Monday, August 26, 2013

London Calling: A Movie Marathon

In celebration of my upcoming semester abroad, I'm giving myself some homework and setting out on a London movie marathon of epic proportions! Now most of these aren't the small British films that are more likely to be accurate depictions of the city, but for the moment I'm sticking with these - my guilty pleasures, rom-coms, action movies, intimate dramas, and some sci-fi that will all get me in the mood for my temporary move across the pond.

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Yes, it's pretty terrible by all standards, but it was when Amanda Bynes was normal and the girl everyone wanted to be best friends with! If you're a girl my age, chances are this was one of your favorites growing up and it gives you a sense of nostalgia whenever you watch it. This and Winning London. Plus, Colin Firth!



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It's just so kooky and obnoxious that you can't help but love it, just like that family member who gets a little too boozy at family functions, but you don't completely hate it. It's got that classically English base with it taking inspiration from Pride and Prejudice. If you just give in to the hilarity you'll have the best time watching it. Plus, Colin Firth!


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I think this (and About a Boy - honorable mention!) is one of Hugh Grant's least obnoxious performances. Pair him with Julia as, well, Julia, and add in crazy best friends and you've got a quiet little whirlwind romance that's certainly not a slapstick, but isn't afraid to be a little bit cheeky.


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68% on Rotten Tomatoes
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts
If you haven't yet delved into this intriguing film, it is an intimate look at four individuals and their subsequent relationships with each other. Julia Roberts (again), Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen act their little hearts out. Portman and Owen are the standouts in this raw and realistic look at love and the toxicity that some relationships can be filled with.


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Keeping the intimacy, but dialing it back to the 60s, Carey Mulligan plays the coming-of-age period to perfection as not everything is as magical as it looks to be with an older man. She captures the naivety, depth, intelligence and many emotions of a teenage girl, who despite her smarts and maturity is still a teenage girl, to a tee!


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Go for another Oscar film with great vintage style in this rousing, subtle, and inspiring film in which Colin Firth is tutored out of stuttering by Geoffrey Rush. It's wonderfully done and beautifully acted. Plus, Colin Firth!


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Step in time! Sure, it's not a realistic look at London or an accurate portrayal of accents (hello Dick!), but who cares? It's brilliant, happy, and a little trippy. This is one of those films that just proves why Julie Andrews is so amazing... practically perfect in every way!


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Prisoner of Azkaban: 91% on Rotten Tomatoes; Order of the Phoenix: 79%; Half-Blood Prince: 84%; Deathly Hallows - Part 1: 78%; Deathly Hallows - Part 2: 96%
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón (Prisoner of Azkaban), David Yates (Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows - Part 1, and Deathly Hallows - Part 2)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, Imelda Staunton, Matthew Lewis, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, Devon Murray, Alfie Enoch, Evanna Lynch, David Bradley, Natalia Tena, Brendan Gleeson, Helena Bonham Carter, Timothy Spall, George Harris, Jason Isaacs, Chris Rankin, Warwick Davis, Jim Broadbent, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Miranda Richardson, Bill Nighy

Okay, so if you're not in the mood to power through all eight movies, my favorites are The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince, and both Deathly Hallows. I love what David Yates and Alfonso Cuarón did. It's the classic about a boy wizard and I, for one, grew up reading the books and watching the movies. The occasional shots of London are beautiful and full of character, showing just how much the team making the movies love the city.


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This twisty thriller from Christopher Nolan will leave you on the edge of your seat. Following magicians and never giving you anything concrete to hold onto besides Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, this movie will leave you as twisted and convoluted as the streets of London.


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Guy Ritchie's timely take on the classic is sharp, tight, and a perfect combination of cerebral and action-packed. If you don't like this... well, do you like anything? Robert Downey Jr.'s bromance with Jude Law makes it more than worthwhile, but aside from their witty banter, it uses London's nooks and crannies to pull you deeper into the mystery.


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So, this alien movie might not be for you. It's a little rough around the edges (intentionally) as a group of urban teenagers find themselves fighting for their survival even as they're questioning their sanity. It's a hilarious, crude, gritty, terrific and dark, but it's more real and representative of London's population than many other movies portraying the city.


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Ending on a high note! This is one of my favorite movies. It's a romantic comedy... with zombies. It takes place in London, but it's all about the back roads and not Big Ben as Shaun tries to salvage his relationship and survive the zombie apocalypse at the same time. If only it were easier to get to the Winchester.


Did I miss any of your favorite London movies? What other movies do you love partly for the city that they take place in?

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