Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Movies and Videos

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Movies and Videos

I'm one of those deferring travel for a while, but certain movies/videos are wonderful for armchair traveling. Just today I enjoyed "Paris Blues" starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier, and Dianne Carroll. It was like viewing old black and white photographs of 1960 Paris, with the added bonuses of a musical score by Duke Wellington and a cameo performance by Louis Armstrong. Definitely a "must" for lovers of jazz and Paris. The following films are only a few to be shown on cable TV this week: Eleni -- Greece (a very good movie) Barcelona -- Spain Prague Duet -- Prague Howards End -- Britain I'd really appreciate hearing about similar movies that are evocative and also have a decent story to tell. In fact, I'd like to know more about the latter three movies, above, since I haven't seen them. THANKS!!

I'm topping my own post, because I'd still love to get some feedback on movies to watch while deferring travel to Europe. And hoping there are at least a few more people out there who feel the same. Thank you!

Duke Wellington? Is he any relation to Ellington's Victory? :-)

Enchanted April & Tea with Mussilini, will give you the urge to run away to Tuscany.I liked the newest version of Sabrina for the Paris scenes..then there is -any Fellini movie, Indochine with Catherine Deneuve,La Cage Aux Folles, great location in Cannes-more later, popcorn is ready..

From the movies you listed, I have only seen "Barcelona". This movie came out some years ago and I recalled the buzz about been a witty outlook on the clash of cultures on Americans abroad. The writer is from a nearby town in Upstate NY. I also recalled reading that the movie is based on his experiences while living in Barcelona (He married a Spanish woman and worked in Barcelona for many years).

Here's a few others with great European scenery and/or stories: 1. Mediterraneo...Makes you want to live on a Greek isle 2. Before Sunrise...Beautiful European cinematography set against a story of young love 3. French Kiss... funny and touching, featuring some good French location shots 4. Day of The Jackel (the original version)...riveting suspense set against many European locales 5. A little Romance...charming film from the seventies featuring Sir Laurence Olivier and Europe Share and enjoy! David

Yes! David-French Kiss has some great scenes of Paris and the countryside, I especially liked the train scene with the frommage! Burnt by the Sun is an excellent Russian film, shows you life in the countryside, but I don't think it would make you want to go visit:)

Just thought of another one!! The Eye of the Needle, WWII spy drama, Donald Sutherland,Kate Nelligan, takes place in England and an island in Scotlands Hebrides, great atmosphere, locations~

The Talented Mr. Ripley is just about Italy porn, if you'll pardon the expression. Great movie, too. Also, Il Postino showing the lovely little island of Procida, Italy,

Wonderful film set and filmed in Prague is Kolya. Very touching. Won best foreign film Oscar.

Only You with Marisa Tomei. Wonderful scenes of Italy.

My favorite movies for armchair traveling to some of these places are: "Les Demoiselles de Rochefort," for Rochefort, France, by Jacques Demy, with Catherine Deneuve and Françoise D'Orleac ( her sister) "Les Parapluies de Chebourg", with Catherine Deneuve and Michel Piccoli, a Jacques Demy movie, for Chebourg, France, both with beautiful soundtracks by Michel Legrand "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone", based on a Tenesee Williams novel, with Vivien Leigh, for Rome. "La Dolce Vita", by Frederico Fellini, with Marcelo Mastroiani , Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee. for Rome, its piazzas and fountains. "Todo sobre my madre", might be "Everything about my mother" in English, by Almodovar, for Barcelona. "Ma Tati Danielle", (My Aunt Danielle) a very interesting French movie with lots of the shooting made in Paris, and a little in Greece. Don't recall the director name or main actress, but it's a great movie. Some shooting made in Bois de Boulogne. Tati Danielle is a really nasty old lady. The actress that played the main character is exceptional, as are the Paris' scenes. A movie whose main character was played by Liv Ullman. She plays an older woman having an affair with a younger man in Greece. Very interesting. Sorry for not recalling the name of the movie, nor the director. I also love "Sabrina" with Audrey Hepburn, already mentioned, for Paris, and another movie with the Same Audrey and Cary Grant, with a ride on a bateau mouche on the Seine. Does anyone recall how is called? And another one with Audrey and Albert Finney, where they travel by Europe a lot by car. "Tender is the Night", with Jennifer Jones and Jason Robards, based on a novel by Scott Fitzgerald, a lot of shooting in Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Switzerland. Also "Shirley Valentine" for Greece, and "An American in Paris" with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Lovely movie! Well, these are all (or nearly all are) old movies, but I'm old, too, sorry.:-)) Surlok

1. Shirley Valentine (greece) 2. My life as a dog (Sweden) 3. Women on the Verge of a nervous breakdown (spain) 4.Julia and Julia (Italy) 5.A fish called wanda (england) 6.Dirty Rotten scoundrels (France) 7.Only you (Italy) 8.Map of the Human Heart (England and Canada) 9.Hope and Glory (England)

I just found out, Hepburn& Finney's movie is called""Two for the Road." The action takes place in the Riviera, where they do a lot of driving, and some other European locations. Other Hepburn movie shooted in Europe is "Roman holiday" with William Holden, and another one is"How to Steal a Million", with Peter O'Toole, in Paris. There's also "Funny Face" with Fred Astaire, also shooted in Paris, Montmartre, with wonderful Givenchy clothes. Surlok

Local Hero (Scotland). A wonderful movie

Good morning Ladybug, First GIGI Inamed my cat after this favorite musical, great views of the Bois and Parc Montsouris and so much more. Breathless, So much Paris and Belmondo. Next for another dark side of Venice off season, Christopher walken and Helin Merrill in THE COMFORT Of STRANGERS. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie in DON'T LOOK NOW. WILD REEDS, the beautiful LOt Valley. STEALING BEAUTY, Tuscany with Jeramy Irons and a wonderful cast and soundtrack. PURPLE NOON with Alain Delon, this is the original fimed version of Highsmiths Talented Mr. Ripley, This is far better and it is photographed in Southern Italy. RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS, another delightful Rohmer film. More Paris , LAST TANGO IN PARIS and one of my favorite films 400BLOWS THE AMERICAN FRIEND, moves from Hamburg to NY, another adaptation of Highsmith's Ripley series. RYAN'S DAUGHTER, Island CRYING GAME< MORGAN, London. And so many more I could go on and on.

The film with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn is CHARADE, and then there is TO CATCH A THIEF, also great views of Monaco..Surlock, you know your movies!:) and Two for the Road is faaabulous! So glad this started,Ladybug, I must go out and rent them and enjoy them all over again..I think all of the Almadovar films are good-and FRANTIC with Harrison Ford, -loses his wife in Paris~wish someone would lose me in Paris:)

Try Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs for life in a French village, Night of the Shooting Stars for Tuscany during World War II and, of course, Life is Beautiful for scenes from Arezzo and Castiglion Fiorentino. Surlock mentioned one of my all-time favorites: The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone with an young and incredibly beautiful Warren Beatty (or is that redundant?).

Just have to say, regarding "Barcelona," while not a great film, it does contain one of the funniest scenes ever (the one where the guy reads the Bible while dancing to "Pennsylvania 6-5000").

FYI Surlok, Roman Holiday stars Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, not William Holden... Ann