It’s no fun sitting in the office while you know your friends are lazing around on some tropical beach, exploring exciting new cities or simply enjoying the countryside. But some vacations are not the idyllic calm we hoped for. If you don’t get along with the people you’re travelling with or some neighbour turns out to be really creepy, even a short trip can become a nightmare.
So this week a few films for those of you who won’t be leaving the office this summer…
Everyone Else (D: Maren Ade, D 2009)
Chris (Lars Eidinger) and Gitti (Birgit Minichmayr) are at a good place in their relationship and travel to Sardinia for a bit of time away from their busy lives. When they meet Chris’ friends from university Sana and Hans the couple starts comparing their own relationship to the seemingly perfect one of the befriended couple.
The film won the main prize at the 2009 Berlinale and Birgit Minichmayr also received a silver bear for her stunning performance. Everyone Else is a heartbreaking drama that probably makes every couple wonder if they shouldn’t just stay at home.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (R: Anthony Minghella, USA/IT 1999)
Dickies father asks Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) to travel to Italy and convince his son (Jude Law) to come back home. But the life of Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) is so thrilling, that instead Mr Ripley decides he’d rather kill than give it up again…
Swimming Pool (D: Francois Ozon, F 2003)
Sarah (Charlotte Rampling) is a successful novelist and is happy to get away to a friends house all by herself to finish her new book. But on her first day there a young woman called Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) shows up and introduces herself as the friend’s daughter. Instead of piece and quiet Sarah witnesses Julie’s wild life of changing men, late night skinny dipping and drinking. When one of Julies friends disappears Sarah doesn’t believe he simply vanished, but starts looking at Julie in suspicion…
