My Five Favourite Movies Set in Paris

I'm going to Paris in a week's time so I thought it would be fun to write a post about my favourite movies that are set in Paris. 

Midnight in Paris (dir. Woody Allen)

Midnight in Paris is like a love letter to the city. It has some of the most beautiful shots of Paris and it takes you right across the city and the surrounding area stopping off at Monet's Garden in Giverny, the Palace of Versailles, the Seine and the Latin Quarter. Written and directed by Woody Allen, it tells the story of a Hollywood screenwriter and aspiring novelist, Gill Pender (Owen Willson) who takes a trip to Paris with his fiancee (Rachel McAdams). Gill has a romantic fascination with Paris in the 1920s and on one late night excursion he seemingly travels back in time to his beloved era. Midnight in Paris is one of the best romantic comedies I've seen and it has a great cast with the likes of Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux, Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody and Tom Hiddelston.

Breathless (dir. Godard)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Godard movies, especially those that are set in Paris - Breathless, Band of Outsiders and Vivre Sa Vie. Breathless is about a small time thief on the run who reunites with an American student in order to persuade her to run away with him. I love Breathless because it gives a much more romanticized look at 1960's Paris. The famous scene in which Jean Seaberg sells newspapers along the Champs-Elysses always come to my mind when I think of Paris. Shot along Paris's left bank, the film travels from the chic bars of St.Germain to the streets surrounding the Notre Dame. Band of Outsider's famous Lourve scene in which the three characters set out to beat the record of running through the Lourve in 9 minutes and 45 seconds is a staple of new wave Paris for me. Vivre Sa Vie is another film you should watch to get a feel of new wave Paris. Vivre Sa Vie documents the life of a prostitute called Nana who is played by the wonderful Anna Karina. Although it gives a lot more realistic look at Paris, it still has the mischievous charm of Godard movies and its fair share of chic cafe scenes.

The Dreamers (dir. Bernardo Bertolucci)

Although a large proportion of The Dreamers takes place in a Parisian flat, the film takes you on an extensive tour through French and Parisian culture. Set to the backdrop of the 1968 student riots, it tells the story of an American student (Michael Pitt) who forms a friendship with a brother (Louis Garrell) and sister (Eva Green). The trio are obsessed with film and often meet to discuss French new wave movies and Hollywood classics. I love The Dreamers because it cleverly intertwines film clips and cultural references with a romantic drama. Based on the French classic Les Enfants Terrible, the Bernardo Bertulocci film is a master class in French culture.

Last Tango in Paris (dir. Bernardo Bertolucci)

Another Bernardo Bertolucci film, Last Tango in Paris, tests the boundaries of the relationship between a widowed French hotelier played by Marlon Brando and a young French woman played by Maria Schneider. Like the Dreamers, the content of the film may put off some viewers (a certain infamous scene was a tough watch) but I think Last Tango is a real masterpiece. Last time I was in Paris, I stumbled across the building by the Bir Hakeim bridge which features a lot in the movie. Its actually a beautiful place to visit because you can view the Eiffel Tower from a relatively quiet spot without the usual tourist buzz.

Cleo from 5 to 7 (dir. Agnes Varda)

Cleo from 5 to 7 is another French New Wave film shot on location on the streets of Paris. It is about a narcissistic young French pop singer called Cleo who has been brought down to earth by a cancer scare. As she waits for the results of her biopsy, she wanders around Paris visiting many of the left bank shopping streets, river fronts and gardens. The film mixes the elements of a musical with a realist drama in a really charming way. I love the day in the life style of this film and I think it gives a really interesting insight into Paris in the sixties.

I hope these movies make you fall in love with Paris too. Let me know in the comments if there are any movies set in Paris that I need to see! :)

Photo Diary: Smithereens

since I haven't posted in awhile I decided to show you a few pictures I took on my phone last month. This picture is from a shopping trip I had a few days before I left Dublin. The top and skirt are both from River Island. I bought the top to wear out that night. Im tempted to buy the skirt now because its been reduced. I also tried on this off the shoulder bodycon dress but I thought the material was really heavy for summer so I didnt buy it

amazing shoes (^‿^) The middle one is a mixture between white sandals and jellies. I've wanted a pair of white sandals for ages. There are pretty cool white platforms and sandals at asos.

River Island fluffy bags <3

american apparel shiny co-ords, no matter how I feel about their advertising they do make nice clothes

my topshop hawaiian shirt

urban outfitters yellow raincoat

I went to see the 20th anniversary screening of pulp fiction, it was pretty cool to see it in the cinema seeing as I was still a baby when it was first released

I went to see Palma Violets a few weeks ago. I had a good night out but tbh I was a little disappointed with the Palma Violets, they weren't as good as I expected them to be

I went to see Panic at the Disco with a few of my old friends from school, they were my favourite band when I was like 14 so its pretty crazy that I seen them live. They were good despite the fact that there is only one original band member remaining. They played a lot of songs from their first album and their most recent album. They only played one song from the 2008 album Pretty Odd, I don't know whether that is because of legal reasons or personal choice. We arrived at the gig super late so we had really crappy view of the stage but one of the guys who was with us managed to sneak into the private boxes so me and another guy decided to join him. The view was amazing... 

we got kicked out like 5 minutes later when a photographer in the next box complained about us :( its the most lame concert story ever hehe

I also went to see Neutral Milk Hotel. I thought they were good but I prefer them on record. They didnt allow any photography at all so I have no pictures to show you

some dvds I bought recently...

Cleo from 5 to 7 is very new wave. Its directed Agnes Varda and has a cameo with Jean Luc Godard and Anna Karina. It is about a sixties pop singer who wanders around Paris as she awaits her biopsy results. It is shot in real time and the cinematography is beautiful. The beginning reminds me very much of Vivre Sa Vie

Smithereens is 1982 a movie directed by Susan Seidelman. It is about a runaway who desperately wants to become involved in the New York punk scene (I can relate haha). She gets involved with another runaway and a band member who just so happens to be played by Richard Hell, she ultimately has to decide between the two guys. It reminded me a lot of Breaking Glass, however breaking glass has a better soundtrack and more substance. I still really liked this film

I bought this film because it had the coolest cover ever hehe It is about a deaf runaway who moves to San Francisco to look for her brother who is known as "the seeker". She becomes involved with the guitarist of a psychedelic band who is played by Jack Nicholson. I think there is a recurring theme of runaways and band members in the films I watch :L This film is basically like watching hippies get high which is fun for what it is.

Im using a really good movie site now called letterboxd. It allows you to create and share watchlists, write reviews and rate films. Im pretty much going to chill out and watch films this summer, try and post more outfits and maybe just maybe learn how to drive