stunningly beautiful film of exploration and love, this film follows the romantic relationship between Elio, a 17-year-old student and Oliver, a 24-year-old graduate assistant.
Midnight in Paris At midnight each night, he travels back in time which leads him on escapades during the Roaring 20s in Paris, having drinks and dancing with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dali (my favorite character), Gertrude Stein and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Buckle up for this motion picture. The End Of The Affair takes you to a rainy London night in 1946 where jealousy and love collide. Featuring my favorite of all favorite leading men, Ralph Fiennes.
Brutal yet captivating, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is an absolute thriller set in Stockholm featuring the beautiful Rooney Mara. An incredible can’t put down read as well, but that is another post.
Before Sunrise, Sunset, Midnight (Trilogy) Jesse, an American (Ethan Hawke) meets Celine, who is studying in Paris, on a train to Vienna where he is to fly back to the US the next morning. Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train with him in Vienna and spend the evening with him before he leaves. This trilogy is simply a “must do” “highly recommend” and is filmed over decades as the same actors age in real life.
Featuring witty dialogue and deft performances, In Bruges is an effective mix of dark comedy with a hint of crime thriller. Another Ralph Fiennes . . .
A Good Year is a romantic comedy about a London investment expert who comes to realize that life is meant to be savored.
Sliding Doors stars a young Gwyneth Paltrow, this film alternates between two different story lines, showing him two different paths that Paltrow’s character takes, depending on whether or not she catches a subway train. Adore this one and watched it again recently, and it has stood the test of time.
United States
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil is a film about a murder in high society. It brings to life the setting of the rich assortment of characters and the atmosphere of modern Savannah, GA.
The Prince Of Tides is based on a Pat Conroy novel where Tom Wingo, a football coach is grappling with his family’s tragic history with the help of a psychiatrist played by Barbra Streisand.
Sideways is a wine-tasting road trip to salute Jack’s final days as a bachelor that turns into a midlife crisis.
Moonstruck is a beautiful film of a full moon over Brooklyn, when anything can happen. And everything happens in the neighborhood where widowed bookkeeper Loretta Castorini (Cher) lives.
A classic we all know and love, The Devil Wears Prada. Andrea is a small-town girl in her first job out of college, who tries to navigate the waters of the high-powered fashion magazine world — while surviving her impossibly demanding new boss, Miranda Priestly.
Asia
Lost In Translation tells a story of love and friendship blooming under unlikely circumstances in this comedy-drama, shot in Tokyo. About the things that go unsaid in relationships. Loved Bill Murray in this film, who truly plays versions of himself, and remember being so disappointed when he did not win the Academy Award (for which he was nominated).
Indochine is about a plantation owner who becomes involved in a torrid love triangle between a handsome French soldier and her beloved adopted Asian daughter. Catherine Denuve is my style icon and she plays, well, a cougar here.
Visually dazzling and emotionally resonant, Slumdog Millionaire is a film that’s both entertaining and powerful.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India.
Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts where she embarks on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. The scenes of Julia eating pasta over and over again in Rome will have you googling pasta recipes for a week solid.
Middle East
The 2012 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Argo is the story of the Iran hostage crisis and the true story of how the CIA got our fellow Americans out of Iran. Ben Affleck stars and directs. Stay for the credits – President Carter narrates and speaks about his role. Every single person stayed to hear this piece and we all stood and cheered in the theater. Phenomenal film.
Syriana stars George Clooney (sigh . . . happiness . . . need I say more) as a CIA operative focusing on petroleum politics and America’s unquenchable thirst for oil (and its ramifications). Also stars Matt Damon. Clooney won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film.
Africa
The English Patient is a doomed and tragic romance set against the backdrop of World War II. Incredible cinematography and you guessed it, Ralph Fiennes. I actually loved the book as well, and reading the book (or at least a synopsis) will assist in following the film.
Out of Africa evokes drama and romance with my favorite Meryl Streep as the female lead. And Robert Redford as the male lead. That right there is enough reason to watch if you ask me.
Watch all of these movies on your favorite streaming subscription service like Nextflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, HULU or Peacock.
