What about A Man and a Woman - an old one, yes, but beautifully filmed.

After not seeing it for many years, I recently saw Peter Greenaway's film, "The Belly of an Architect" again. Starring Brian Dennehy in the title role, this is Greenaway's homage to Rome. I'd remembered there being a lot of great scenes of Rome but, upon second viewing, there really weren't. There is a very striking scene where a bunch of people are having dinner in the Piazza della Rotondo, with the Pantheon in the background, but most of the movie focuses on the white marble Vittorio monument, since that's where Dennehy's character is putting on an exhibition. (According to a note on the back of the video box, this was the first time the Italian government had given permission for filming on the monument.)

Cast my vote for The Big Easy. What a yummy portrayal of New Orleans!

My favorite city in the world is Venice andf by far the best Venice film is SUMMERTIME. It's a love story to Venice (more so than just set in Venice). There was also a good film about 20 years ago (French I think) called To Forget Venice which was well made....hard to see that one though as I'm not sure it's on video. Enchanted April is also another excellent film set in Italy that really captures the area and atmosphere.

the summer palace in "anna & the king" was filmed in langkawi, an island off the north west of malaysia. the palace is now a tourist attraction and the site is actually quite small. the main attraction in langkawi is the datai hotel, which is a surreal beauty amidst the tropical rainforest.

"Roman Holiday"

For Venice, surely it has to be 'Dont' Look Now' (Donald Sutherland and Julioe Christie). You might not be able to sleep afterwards, but it captures the odd eeriness of Venice.

And I know it's a consciously over-romanticised sort of Paris, but "Amélie" does it for me.

I love London. So Sliding Doors, Bridget Jones, and Notting Hill, all of which give nice glimpses of the city.

It's nice to see this thread brought up to date.
For me, "Snow Falling on Cedars" was so evocative of the pace and beauty of non-urban coastal Pacific NW (even though it doesn't snow there that often). I saw it here in Brussels and got SO homesick for the Olympic Peninsula, particularly Port Townsend.

The Sixth Sense, for Philadelphia (we lived less than a block from the house of the Bruce Willis character and watched some of the filming).

Frantic, for Paris. It shows a nontypical view of the city. Also Diva, a great Paris movie.

Roma,
Directed by Federico Fellini

Michele, I love Until September too! If you are going to Greece, try Shirley Valentine. Great Greek scenery.

"Before Sunrise" - even though I've never been to Vienna. But it's definitely the city in the world I most want to go.

How about a couple of movies for children? "The Moonspinners" made me want to head for the Greek Islands, and isn't there a charmer about two children who want to ride a gondola in Venice? J.

And how about watching the BBC "Morse" mysteries to transport you to Oxford? And of course "The French Lieutenant's Woman" for Lyme Regis. I love this thread; thanks for bringing it back.

Thank you Patrick for Amelie. It would have been my choice for Paris.

how about "Trainspotting" for Edinburgh?:)

Lost In Translation - Tokyo.

Topkapi

jmw--you might be thinking of A Little Romance with Laurance Olivier. Deals with first love of a couple of young teens in Paris who decide to commerate their love with a kiss under the the Bridge of Sighs.

Roman Holiday -Rome..

La Dolce Vita -

Roma Citta Aperta, with Anna Magnani, great classic..

Yes, the one in Venice has to be "A Little Romance". And the little girl in it is played by Diane Lane!

You could see it back-to-back with "Under the Tuscan Sun" for a Diane Lane/ Italy film festival!

For NYC, the opening moments of Manhattan to Rhapsody in Blue and the opening number of On the Town.

Florence and Venice, a Room with a View and Summertime are great, respectively.

Paris: Funny Face, starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astair

New York City: Green Card, starring Andie MacDowell and Gerard Depardieu

Florence: Hannibal, starring Anthony Hopkins

didn't read all the responses but...

Amelie - Paris
Bread & Tulips - Venice
Othello (w/ L.Fishburne)- Venice
My fav is Roman Holiday

Yes! to "The Moonspinners" and "Shirley Valentine" for the Greek islands and "On the Town" for NYC.

Also in the U.S. "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis for Oahu and "Play Misty for Me" for Carmel/Big Sur.

My 13 year old daughter recently rentedmade a really lame Olsen Twins teeny-bopper movie called "When In Rome"... but I must admit, the scenes of Rome were wonderful.

"Summer Lovers", 1982, with Darryl Hannah and Peter Gallagher drew me to the village of Oia on the Greek Island of Santorini like a bear to honey. I loved it so much I stayed for 6 months and two years later came back for another 6 months. The movie is a piece of schlock, but the scenery and the way the camera captured the village is very appealing in spite of the reality of 5 islands having been used for location shots.

How about a real ancient one. " The Third Man " with Orson Welles in black and white yet. I understand they are still showing it in Vienna.

While there are tonnes of Hong Kong movie you can buy or rent here, I think this one from a few years back actually uses the location there pretty smarty...

Moonlight Express

And a few days ago (April 1st) was the one-year anniversary of the death of Leslie Cheung, who starred in this movie.

I think The Third Man, set in post-World War II Vienna, is one of the greatest movies ever made. I didn't understand its true message until after viewing it a few times. Evil can, and often does, come with an attractive face and a witty personality. The way in which the movie was filmed makes you feel let down that the bad guy had to be killed in the end.

I agree with platzman. I saw The Third Man about 2 years ago, and I still think about it all the time. The scenes of postwar Vienna a great too.

'Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil' - Savannah

The World of Suzy Wong for Hong Kong.
I agree about the Inspector Morse series for Oxford. They give Morse tours there on Saturdays and the bar at the Randolph Hotel is named the Inspector Morse Bar. I thought about R. Brazzi and K Hepburn in the Summertime movie when I was sitting at the Florian Cafe in Venice. Hepburn also was in a movie about an American who wrote for years to a London bookseller, and on a trip to London, visted his store but he was on his lunch break and they never met.

No one has mentioned "Local Hero" for Scotland. Great scenery.

Not a city - Isle of Mull, Scotland: "I Know Where I'm Going" - 1945 - and, very important - the extras on the DVD, revisiting the settings, not much changed 50 years later.

A Room With A View for Florence. One of my all time favourites.
Enchanted April for beautiful romantic coastal Italy. Another favourite.

Perfect timing. I've just about scraped the bottom of the barrel of movies to rent this summer. "Girl with Pearl Earring" is beautiful, but I have no idea if any of the scenery is real or not. But thanks to whoever topped this, I now have a list of oldies to rent. J.

Diva for Paris - Haven't seen in Years

Committments - Dublin in the bleak 80's before the Celtic Tiger

Jean de Florette and Mannon du Printemps for the French countryside

Sliding doors for London

Last night we rewatched Amadeus. Shot in Prague and at other Czech sites for Vienna. Was in Prague last summer so was able to resee it.

"Only You" a rather sappy film, IMO, but amazingly beautiful cinematography of Rome, Positano, and other parts of Italy. (The which with the Bocca della Verite, the Mouth of Truth, was actually a manufactured Hollywood set, and better looking, IMO, than the real thing!)

"Light in the Piazza", once again a less than sterling effort as a film, also has some great shots in it.

Of course, "Roman Holiday" is both a splendid film, and has terrific scenes of la bellissima Roma in it. Ah, Peck and Hepburn on a Vespa! Does it get any better???

BC