There is movie watching going on.
Right about now, it is helping me to sit down and watch the movies I know and love – there is a real comfort there – and one of my goals is to focus on comfort. I’m not kidding myself, there are evenings when the cosy, the warm and the familiar are all important and the only place my mind can rest. Normally I would gravitate to the latest, the “hot” new series or award-winning film but not during our lockdown.
This list is a mix; some romance, a lot of drama, a little bit of humour and a tinge of sadness. You may have seen some or all of them and many of them I have watched several times. Not all are blockbusters but that is their charm. The characters, their stories and in some cases the interiors have become old friends I welcome when I see. And old friends, they are very welcome right now.
Any ‘kindred spirits’ would like to add? xv
At Home: 10 Movies Not To Miss
I Am Love
‘At a dinner during which her husband, Tancredi, learns that he and his son Edoardo Recchi Jr. are about to assume control of the Edoardo Recchi Sr.’s lucrative business, Emma (Tilda Swinton) meets a chef named Antonio.’
Tilda Swinton – Bellissima.
Beginners
‘An American romantic comedy, Beginners is a series of flashbacks telling the story of Oliver and his complicated and difficult relationship with his father. The film is gorgeously heartbreaking, demonstrating how hurtful we are to those we love while showing the ties of mutual need that bind people.’
Anything with Christopher Plummer.
Philomena
‘In 1952, Irish teenager Philomena (Judi Dench) became pregnant out of wedlock and was sent to a convent. When her baby, Anthony, was a toddler, the nuns took Philomena’s child away from her and put him up for adoption in the United States. When former BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) learns of the story, he becomes her ally.’
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan are magical together.
Chef
‘After a controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman) pushes him too far, chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) quits his position at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant. As he tries to figure out what his next step should be, he finds himself in Miami. Carl joins forces with his ex-wife (Sofía Vergara), best friend (John Leguizamo) and son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food-truck business, and the venture provides a chance to reignite his passion for cooking.’
Light, frothy and feel good all the way.
The Butler
‘After leaving the South as a young man and finding employment at an elite hotel in Washington, D.C., Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is hired as a butler at the White House. Over the course of three decades, Cecil has a front-row seat to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office. However, his commitment to his “First Family” leads to tension at home, alienating his wife (Oprah Winfrey) and causing conflict with his anti-establishment son.’
Forest Whitaker is remarkable as Cecil; nearly as good as his performance in The Last King of Scotland.
