When I visited London, Paris, Rome for the first time in 2007, a friend recommended some old films that really spoke to the "mood" and "scene" of those marvelous cities. Watching the films not only taught me a little about the culture of those places, but also helped revv me up for the travels!
I'm hoping you might have recommendation(s) for films that showcase the culture, beauty etc of Ireland, Scotland, Amsterdam and Germany.
It's casting a wide net, but I'm not picky... I would love to hear what you think!
To give you an idea, before my last Europe trip, I watched Roman Holiday, Charade, and La Dolce Vita to name a couple. I loved them, had never seen them before, and felt totally swept away by what I was about to experience.
Thank you! Happy trails!
films to set the tone for upcoming trip!
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"Leap Year" with Amy Adams. Definitely a chick flick but fun. Ireland.
It's not Amsterdam, but "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is about Vermeer and set in Delft.
Maybe "Braveheart" for Scotland?
Most German films I can think of are quite dark and moody, and don't really focus on scenery. I recently saw "The Countess", where Germany stood in for Hungary and Romania. There were some beautiful shots of the countryside and castles. But it's a dark film, about Elizabeth Bathory.
>>Maybe "Braveheart" for Scotland? <<
I think not. Try Local Hero.
What's the name of that old TV series starring Robert Carlyle with the little white Scottie dog? I think it was a crime drama set in Scotland. Actually it might not be what OP wants because it was kind of bleak.
How about The 39 Steps? It's more fun than anything else.
Ryan's Daughter,
Quackster FortuneF has a cousin in the Bronx,
The Odessa File,
Run, Lola, Run
If you can find it in English or with English subtitles there's always Amsterdamned. Though part of the canal chase is actually Utrecht
.
Local Hero is a great film for Scotland. The TV series is Hamish MacBeth.
There's always Trainspotting too if you want really bleak.
"Waking Ned Divine" is a great comedy set in a small Irish village. I also loved "The Secret of Roan Inish"
"Dear Frankie" is a really good movie set in present day Scotland.
"old TV series starring Robert Carlyle" - Hamish Macbeth
There's a ton of 'tour' type videos on YouTube.
Local Hero is a great movie almost nobody saw. Another lost and forgotten Scottish movie is Comfort and Joy.
Maybe "Braveheart" for Scotland?
God No. Try The Wicker Man (the original, not the remake), Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Hallam Foe, The Illusionist, Restless Natives!, The Bridal Path - but definitely Gregory's Girl & Local Hero.
You might also want to consider Whisky Galore.
Obscure one but I enjoyed it--Stone of Destiny--based on the truth of the recent history of the Stone of Scone.
The recent BBC series Case Histories about Jackson Brodie are set (unlike the books) in Edinburgh.
Rob Roy maybe?
And maybe a Macbeth or two!
What's the name of that old TV series starring Robert Carlyle with the little white Scottie dog?>>
Hamish McBeth.
Balamory has nice pictures.
Two movies set in German restaurants: Mostly Martha and Soul Kitchen (Fatih Akin).
Hollywoodgreyhound,
Watching films really gets you in the mood for travel.
For Scotland, I would suggest MRS. BROWN, bio-top of the “romance” between the widowed Queen Victoria and her ghillie/servant John Brown. Stars Judi Dench and has fabulous Highland scenery.
Of course, THE QUEEN features many scenes around Balmoral.
For Ireland, THE WAKING OF NED DEVINE. Although actually filmed on the Isle of Man, it has beautiful scenery and warm Irish wit.
And going way back, you have RYAN’S DAUGHTER and THE QUIET MAN.
For UK – THE KING’S SPEECH and THE IRON LADY among others.
War of the Buttons for the west of Ireland. One of my favorite movies. Watch the Ballykissangel tv series, filmed partly in Avoca.
> It's not Amsterdam, but "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is about Vermeer and set in Delft.
Actually it was all filmed in Luxembourg - but I have to agree, it's a visually stunning film.
Lavandula
For Germany you might enjoy Goodbye Lenin and The Lives of Others—both deal with Berlin under communism.
Eurotrip and European Vacation haha
These are all wonderful recommendations-- thank you so much!
Some, like Braveheart, Waking Ned Devine, The Lives of Others, Trainspotting, I've seen, but not in a LONG while so it'll be wonderful to see them again and from a different perspective/motivation this time. (Though yeah, I'll probably skip watching Braveheart again, love it as I do!)
Thank you, thank you and thank you all.
What outwest said, I was going to recommend "Good-bye Lenin" too. Great film, lots of documentary stuff, but served up in a way that is interesting and good for some laughs too.
To get lots of results simply google "movies set in Scotland", for instance. Wikipedia will likely be the first hit with list for you. Here's what I got for Scotland:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_set_in_Scotland
I did the same recently for London and got a great list. Then google the individual titles or go to a site like Netflix to know if they might appeal to you.
Disregard the last part of my suggestion above. Simply click on the movie titles right there on the Wikipedia page and you'll get a great rundown on the individual movies.
For Amsterdam: check out the TV series "Baantjer".
A couple of options for you that aren't heavy on the scenery, but are on the 'culture' side of things;
For Scotland (one of my favourite ever films) 'Whisky Galore' (1949 - thanks IMDB) and for Germany 'The Edukators'. Both are a little different from the suggestions above.
If you want a film that makes Trainspotting look like Alvin and the Chipmunks (I know I have odd taste) try 'Red Road'.
Set in a very poor housing estate in Glasgow, it's one of the most memorable films I've ever seen. It's definitely not one to munch popcorn through with a group of friends, but you might want to have a loved one nearby at the end so you can give them a hug and be thankful your life is nothing like the protagonists'.
I've stopped wondering why my wife doesn't want to watch the same films as me...