Three Summer Movies

Let's be serious, summer is here. The chocolate cookies in our pantry have melted into one big blob, my eyeliner has all but melted down my face by 3pm, but hey, at least my plants are thriving! As I write this I sit directly in front of a fan on the hardwood floor with my doggy stretched fully out beside me, trying to catch the cool breeze on her tummy, and the idiom The Dog Days of Summer hazes onto the horizon of my brain like a mirage. Unless you're at the beach or you're lucky enough to have a pool, likely as not you're hiding inside by the fan or AC like I am, with limited options for things to do with your half-quarantined life. It's the perfect time to watch movies. (Who am I kidding, I always feel it's the perfect time to watch movies.) Here are three of my favorite films to watch when you need to be transported from your banal indoors existence to somewhere much more exotic in the Mediterranean, between the tanned bodies and the azure sea.

1) The Talented Mr. Ripley

Exceptionally smart young con man Tom Ripley, mistaken for a Princeton alumnus, is sent to Italy by affluent Herbert Greenleaf to retrieve his wayward son Dickie. While there, Tom struggles between maintaining his alibi as a Princeton boy, flirting with a young woman he meets in Italy, bringing Dickie home to get Herbert's money, and enjoying reaping the benefits of Dickie's extravagent lifestyle. The tension ramps up into the territory of a psychological thriller as people begin to suspect Ripley is not any of the people he presents himself as.

It's certainly a lot of fun to enjoy a bit of danger and suspense while also appreciating the utter beauty of the Amalfi coast. Everyone is young, beautiful, wealthy, and carefree. This movie definitely inspires one to don a straw hat and a light linen shirt and sip cocktails by the ocean. And it might give you something to sweat about other than the summer heat.

2) Bonjour Tristesse

While maybe not the best movie ever made, Bonjour Tristesse has a great story. The novel of the same name is a cultural fixture in France, having been penned by 18-year-old woman Françoise Sagan in the 50s. The public was shocked and appalled that a young woman would write so frankly about casual sex and relationships with boys, and naturally it was a big hit. It's a quick but satisfying read.

The movie itself takes place on the stunning Cote D'azur, where 17-year-old Cécile and her father, a widower, enjoy a carefree life together. They sunbathe, socialize with party-loving peers, drink, and flirt casually with whoever might be on hand. Though her father has brought along his current arm candy, a sunburned ditzy blonde named Elsa, he is quickly distracted by an unexpected visit from his ex-wife's best friend Anne. Everything goes downhill when Anne and Raymond confess that they are to be wed, and Cécile realizes his will no doubt mean the end of her rule-free, fun-filled days with dad.

This film, surprisingly in English, features adorable Jean Seberg as Cécile. The acting in this movie leaves something to be desired, but it is so beautiful, with shimmering shots of the blue sea, fun music and dance scenes in town, and Elsa's adorable but dim-witted accent. Don't be surprised if your new past time is pouting on the piazza with an ice-pack on your head, sunglasses over your eyes, and an ice cream cone in hand. 

3) Call Me By Your Name

I hardly know where to start with this movie because it's one of my favorites of all time. Young Elio Perlman and his family are summering in Crema, Italy in the 80s. Elio's father is a college professor and he regularly has students come out and stay at the house to study with him. This particular summer, a young man named Oliver is the student in residence, and Elio's world is promptly turned upside-down by the unexpected love affair of the century.

Call Me By Your Name is a movie you could watch and rewatch simply for the aesthetics. From the summer ghost town streets of Crema to the Perlman's peach tree, Elio's favorite crystal-clear swimming hole, long bike rides with the wind blowing shirts open, disco dancing in town under pink lights, a heartbreaking soundtrack by Sufjan Stevens, gorgeous opening credits, Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, characters speaking English and French and Italian, early Greco-Roman sculpture, a jewish family in the middle of Italy, and a frank and open style of parenting you'll wish you'd been raised under. Not to mention a love story that will stay with you long after the iconing ending sequence. This movie is like catching summer in a bottle.