Things I Would Blog About If I Had A Film Blog: Six Movies That Actually Made Me Travel … For A Bit

Remember how a few months ago everyone wrote about the travel movies to get you through lockdown? The below movies are far from the ones you usually find on best travel movie lists and they for sure couldn’t cure my wanderlust, but they did transport me to other places for a bit.

Honeyland

Summary – A documentary about the last female bee-hunter in Europe must save the bees and return the natural balance in Honeyland, when a family of nomads invade her land and threaten her livelihood.

The fairytale-like landscape combined with the raw living circumstances make this documentary heartbreaking to watch. Every movie set in the Balkans is a way for me to travel back home and this made me reminisce and think about my little hill and though they are usually happy memories, Honeyland did make me think about who will take care of the elderly now the majority of the younger people moved out.

Motherless Brooklyn

Summary – In 1950s New York, a lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette’s Syndrome ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend.

I do love a slow movie, so Motherless Brooklyn was right up my alley! Especially since it transported me back to 1950s Brooklyn and the fashion, music and cars that came with it.

Kikujiro
Summary – A young, naive boy sets out alone on the road to find his wayward mother. Soon he finds an unlikely protector in a crotchety man and the two have a series of unexpected adventures along the way.

Kikujiro is the perfect road trip movie with a great soundtrack and atmospheric shots. For some reason the intro scene brought back old summer holiday memories. Not that I ever had an older man accompany me to go and find my mother, but the scenes where on the first day of summer holiday the boy goes to football practice and learns it has been cancelled, then goes to his friend’s house, who is leaving to go on actual holiday.

Emma.
Summary – In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

I wanted this adaptation of Emma to be the next Marie Antoinette so so bad, but it did not do it for me. Despite the pastel colour palette and sharp edits it was still too dusty for my liking. What I did enjoy were the glimpses inside the manors that I, under normal circumstances, love to visit. I for sure will attend Kingston Bagpuize House, Wilton House and Firle Place sometime in the future.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Summary – Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

You can’t go wrong with Fast & Furious on a lazy Sunday. Also, can we give it up for having a main woman not needing to actually get saved and kick ass herself? Hobbs & Shaw travel to a number of locations including Samoa and Russia, and though most of the exterior scenes were filmed in Glasgow, there were a few shots of London. Seeing Central London and the its skyline made my heart jump a bit.

The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Summary – Lizzie McGuire has graduated from middle school and takes a trip to Rome, Italy with her class. And what was supposed to be only a normal trip, becomes a teenager’s dream come true.

I’ve never made it to Rome (I’ve done Tuscany), but I definitely hope they do a Lizzie McGuire-inspired tour there, because I’d be booking that for sure.

What movie made you travel lately?