It's a vibe! I bet everyone at least once in a lifetime have dreamed about traveling to Europe during the summer season to enjoy the warm days at one of its idyllic beaches. From Italy to France, cinema has a great deal of guilt creating the imaginary of the perfect life, crystalline seas, cliffs, flowers and fresh fruit by the mediterranean shores.
And inspired by the Cannes Film Festival happening this week plus the new Capri collection by D&G for Mytheresa, I've selected a few classic and modern movies that have in common not just stunning summer costumes but also the beautiful mediterranean aesthetic. I must warn you, if you haven't already, you will want to book that European summer vacation!
9 films set against the background of a typical Mediterranean summer
By The Sea (2015)
'By the Sea' follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.
Directed by Angelina Jolie, who by the way wears the most stunning looks as Vanessa.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law. In late 1950s New York, Tom Ripley, a young underachiever, is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures. Directed by Anthony Minghella.
A Bigger Splash (2016)
The vacation of a famous rock star and a filmmaker is disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend and his daughter. With Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts.
When it comes to Mediterranean aesthetics, there is no doubt that the real highlight of recent years is 'A Bigger Splash' by Luca Guadagnino. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival and unfairly passed over in silence for most of the Italian public, the film celebrates the typical Sicilian summer in an unconditional momentum of love.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17- year-old American-Italian boy, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel).
Death In Venice (1971)
Speaking about boys affairs... 'Death in Venice' by Luchino Visconti is a bit more tragic but a masterpiece that must be watched. Gustav Von Aschenbach, a composer utterly absorbed in his work, arrives in Venice as a result of a youthfully ardent thirst for distant scenes and there meets a young man by whose beauty he becomes obsessed. His pitiful pursuit of the object of his overpowering affection and its inevitable and tragic consequences is told here in Visconti's luminous work of of art.
To Catch a Thief (1955)
For all the fashion and classic movies lovers, 'To Catch a Thief' is a timeless cinematic experience. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the film is a suspenseful and visually captivating romantic thriller, full of elements of mystery, romance, and intrigue against the glamorous backdrop of the French Riviera.
The chemistry between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly adds an additional layer of charm to this Hitchcock classic.
La Piscine (1969)
'La Piscine' by Jacques Deray, also uses as background the sea of the French Rivierais and is the film that actually inspired Guadagnino to make 'A Bigger Splash'. In this case, however, the protagonists Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Jane Birkin and Maurice Ronet pay homage to that typical feeling of melancholy and boredom that fits in well in the summer afternoons on the Mediterranean.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and starring a Hollywood A-cast, including Meryl Streep, Lisa Reynolds, Amanda Seyfried, Christie Saunders, Joanne Sandi, Lauri Owen and more, the film is a musical romantic comedy based on the 1999's book, set on an idyllic Greek island, which the plot follows a young bride-to-be who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her father.
Le Mépris (1963)
Set around the extraordinary Villa Malaparte on Capri, 'Le Mépris' tells the tragic romance between Paul and his wife, Camille. Featuring the style icon Brigitte Bardot as Camille, and legendary French talent Michel Piccoli as Paul, the film boasts a strong and eclectic supporting cast featuring ‘master of darkness’ director, Fritz Lang as himself, renowned American actor Jack Palance as Jeremy, and the infamous Giorgia Moll as Francesca.
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