REELING IN ITALY

My favorite films to transport you to la dolce vita

It’s around this time every year — when summer begins — that I start to feel serious wanderlust. Italy has been on my mind lately. It’s just so irresistible and cinematic. Here are a few Italian-set films that I love and recommend:

Roman Holiday · 1953
Rome is the setting for love and freedom. Audrey Hepburn is delightful and Gregory Peck is dashing.

Le Mépris · 1963
Visually striking, this modernist masterpiece by Jean-Luc Godard explores artistic disillusionment and fractured relationships. I especially love the scene with Brigitte Bardot at Casa Malaparte on Capri.

The Talented Mr. Ripley · 1999
Set in 1950s Italy — particularly Ischia and Rome — this stylish thriller offers a glamorous backdrop for ambition and deception. Directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow (in what I think is her best role), it's a film where every detail stuns. The sets and wardrobes are unforgettable.

A Bigger Splash · 2015
A sensual, stylish drama set on Pantelleria, a volcanic island off the coast of Sicily. Directed by (my all-time favorite) Luca Guadagnino, it stars Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes sparring in sun-drenched chaos. Tenuta Borgia — the estate where the film is largely set — is now on my list of dream destinations.

Call Me By Your Name · 2017
A tender summer romance set in the lush beauty of northern Italy in the 1980s. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, it’s a story that lingers.

La Grande Bellezza · 2013
Paolo Sorrentino’s portrait of beauty and excess unfolds across Rome’s most spectacular settings. A study in visual decadence.

Zen · 2011 · BBC Series
This stylish detective series — starring a witty Rufus Sewell — was shot entirely in Rome. Its sleek blend of noir storytelling and architectural beauty makes crime-solving feel cinematic. (I’m also obsessed with Zen’s theme song.)

*Cin-Cin* to summer hours well spent (and spritzed), even if it’s only on-screen.