Film is a very special thing to many people, and sooner or later we begin to realise how a few on screen hours play such big roles (cinema pun) in shaping our lives.
Growing up in a woman filled household meant that, for me, my list of favourites is filled with all the classic chick flicks I’ve grown to love as I’ve grown up, despite them ruining my quirky reputation (which is in fact arguably non-existent).
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
dir. Gurinder Chada
For me, this film ensues many wonderful nostalgic flashbacks to my pre-teen years, and, seeing as pre-teen years are known for their tragic entrails, please note that when I say ‘wonderful’ I actually mean wonderfully embarrassing.
This film pretty much sums up how I yearned for my teenage years to pass – mostly snogging Aaron Johnson to a very good sound track (one which holds proud space in my Spotify playlist). Not only this but Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging was my ultimate sleepover movie, and, given that it still manages to hold that title, this shows you just how much I love it.
The Aviator
dir. Martin Scorsese
The Aviator is arguably my favourite DiCaprio moment, his stunning portrayal of Howard Hughes, legendary aviator (hence the title of the film) and director is part of what makes this film so special, similar to other films he has before perfected, it’s clear DiCaprio immersed himself into this complex role. Despite not winning an Academy Award, Dicaprio’s amazing performance, alongside director Scorsese’s fluent composition of shots creates this to be a film that sticks with you, and allows the viewer to find themselves in the 1920’s world of Hollywood.
Let us also not forget Cate Blanchett’s spectacular precision of her role, which only further reinforces my infatuation for The Aviator.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
dir. Wes Anderson
The Grand Budapest Hotel perfectly screenshots the incredible mind of director Wes Anderson. This film tops my list for its beautiful production, superb acting and fantastic writing, based upon books from the late Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. The Grand Budapest Hotel, much like any other film by Anderson, serves us many recognisable faces among the likes of Owen Wilson, Jude Law and even the lovely Bill Murray makes a brief appearance, but this is only a small part of what makes this film so special to me.
That feeling of a racing imagination whilst reading a book, one in which your mind begins to analyse and understand, well, this is how it feels to watch this film. Which, from my point of view means it most certainly deserves its 4 Oscar awards.
Pretty Woman
dir. Gary Marshall
After being introduced to this film by my mother, I quickly fell in love with it. The insightful depiction of prostitution in Pretty Woman and its happy-go-lucky storyline go hand in hand with creating such an enjoyable, interesting watch. For me, it’s one of those films I will watch time and time again and still love it as much as the first, except now I can pretty much quote it word for word. Although it may be a tad awkward to watch a film that’s central theme is sex with the woman that gave birth to you, the film packs a powerful punch on the dangers of criminalised sex work, and also underlines that the problem lies with people’s attitudes and perceptions, not sex workers themselves. Although the story is overall a romantic one, the interwoven themes captivate an audience, and, after all, watching main character Vivian blossom is really quite beautiful.
Honourable Mentions: Wild Child (2008), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Love, Rosie (2014), Donnie Darko (2001), Love Actually (2003)
Words by Georgia Hinson