The fourth and final week of Logan Ann Taylor’s at-home festival ends with films about hope and freedom from isolation
After three weeks of reflection on our current state of isolation, I think it’s time to inject more hope into the festival. This week, we’ll look at films that provide a literal escape from our current circumstances. In the (ideally near) future, we will again be allowed to leave our homes. When this happens, we’ll be presented with infinite options for places to go, and though the economy may limit many of us to local destinations only, it can’t hurt to dream about all the other places we could one day go. So enjoy a change of scenery this week! It’s about time.
Day One: Escaping Normalcy, Embracing Authenticity
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliot, 1994)
Maybe the vast Australian Outback isn’t your idea of a great vacation destination, in which case The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert isn’t likely to change your mind. Many characters our delightful trio of protagonists encounter on their adventure are ignorant, hateful and sometimes violent, but those who embrace the trio in all their beauty, extravagance and complexity are rewarded with unforgettable experiences and endless entertainment. So while the unchanging scenery and local folk may not make this journey all that appealing, the personal journey of the protagonists is vibrant, touching and delightful enough to make a bus ride through endless Australian sands feel like the trip of a lifetime.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is available to stream on Vudu or Amazon Prime
Day One, pt. 2: Finding (and Losing) Paradise
The Beach (Danny Boyle, 2000)
The Beach double features with Priscilla in an intriguingly balanced way. While Priscilla takes place in stark surroundings, The Beach takes place in arguably the MOST gorgeous location on Earth: an isolated tropical island off the coast of Thailand. But while Priscilla ends joyfully, The Beach goes in much darker directions. Consider this double feature a gentle cautionary tale: the surface is never what it seems. Sometimes situations and people are just misunderstood, while others are simply too good to be true. Or ignore my warnings and just enjoy the sun, the sand and the thrills.
The Beach is available to rent on Amazon Prime
Day Three: Wishing for a Different Place and Time
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen, 2011)
Imagine you can be at any time in history in a place loaded with magic and stories and importance. Where would you go? Who would you meet? This central quandary of Midnight in Paris is an incredibly seductive idea at any time, but in our current circumstances it’s almost unbearably tempting to indulge in these fantasies. Ultimately, however, the film functions as an exercise in gratitude, helping us think about how much good we have in life right now even when it may not feel that way. The healthiest coping mechanism at this time is trying to enjoy the present as best we can. To wish for a different place than the one we currently must inhabit is as futile as wishing to exist in a different time. So enjoy watching the characters live out these dream scenarios, and then look around and find the beauty in where and when you are.
Midnight in Paris is available to rent on Amazon Prime
Day Four: Finding Connection and Culture
Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)
Lost in Translation is another exercise in gratitude, but coming from a different perspective. The characters in Lost in Translation don’t aspire to a different time or place, they just wish to share their current experiences with someone else. Starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, it’s a whimsical, wide-eyed film that loves its surroundings and loves its characters and just wants them all to enjoy themselves. And whenever we can get out of our houses, try to remember the beautifully open-minded way Sofia Coppola captures Tokyo’s wonder, and grasp that same present, awestruck way of absorbing the world wherever you find yourself. It’ll make for the best kind of mindful, experience-driven travel.
Listen to Reel Rap’s episode about Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation below:
Lost in Translation is available to rent on Amazon Prime or stream on Starz
Day Five: Ending with a Luxurious Bang
Mamma Mia! (Phyllida Lloyd, 2008)
For maximum joy, film festivals should end with something perky, pleasant and unflinchingly optimistic. And most importantly, the final week of a heavy, heady film festival should be bookended with ABBA. There is NOTHING more therapeutic in the world than a good ABBA song (or in this case, 20). Enjoy one more batch of scenic islands, the cheeriest and best-choreographed wedding guests of all time, and a story that just makes you want to hug people. One day we’ll be allowed to do that again, and what a lovely day that will be.
Happy watching everyone, and hang in there!
Mamma Mia is available to rent on Amazon Prime, or to stream with Starz
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