Chill Out With Films that Give a Warming hug

Sometimes the bleak weather limits our desires to wonder and explore the beauty of the outside world. But in cases where curiosity is too overpowering to be contained, people can rely on cinematography to still expand limits, without having to face the freezing weather. As the screens within the solace of living rooms illuminate with cinematic wonders, a blanket, a hot drink and warm lights can be the perfect setup to dig into the outside world. Find out more in Chill Out With Films that Give a Warming hug.

Films through enchanting landscapes and eclectic sounds, generate a space where home and wanderlust intertwine. Revealing how watching movies becomes a passport to new perspectives, all from the comfort of one’s home. To carve some time out to relax and explore doesn’t have to be a privilege, but a reward instead.

A handful here to get you started on a little home comfort.

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen’s film is effortlessly emotional and timelessly nostalgic. Midnight in Paris not only transports the viewer on a visually beautiful journey but also through a deeply romantic one.

This fantasy meets comedy film is set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialistic fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and their divergent goals, which become increasingly exaggerated as he travels back in time each night at midnight.

Digging both into the inner and outer world, the love story described by the plot is only one detail that makes this movie memorable. The cinematographic trip, in fact, unveils itself through a beautiful soundtrack, that accompanies the viewer into a relaxing state of self-exploration.

Little Miss Sunshine

The directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, bring the viewer through an inspirational road trip where the more you advance the more you learn.

A family decides to travel across the country when their daughter wants to participate in a beauty pageant, unaware of the surprises the journey has in store for them.

One’s couch becomes the warm, leather seat of a car. A car filled with precious words accompanied by a ravishing window view.
This movie is worth every re-watch, as each one of them will enrich those who watch a bit more.

My Neighbour Totoro

Is never too late to jump back into the comfort and ease of childhood. Although characterised by the signature Studio Ghibli soft and dreamy animations, this film is far from a kids’ movie. Charming and touching the story appears as almost maternal.

Two sisters relocate to rural Japan with their father to spend time with their ill mother. They face a mythical forest sprite and its woodland friends with whom they have many magical adventures.

Projecting the viewer in a safe, misty world, watching this movie feels like drinking a warm, comforting drink.
As it radiates a calm, magical energy, this watch truly turns one’s current reality into a beautiful daydream.

Lawrence of Arabia

David Lean’s genius portrays an emotionally challenging and powerful biographical story.

The film depicts Lawrence’s experiences in the Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Greater Syria during the First World War, in particular his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement in the Arab National Council. Its themes include Lawrence’s emotional struggles with the violence inherent in war, his identity and his divided allegiance between his native Britain with its army, and his new-found comrades within the Arabian desert tribes.

Despite the intense storyline, the three hours enclosing it induce a peculiar sense of alleviation. The movie represents an opportunity, for the viewer, to shut down the ‘outside world’ problems to solely focus on the many factors characterising this film as almost hypnotising.
As for the setting, the viewer has the opportunity to immerse in the intriguing, distant Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Greater Syria landscapes.

Bold, spirited and introspective, the time spent watching this production can only be precious. The film won seven Oscars and is widely considered one of the best films ever made.

Poetry

A movie by Lee Chang-dong beautifully portrays the Korean daily life of an elderly woman discovering her passion for poetry. Despite apparently ordinary, is the Asian production to transmit extraordinary reactions.

It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to develop an interest in poetry while struggling with Alzheimer’s disease and her irresponsible grandson

Incredibly curated it takes the viewer by the hand transporting him through the most interesting and hidden Asian corners. The visuals are supported by a colourful plot, that only appears to be typical but that hides many twists.

The Straight Story

David Lynch goes beyond cinematic expectations by telling the remarkable story of a troubled man.

A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight learns one day that his distant brother Lyle has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver’s license. Then he hits on the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual journey.

The plot is dynamic and engaging, always leaving the viewer wanting to know more. The background characterising this movie almost distracts those who watch from the storyline, complimenting the storyline itself simultaneously. Although each shot holds a lot of emotional tension, this same tension is dimmed by the visuals balancing the production, resulting in a perfect mix.

Until the End of the World

Cinematography is limitless, It can project the viewers to places that go beyond human knowledge. Win Wenders, does just that, describing a world that doesn’t exactly exist. A futuristic, highly technological reality that defines itself as creative and slightly violent. There are no rules or laws in the world that lie behind the screens, which is why ‘Until the End of the World’’s plot unfolds supported by a world that only exists in our imagination.

Set at the turn of the millennium in the shadow of a world-changing catastrophe, the film follows a man and woman, played by William Hurt and Solveig Dommartin, as they are pursued across the globe, in a plot involving a device that can record visual experiences and visualize dreams

Not only it’s a chance to enjoy a good story, but to discover a place that only originally existed in someone’s mind.

Maybe you are not the chilled film type and prefer a little more action, or rather than a classic you want something new? Here are a few new releases coming to the cinema soon.

Drive Away Dolls

An upcoming American comedy road film directed by Ethan Coen, follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

A powerful vessels that transport audiences on captivating journeys, without having to deal with the uncomfortableness hiding outside the walls of one’s space. Through the magic of storytelling, visuals and sounds, films have the unique ability to take viewers on unforgettable adventures, regardless of how diverse their tastes can be.

The Seeding

A man finds himself trapped in a desert canyon with a woman living off-grid who is captive to a pack of sadistic boys.

‘The Seeding’ is the newest project of the American director Barnaby Clay, with its release date being on the 26th of January 2024.
To truly connect to a production there’s sometimes the need to feel substantial emotions such as trepidation or even fear. The movie wants to portray the truest shape of people’s fear of isolation. The visuals appear eery, almost as confusing as fear itself is. Bold and raw the production takes place in the California desert.

Steve McQueen’s Occupied City

Between the future releases, there’s a very human and truthful based on the romance ‘Atlas of an Occupied City’ by di Bianca Stigter. It’s a documentary produced by Steve McQueen, that will be released to the public on the 11th of January 2024.

The movie wants to unite the past and present reality by looking into the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam, going from the Second World War to the COVID pandemic of the last few years. A journey through time, that cleverly summarises the past years of mankind and aims to remind people of all the challenges humanity faces. Although not a light watch, the documentary appears almost necessary to remember and emphasise life within our world.

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