1. Seven Films That Take You Away
Maybe you have a taste for travel, but you don’t have the money or time to take an
exotic vacation. Indulge your interest in foreign locales and absorbing stories by
viewing one or all of the following films.
1. "The Motorcycle Diaries." The movie is based on the 1952 memoirs of 23-
year-old Ernesto Guevara, later known as Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. The
film follows Guevara (Gael Bernal) as he embarks on an eight-month motorcycle
ride across South America with a friend, Alberto Granado. A medical student at the
time, Guevara is shocked and then transformed by the social injustices he views
during the trip. The plight of the indigenous peasants forces Guevara to
contemplate the disparity between the haves and have-nots in Latin American
society. The real 82-year-old Alberto Granado appears to the end of the movie, and
Guevara’s 1967 execution in Bolivia is touched upon.
2. "Out of Africa." Take in the gorgeous vistas of African landscapes and wildlife
when you view this biopic of writer Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep). Blixen enters
into a marriage of convenience with a German baron (Klaus Maria Brandauer).
The couple move to a Nairobi plantation in 1914, and the baron resumes his pre-
marriage bouts of drinking and womanizing. Left on her own, Blixen falls in love
with a handsome and charming hunter (Robert Redford). The film was well
received, garnering seven Academy Awards in 1986. Streep's performance and the
stunning location photography make this film a must-see for those looking for an
African get-away.
3. "The Beach." Richard (Leonardo di Caprio), an American backpacking through
Asia with European friends, is given a map supposedly indicating a beach in
Thailand that is a paradise on earth. Richard and his friend find the beach, which is
as beautiful as promised. Trouble erupts, however, when a group of fellow
travelers, who had arrived earlier, reveal a community beset by social evils. A
collection of natives who grow marijuana nearby ferociously resent the presence of
the backpackers and take action against them. Critics largely panned the movie, but
the beauty of the Thai beaches will leave you yearning for a trip to Thailand.
4. "In Bruges." Take a trip to the lesser-known city of Bruges, Belgium, with this
2008 black comedy crime film. Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Ray (Colin Farrell),
rookie hit men from London, are sent to Bruges by employer Harry Waters (Ralph
Fiennes) to hide out after the accidental killing of a young boy. Interactions with
the city's inhabitants, tourists and a film crew change the hit men's views on life

2. and death. The film was highly acclaimed by critics, and travel-hungry viewers
will relish the visual depictions of the medieval Belgian city.
5. "Before Sunrise." This 1995 romantic comedy follows young American Jesse
(Ethan Hawke) and French student Celine (Julie Delpy) as they explore Vienna for
one night. The two characters spend much of the movie walking and talking,
totally engrossed in each other and temporarily putting the real world behind them.
Viennese landmarks, cafes and the river Danube figure prominently in the film,
which presents the city in a romantic and intriguing light. The film received high
praise from critics, with movie review website Rotten Tomatoes awarding it a rare
100-percent rating.
6. "Once." This 2006 Irish musical film is set in Dublin and stars Glen Hansard as
an unnamed busker and Marketa Irglova as a piano-playing Czech flower-seller.
The two discover that their musical styles are particularly suited to each other, and
they determine to make an album together. Despite their inexperience, they
impress an apathetic studio engineer. The movie was produced with a very small
budget, and the Irish Film Board put up 75-percent of the money. A long lens was
used during filming, leaving local passersby unaware that a movie was being
made. The movie met with positive reviews, and one of the film's songs, "Falling
Slowly," won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
7. "Vicky Christina Barcelona." In this 2008 romantic drama-comedy, friends
Christina (Scarlett Johansson) and Vicky (Rebecca Hall) travel to Barcelona,
where they encounter artist Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem). Both women
find themselves attracted to the artist, who still loves his unstable ex-wife, Maria
Elena (Penelope Cruz). A love triangle develops between Juan Antonio and the
two friends, complicated by the arrival of Maria Elena. Writer and director Woody
Allen received glowing reviews for this movie, the best since he released "Match
Point" in 2005. The film features beautiful photography of Barcelona and
landscapes outside the city.