What propels us to select one travel destination over another? In a world flush with cool places to visit, what inspires us to make the ultimate choice?
The vacation photo album of a friend perhaps. A need to connect to family roots. Or maybe factors as simple as price and the proximity of a quiet beach.
Sometimes, however, inspiration comes from a most unlikely source. A film for example.
To arouse collective interest in travel and stir emotions with regard to a particular place in the world is no easy feat. These 10 films do a marvelous job at both.
10. Paris, je t’aime
No film in recent memory evokes the inherent romance of Paris quite like this cinematic collage, the result of eighteen directors, each with a unique perspective on love. A slew of famous thespians like Steve Buscemi, Elijah Wood and Natalie Portman, as well as relative newcomers to the screen, round out the huge cast.
The short films that make up Paris, je t’aime derive inspiration from the many districts, or arrondissements, of the city. Directors such as Joel and Ethan Coen and Gus Van Sant lent their services to the unique film project. Each story is in essence a love story but at large, a beautiful allegory about Paris and why the city has such inexplicable allure. What better introduction is there to the City of Light?
The simple story of two people who bond in a strange land was a sleeper hit at the box office and for many people, a wonderful introduction to Tokyo. With stellar performances by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson, the film by Sofia Coppola was a tender look at what happens when two interlopers meet by chance in a Tokyo hotel and together, confront their fears about the world outside and the lack of control they each exert over their own lives.
While not the most conventional homage, Lost in Translation nonetheless gives audiences a whimsical peek at life in modern Tokyo. As the characters adapt and conquer the insanity of the city, they learn to surrender to the madness and fall in love in spite of it. In the end, the city is the hero and Tokyo tourism the beneficiary.
This road trip romp about two hormonal teenage boys and the sexy older woman they yearn for did wonders for perceptions of Mexico today. With memorable performances by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and Maribel Verd?, the film lent a welcome twist on the timeless theme of innocence lost.
The tale of two boys on the brink of manhood who, as a result of their relationship with a woman in the middle of a spiritual crisis, come of age throughout the course of a cross-country caper, was a fresh take on a familiar precedent. The landscape of provincial Mexico gave the film vital energy as the trio went off in search of remote Boca del Cielo beach, only to discover a most unexpected final destination.
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7. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Guy Ritchie’s dark comedy about a group of toughs in a deadly pickle is unworkable without London as a backdrop. Within the seedy netherworld of the city, the film weaves a web of storylines with a cast of eccentric characters who remain indelible. The presentation of a London less neat and tidy than The Ipcress File gave audiences a fresh, albeit tawdry take on the city.
Despite the gangsterism, there is real ruffian appeal here that asserts Ritchie’s love of London in smack-you-upside-the-head fashion and prompts one to know more, perhaps by way of visit. The film and the quasi-sequel Snatch retain cult-like status among cinema fans who cannot possibly separate the two from their host city.
6. Easy Rider
With Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson in a breakthrough role, choppers, long hair, drugs and the ultimate shocker of a climax, Easy Rider is the landmark road trip film. At a volatile time, director Hopper gave vision and voice to the social tensions of the day without being overtly political.
As the protagonists venture to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the road trip itself, with inherent stops along the way and oddball characters that follow suit, becomes the conclusive illustration of a country in flux. The film made us see America differently and made us want to see America, preferably from the seat of a wicked chopper.
Continue reading the Top 10 Travel and Road Trip Films Part 2.
Very nice list! I had not heard of “Paris, je t?aime” before, looks like a good one. How about “Leaving Las Vegas” with Nicholas Cage or “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas” ? Both movies were a trip!
Pun Intended!