It’s amazing what you learn when you’re stuck at home during the Oscars ceremony.
You learn that box-pleats and beading don’t usually look good together (don’t ask).
You also learn that, in amongst all that pomp and back-slapping, there were actually a few good movies to celebrate.
One of those was Up In The Air, the George Clooney swoon-fest that has inspired millions to bump up their frequent flyer miles on pointless business trips.
It made me think of some of the films that have inspired me to travel. Some are great “road” movies – others just have beautiful scenery. But they all have one thing in common: stick them in the DVD player, and you’ll be on a plane within days.
The Bourne Trilogy
I know we’re supposed to be biting our nails over whether Matt Damon’s character is going to be assassinated by supervillains before he remembers he has to go home and feed the dog, but for me, the Bourne films were all about the locations. The car chase in Paris made me want to go to Paris, the rooftop chase in Tangiers made me want to go to Tangiers … and so on. Pure travel porn.
The Spanish Apartment/Russian Dolls
Aside from the obvious benefit of getting to stare at Audrey Tautou for a few hours, these Cedric Klapisch movies are a window into my dream travel life: a bunch of disparate foreigners, brought together by sharing a little apartment in Barcelona. It’s a cross-cultural adventure, and everything that’s good about European travel.
Lost in Translation
Again, this plays to the fantasies of every traveller. You’re stuck in a foreign city, no plans, nothing to do. All of a sudden, you bump into, um, Scarlett Johansson, and head out to explore an amazing city (Tokyo) with an exciting new friend (Scarlett). Oh, and Bill Murray’s awesome.
2 Days in Paris
This quirky film made me want to do three things: find Adam Goldberg’s tattooist; become friends with Julie Delpy; and spend far more than two days in Paris. From the hilarious clashes with Parisian taxi drivers, to the simple shots of cobbled streets and open markets, it’s a glimpse of the life lived by locals in a beautiful city.
The Beach
Really, this couldn’t be a more clichéd entry. But there’s so much going on here that rings true: the search for the “ultimate” destination; the random meetings with strangers who change the course of your trip; the Thai island scene; even the hierarchy you find among travellers, deserted island or not. Just don’t go to Koh Phi Phi expecting to find any of this.
The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson’s characters are all a nightmare, but this is a beautifully (but still realistically) shot film about a train journey through India. The camaraderie between the three brothers, plus all the clashes with Indian culture, made me want to get a bunch of friends together and book the same trip pronto.
The Motorcycle Diaries
Another brilliant road movie combining the camaraderie between Che Guevara and Alberto Granado with the sort of journey many of us have since dreamt of taking – South America on a clapped-out old motorcycle. The scenery’s incredible, and Gael Garcia Bernal’s pretty easy on the eyes too, I’m told.
Blood Diamond
I’m sure this isn’t what Edward Zwick had in mind when he shot a film about diamond smuggling in Sierra Leone, but there’s something about the movie that made me want to return to Africa. Maybe it’s the sense of pervading danger that you get in the continent, or the beautiful landscapes, or even Leonardo DiCaprio’s Sarth Ifrikan accent … but I wanted to go.
Into The Wild
Simply, it’s a movie about a guy living the dream: giving up everything he owns to travel; nothing else. I’d never have the guts to do it, so I’ll settle for watching it on-screen. Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack doesn’t hurt, either.
The Hangover
Good travel movies evoke what it is you love about a certain destination – The Hangover does that insanely well for the rampant hedonism of Las Vegas. Who hasn’t dreamt of going on a bender and waking up with a tiger in their hotel room? (Just me? Oh.)
Honourable mentions:
Lord of the Rings, Chocolat, Amelie, Roman Holiday, The Power of One, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, any Indiana Jones film, Out of Africa
Posted by Ben Groundwater
What are your favourite travel movies?
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