Movie Recommendations

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lotta Rao on August 15, 2008 at 3:40pm

Yeah! I definitely have some movies to add.

Paris: Amelie Poulain
Provence: Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs

I'll have more to add, but I have to run now!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Vaden on August 15, 2008 at 7:36pm

May I add "Summertime" an oldy but a goodie with Katherine Hepburn in Venice. Great shots and the DVD has great commentary on the making of the film.

Then there is Maggie Smith in "My House In Umbria" and of course "Tea With Mussolini" where the English ladies are camped in the Ufizzi trying to protect the art work from the ravages of WWII. I think Maggie is in that one too. After all Francesco Da Mosto calls her "the queen of Florence".

And I'm sure you can probably purchase his (Francesco's) BBC series on Italy as he leaves his native Venice and travels about the countryside in a little red sports car.

And one of my real all time favorites "Enchanted April" another one with English ladies escaping their unhappy lives following WWI and sharing a villa in Tuscany. Lovely visuals.

I'm quite the movie fan so I'm sure I'll think of more.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Powen Shiah on August 18, 2008 at 10:26am

Thanks for your recommendations, Michelle! I've added them to the list up above. If you think of any others, just post again to this discussion. I'll try to keep the list current.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cliff Seiber on August 18, 2008 at 8:28am

Powen: I second the motion on Pane e Tulipani! I wasn't going to Venice until I saw it, because of the place's reputation for being expensive, but after seeing the movie, I decided to take the plunge. WELL WORTH IT! And not that much out of line with other places.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cathrin Baumbach on August 18, 2008 at 10:26am

And how about the new hit movie "Mamma Mia", which is set on a Greek island?

I also love the 1996 Czech Movie "Kolya", which gives a great insight into life in former Czechoslovakia before the 'Velvet revolution'.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lotta Rao on August 18, 2008 at 11:22am

Italian for Beginners

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lynanne Guynn on August 18, 2008 at 11:51am

I notice that in the country's listing, you have also put the city name if it's about one city. How about adding "Venice" to "Pani e Tulipani", under Italy.
Lynanne

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim Paschen on August 18, 2008 at 1:44pm

I also loved Paris, Je t'aime (French) and The Edukators (German).

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Vaden on August 18, 2008 at 2:34pm

"Enchanted April" is available from Amazon.com on VHS and you can sign up to be notified when it comes out on DVD.
I just checked Netflix also and you can put it in your "save" queue.
My copy is VHS.
It's such a lovely movie and it's why I rented an apartment for a week in Italy in April in 2004 in the tiny village of Lisciano Niccone. I only had a week following my trip to Greece and it was lovely there. I didn't chose the village because of the movie because I think it was actually filmed somewhere else because I remember reading that someone was trying to rent that specific villa and couldn't find it in Tuscany. The interior shots were probably a sound stage in the UK.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Marlene Hench on August 18, 2008 at 6:21pm

For Paris, I would recommend two films:
"Marie Antoinette" -- I watched an old version recently on TV that was better for French history but even watching the newer version gives an insight into French hstory and the era of the French Revolution. It lets you appreciate a trip to Versailles and its opulence which led to the revolt, and the results in the Conciergerie much more.

"Amelie" -- in French with English subtitles -- a query little film about a gril in Paris but has some good Paris scenery and is referred to in several Paris touring books. It's cover reads: " Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, this magical comedy met overwhelming national acclaim. A painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris cafe, Amelie, makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better......"

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Powen Shiah on August 19, 2008 at 12:37pm

Thanks for the recomendations, Marlene! They're in the list now. Let us know if you think of any others.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Vaden on August 18, 2008 at 11:33pm

I did find both Francesco's Italy and Francesco's Venice available on DVD from www.bbcshop.com since they are produced by the BBC. Unfortunately they only come in Region 2 format and here in the US we use Region 1 format. So they won't play for us. But anyone who has a player that can use that format I would highly recommend them. He even has a new one that was just released today "Francesco's Mediteranean Voyage" where he takes a schooner from Venice to Istanbul and many interesting points along the way. Hopefully the Travel Channel will pick it up. That's where I say his Italy program.
I have his book that is the companion to his Venice program and it's wonderful. Lots of history, including his family history and wonderful pictures.

▶ Reply to This

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page