Okay, I am going, to be honest with you, we all are probably working from home whether it is school or work, but we still need to unwind. Nothing beats watching a movie with popcorn. I’m compiling a list of the best movies to watch since we are unable to travel. From my favorites set in Paris and London to the movies that will make you fall in love in Italy, to the true stories set in Germany and Austria. Let the adventure begin
*I added the links to the trailers of my favourites
PARIS
Midnight in Paris – Owen Wilson is smitten with Paris and the 1920s. The movie takes place in modern times but somehow Owen is transported back to his favorite decade where the likes of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. If you love Paris or traveling, this is for you. So good. Bonus, Rachel McAdams plays his irritated fiance. P.S. this is on Netflix and if you haven’t seen it.
An American in Paris – Starring Gene Kelly struggling between a wealthy American woman or a french dancer. This movie takes place in Paris and Amélie, a very shy waitress is working in a cafe and wants to help the world around her. Her life is drastically changed when she makes a surprising discovery.
Moulin Rouge – We all know about the Moulin Rouge, but this love story is over the top and colorful and just worth the watch.
Hugo – Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
La Vie en Rose -Marion Cotillard plays the famed French singer, Edith Piaf, who famously regretted nothing.
The Da Vinci Code – Tom Hanks is a symbologist trying to uncover the truth about The Holy Grail, and the truth could shake modern society.
Travel outside of Paris
Magic in the Moonlight– This movie takes place on the French Riviera with Emma Stone as a masterful swindle who is pretending to have contact with the outside world and Colin Firth as the one who is trying to unearth her lies. The backdrop of the Cõte d’Azur is a beautiful setting for this adorable romantic comedy.
A Good Year – This movie is with Russell Crowe and is set in Provence. Its lovely scenery and tells the story of an investment banker who travels here to look after a wine estate he invested in.
Marie Antoinette – Like most women, I have a fascination with Marie Antoinette. I can tell you, now that I live in Europe that fascination runs deeper. She’s so interesting.
Beauty and the Beast Live or Animated I love both versions – It’s a tale as old as time, set in the 19th century France, this classic tale is still one of my favorites.
The Intouchables – A really heartwarming, true story of a quadriplegic aristocrat whose world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored ex-con as his caretaker.
Les Misérables – A Frenchman trying to escape his criminal past becomes wrapped up in Revolutionary intrigues, overall extremely depressing. But had to include it.
Saving Private Ryan – This intense and brilliant story of the D-Day landings and their aftermath.
GERMANY
Inglorious Bastards – Not necessarily putting Germany in a good light, this focuses on Nazi occupied France and a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.
Flightplan – A bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet, the child vanishes, and nobody will admit she was ever on the plane.
Beerfest – In case you can’t guess from the title, this movie is ridiculous. Two brothers travel to Germany for Oktoberfest, only to stumble upon a secret.
AUSTRIA
The Sound of Music– We all know and love this one. But really can you get better than nuns in the Austrian alps singing their hearts out?
ITALY
Life is Beautiful– A comedic yet touching story set during the Holocaust. So moving and really just an incredible film.
Under the Tuscan Sun – Diane Lane travels to Tuscany and falls in love with the town. She buys a run down villa and decides to stay. This story hits close to home for me!
To Rome With Love – With an awesome cast of actors, this movie is about a father meeting his daughter’s Italian in-laws all set in Rome.
Eat Pray Love – Julia Roberts plays a married woman who realizes how unhappy her marriage and life and decides to lose herself in travel. She takes off on a journey to find herself and travels to Italy, India, and Bali.
Letters to Juliet – This rom-com is the somewhat predictable story of Amanda Seyfried, Sophie, an aspiring writer engaged to a man that doesn’t love her, and falls for another on their trip to Italy.
Gladiator – An enslaved Roman general (Russell Crowe) fights his way back to freedom in Ridley Scott’s Oscar winner.
The Godfather– Italian mobs, Marlon Brando AND Al Pacino? Yes. Francis Ford Coppola’s famous film and its two sequels portray the multi-generational saga of a Sicilian family at the center of organized crime.
The Italian Job – Comic caper movie about a plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin by creating a traffic jam.
GREECE
My Life in Ruins – A travel guide rediscovers her romantic side on a trip around Greece.
Troy – The classic tale with a good looking Brad Pitt set in Ancient Greece.
300 – Based on a graphic novel, this is a highly fictional and stylized account of the Battle of Thermopylae.
Mamma Mia! – This play turned movies is one of my faves of all time. A romantic comedy set to ALL Abba songs on the Greek Islands.
UNITED KINGDOM
James Bond – It is the perfect time to have a marathon. All of the James Bond movies are set in England. Shaken not stirred.
The Holiday – Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each others countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.
Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Pride and Prejudice – I love Jane Austen SO much. I can’t get enough. All of these movies (and books) are delightful. Pride and Prejudice (the Kiera Knightly/ Colin Firth version) is my fave!
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery – Mike Myers stars in this ridiculous send-up of mid-century English culture, the first film in a three-part series.
Billy Elliot – A young boy pursues his dream to dance ballet amid a coal miners’ strike in working-class northern England.
Elizabeth – Cate Blanchett portrays Queen Elizabeth I as she learns the royal ropes during the early years of her reign.
The Imitation Game – Cryptanalyst Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) is recruited by British intelligence agency MI6 to help crack the Nazis’ Enigma code during World War II. One of the most powerful true stories that you won’t believe is real.
Sweeney Todd – Johnny Depp stars as a wrongfully imprisoned barber who seeks revenge in this gritty Victorian-era musical.
LONDON
Like Paris, London also gets its own categories.
Shakespeare in Love – A young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.
A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles star in their debut film, a comedy depicting several days in the life of the band.
Sherlock Holmes – Robert Downey Jr. tackles the role of the world’s most famous detective.
The King’s Speech – Colin Firth stars as the stuttering King George VI on the eve of World War II.
My Fair Lady – Audrey Hepburn stars as a poor, Cockney flower seller who is transformed into a lady of high society by an arrogant professor.
Notting Hill– Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts star in this romantic comedy set in the London neighborhood of…you guessed it. It’s a musical. It’s magical.
Bridget Jones’s Diary – Bridget Jones is trying to find a man and also fit in a dress. Every woman can relate to this diary-Esque romantic comedy.
Love Actually – My favourite movie to watch over Christmas time. An incredible cast of characters who’s love lives seem to intersect. So good.
IRELAND
Leap Year – Amy Adams plays Anna Brady who plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland to propose marriage to her boyfriend Jeremy on Leap Day, because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it.
P.S. I Love You – Cue the tears. A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life.
Far and Away – Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star as penniless Irish immigrants seeking their fortune in late 19th century America.
SCOTLAND
Braveheart – One of the best movies I have ever seen. Mel Gibson stars in this adventure about the Scots overthrowing English rule in the 13th century. Braveheart is a masterpiece.
Now that you have a list it’s time to put on your pj’s pop the popcorn in the microwave and cuddle up on the couch. Hopefully, I didn’t miss anything! Leave a comment your favorites in the comments below
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