Sitting outside around a large wooden table with lots of friends, having great conversations until the break of day and drinking plenty of red wine – that’s how I imagine an ideal summer vacation. If you add days lounging around the pool, a beautiful view from the terrace and fresh fish for dinner, I am perfectly happy and will probably suggest to simply never leave again. Chances are this dream will come true next week, because I am going to Lago Maggiore with friends and am overly excited already! Because anticipation is – I’ve said this before I know – the most beautiful joy I have been watching films that will make me long for a summer vacation. I do hope you already have plans as well, but if you don’t and start envying those who do, just wait for next Tuesday. Because then we’ll present the films that make you afraid of vacations rather than look forward to them. But for this week let’s dive into the fun…
Little white Lies (D: Guillaume Canet, F 2010)
Back in winter, when it was cold and grey outside I was cuddled up underneath a blanket and watched this film with a good friend. Although the story of six friends going to their summerhouse is predictable, a little overloaded (the music!!) and depicts especially the female characters in stereotypes, we still started searching for summerhouses immediately after. This film definitely creates a craving for a summer vacation with friends, wine and sun. Even if that bears the risk of problems arising you successfully ignore in everyday life…
Vicky Christina Barcelona (D: Woody Allen, USA/ESP 2008)
Woody Allen made plenty of vacation films. One could probably travel to any Western Metropolis by watching his films. But none of them make you long for a summer holiday as much as Vicky Christina Barcelona. Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson act like maniacs in this drama about love, lust and friendship and are simply beautiful to watch.
I am love (D: Luca Guadagnino, IT 2009)
Tilda Swinton is just my very favorite of all my many favorite actors. She’s a guarantee for beautiful films and this one was even co-produced by her. Director Guadagnino and Swinton worked 11 years until they could finally finance and shoot the film. Swinton plays the head of the bourgeois family Recchi, who starts loosening up her stiff life and falls madly in love. The film is very complex and the cinematography is so stunning, it makes you want to stop the film and just stare at the pictures one by one.
Vincent will Meer (D: Ralf Huettner, D 2010)
Vincent (Florian David Fitz) suffers from Tourette syndrome and after the death of his mother, his dad (Heino Ferch) puts him into a clinic where he is supposed to learn control his ticks. But instead Vincent escapes with anorextic Marie (Karoline Herfurth) and neurotic Alex (Johannes Allmayer) and they try making it to the ocean, which he has never seen before. But their various problems keep getting in the way of their aims and in the end not all three arrive at the seaside, but those who do have definitely learnt dealing with their indisposition.
