Hello Hivers! I will begin today's post with a quote from Frances Mayes.
“The world cracks open for those willing to take a risk.” - Frances Mayes , A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller
Today is Day 14 of 30 Day Blogging Challenge by @tegoshei I commend everyone who takes courage in sticking to the topic while peeling back the layers in revealing his/her authenticity. Yay! Great job guys! Day 14 delves into our top 3 favorite movies. I chose 3 from my travel inducing movie list. Here they are:
Under the Tuscan Sun
“Where you are is who you are. The further inside you the place moves, the more your identity is intertwined with it. Never casual, the choice of place is the choice of something you crave.” - Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun
This 2003 romantic comedy-drama is based on a bestselling novel of the author's personal account of what happened to her after her divorce.
Starring: Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Raoul Bova
A 35 year-old literary professor based in San Francisco, Frances Mayes (Diane Lane), flies to Tuscany for vacation when her husband files for divorce. She joins a gay tour recommended by her best friend (Sandra Oh) and ends up impulsively buying a villa in a foreign country. It's one of those films that will make you laugh, cry and completely fall in love with the Tuscan countryside.
I could watch this movie again and again and never get tired of it! I adored her character, the author herself played by Diane Lane. I even bought the sequel to this book after watching the film. This became the driving force behind my desire to visit Tuscany.
Somehow my dream of visiting this beautiful countryside manifested itself many years later. I was required by my job to travel to Milan for the Salone del Mobile (furniture fair) every two years. During my second business trip to Italy, along with my male boss and my other male colleague, the three of us took a detour to Tuscany, Florence and Rome.
A Good Year
You'll come to see that a man learns nothing from winning. The act of losing, however, can elicit great wisdom. Not at least of which is..uh how much enjoyable it is to win. It is inevitable to lose now and again. The trick is not to make a habit of it." - Uncle Henry Skinner of A Good Year by Peter Mayle
It is a romantic comedy based on the 2004 novel of Peter Mayle. It was produced and directed by Ridley Scott in 2006.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish, Freddie Highmore, Tom Hollander and Albert Finney.
The film is about a London-based investment broker, Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) who inherits the chateau and vineyard in Provence from his recently deceased uncle. He travels to France in order to quickly sell the property only to discover the charming and laid-back countryside lifestyle so foreign to what he's accustomed to and he becomes enthralled by the locals.
The first time I watched this film was on the plane. As expected, I missed the good parts when I got distracted by someone who wanted to go to the washroom and while being served food. I was compelled to watch it again later at home in order to absorb every morsel of each scene.
Château la Canorgue, the château in the film is a scene-stealer despite the stellar cast. As well as the magnificent landscape of Luberon, the setting of the movie.
I have never been to Provence and the southeastern part of France. For some inexplicable reason, I have always wanted to go there ever since I was a child. I don't know why, but that is just the case. Obviously, this film made my longing to visit even worse. If I, for whatever reason, miss the opportunity to see it in this lifetime, I will make sure that my will states, that my ashes be brought there. Morbid, right?
With Love..From the Age of Reason
Starring: Sophie Marceau, Marton Csoskas, Michel Duchaussoy
It's a 2010 Rom-Com French film originally titled L'âge de Raison and directed by Yann Samuell.
It's about a ruthless and career driven business woman named Margaret played by Sophie Marceau whose lifestyle is filled with serious corporate meetings and is pretty much controlled by her blackberry.
She re-examines her life when she receives a series of letters from a retired notary (Michel Duchaussoy). A stack of letters that she wrote to herself when she was 7 years old. Her 7 year old idealistic self named Marguerite asks the big question - whether she ended up becoming the person she dreamed of being, in the future.
I wouldn't mind watching this feel-good film now - for the fourth time, if ever. The movie was filled with heartwarming scenes that make the viewers understand the reasons for her life choices and the craziness she had to go through to achieve a life of authenticity.
There you have it.
What about you? What are your Top 3 Favorite Movies?
Thank you for reading. Check out previous posts if you haven't read them yet and please join us in the 30 Day Blogging Challenge by @tegoshei:
Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13