Expat Entertainment: Travel Movies

Sometimes we all need a little journey from the comfort of our couch. Maybe we have an upcoming trip, or we want to relive how we've satisfied our wanderlust. Whatever the reason, here's a short list of movies to consider. Some are big productions, some are old friends, while others fall into the quirky independent category you may have never heard of before. Give them all a try... we'll add more over time either here or in a separate article.

France: Julie & Julia

The inspiring story of Julia Child (Meryl Streep) launching her culinary career in Paris intercuts with the travails of a Brooklyn blogger (Amy Adams) struggling to find her way in both her personal and professional life as she cooks her way through Child's tome "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Kenya: Out of Africa

Another movie featuring Meryl Streep, Out of Africa chronicles Danish author and memorist Karen Blixen's experiences in Kenya. Blixen, whose nom de plume was Isak Dinesen, tries to maintain a difficult life on an African coffee farm while also navigating a tumultuous relationship with big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). Stunning photography by David Watkin and the original score by John Barry (Dances with Wolves, Born Free, several films in the James Bond series) are worth your time alone.

Italy: Under the Tuscan Sun

A divorced writer tries to change her life through an impulsive purchase of a Tuscan villa that turns out to be a money pit (don't they all?). Also based on the true story of an intrepid memoirist!

Austria: The Sound of Music

Do we really need to give a description of the Sound of Music? The question is whether or not you are one of the legions of fans who require a trip down memory lane to see Maria trapse about the fields in Austria.

India: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

An excellent ensemble cast (Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith) star as retirees who trek to India to stay at a hotel not quite as luxurious as they thought. They slowly come to appreciate their experiences together and even the hotel as the story develops.

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

London: Notting Hill

An independent book shop owner (Hugh Grant) stumbles into an odd relationship with one of the most famous actresses in the world. The lead female role must have been fun for Julia Roberts - who is perhaps the most famous actress in the world!

Prague & Paris: The Bourne Identity

The Bourne Identity is great fodder for people that love to travel. The lead character, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), bounces around Europe while trying to remember who he is after waking up wounded on a fishing trawler whose crew pulled him out of the ocean. This movie is credited by some for forcing the producers of the James Bond series to deliver more mature and modern action films.

Japan: Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation is admittedly slow paced, but the character development and cultural juxtapositions make this one of our favorite movies. Bill Murray fans will enjoy seeing the underrated actor stretch himself in this debut movie from Francis Ford Coppola's daughter Sophia. Murray plays Bob Harris, an aging actor who has come to Tokyo to shoot a whiskey commercial and encounters Charlotte, the wife of a celebrity photographer left to her own devices while he works. The Oscar for best original screenplay went to Ms. Coppola.

Singapore: Crazy Rich Asians

Enjoy the sights of Singapore as native New Yorker Rachel (Constance Wu) accompanies her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) home for the wedding of his best friend. Trouble and conflict ensues when family secrets spill out all over the place.

India: The Darjeeling Limited

While I was tempted to put David Lean's A Passage to India in this spot, Wes Anderson's the Darjeeling Limited offers a more updated experience for the adventurous to get a glimpse of India's landscape and cultural experience as a central character in a film. (See what I did there? Gave two recommendations at once?)

Three brothers travel across India by train a year after their father dies. This is a great film for anyone that enjoys stylistic independent movies, as it is a great example of the evolution of director Anderson's rare gift for incorporating production design into the unfolding of a story.