Have you ever had the experience of watching a movie, and then come away wishing, like the actors in the plot, you could be whisked away permanently to the city or country that you could call your new home? Whether you seek solitude or hustle-bustle, gastronomic delights or natural scenic beauty, wilderness or the quaint charms of countryside living, the urge to unpluck ourselves and plant roots someplace new, has plagued many of us!
Here is a list of seven movies that will have you scratching that itch again!
1. OUT OF AFRICA
This spectacular movie is about an English woman’s trials and tribulations in the process of settling down on a farm in Africa. It showcases Africa unabashedly as a raw, primitive, breathtaking living being. There are expansive aerial views of meandering rivers, animals grazing in the lush savannah, birds taking flight, big cats dozing under flat-topped acacia trees and roaring waterfalls falling from mighty mountains.
And then there’s the house! A large colonial structure on a coffee plantation that seems to have a life of its own. You’ll love the rustic feel it exudes. Just the kind of home we would move to in a jiffy! And if you love al fresco dinning, sleeping, camping or bathing – there can be no better place than Kenya. Yes, remember the iconic scene with Robert Redford shampooing Meryl Streep’s hair by the river, and then rinsing it clean with water from an enamel jug? We know it’s your take-me-there-right-now moment!
2. EAT, PRAY, LOVE
On a quest for her real calling in life, Julia Roberts sets off to explore various countries. Bowled over by the cuisine, she goes about nourishing herself in Italy, while the power of prayer entices her in India and finally Bali is where she finds her true love. If that isn’t reason enough to move to Bali, we don’t know what is! Terraced rice fields, flowers and fruits, gigantic banyan trees, pristine beaches, Balinese architecture, apes living in harmony with people, kind old medicine-men, the movie has it all. But here’s why Ubud ranks very high on our list of places to move – a deep sense of relaxation that radiates from Ms. Roberts in every frame. Who knows, this may be just the place where you can find your ‘self’!
3. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
A group of British retirees move to a haveli, that is just as grand, magnificent and resilient as the characters in this film. Shot mostly in Jaipur and Udaipur, it’s an ode to all things vibrant, colorful, brave and honest in the desert. If you’re an ‘old’ soul, you would love living here. This is where heritage meets the modern, old-world-charm gracefully embraces the new, and tradition and technology live in harmony. It’s the closest we can come to living like royalty!
suggested read:Enjoy Nightlife In Sri Lanka At These 15 Clubs & Casinos
4. THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY
The Kadam family, led by Om Puri, traverses through Europe and finally sets up shop in the town of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. Yes, the name is a tongue twister, but everything else about this movie is a visual treat for the palate. There’s broiling, roasting, stewing, stirring, and all kinds of culinary tricks to make your mouth water. And there’s the delightful local market teeming with healthy, glistening produce and an appetizing array of all things edible! A place and it’s people so passionate about food, is a place any of us would want to live and grow old in.
5. A WALK IN THE CLOUDS
Keanu Reeves plays a soldier returning from war. In the process of beginning a new career, he gets waylaid by a young woman and ends up working on her father’s vineyard in California. This is the land where plump grapes hang lusciously from vines, so that God’s Nectar can be extracted, then fermented in smoky wooden barrels, and finally poured into delicate crystal to be savoured by the wine connoisseur. What better place to call home than the one where you can enjoy “happy hours” anytime of the day!
6. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
If an idyllic setting is your idea of a perfect life, then this the region for you. Diane Lane comes on a holiday to Tuscany, falls in love with a rambling villa, buys it, and makes it her abode. The deal clincher being the regional cuisine, local wines, spectacular art and architecture, all gloriously on display. Take your pick from the umpteen galleries, museums, palaces and churches, housing some of the world’s most famous masterpieces. The plot is intricately woven around life and culture in Tuscany, while the landscape in the background is to die for.
7. GREEN CARD
“If you can survive here, you can survive anywhere!”, is what is most often said of this city. Gerard Depardieu arrives in the Big Apple, and uses dubious means to try and obtain a green card. Who wouldn’t?! The smells and sounds of the city seem to radiate off the screen. The cafes, delis, avenues, streets, yellow cabs, shots of Central Park, will make you want to be part of it’s vibrant culture. New York is where you get to hear every possible language that is ever spoken under the face of the sun, find restaurants that serve food from the remotest corners of the world, meet people of diverse race, colour, religion and nationality. All fitting in, and yet fabulously different!
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