06 · 26 · 13 A cinematographic guide to summer vacations Share with twitter Share with facebook Share with mail Copy to clipboard Ma. Cristina Alemán (@mcristina), editora en jefe For those doomed to spend the summer in an office suffering from sharp pangs of envy every time a friend posts a picture of the beach, I have compiled a list of films that could help soothe the summer blues. It’s only a matter of cuddling up in a couch and taking a brief vacation with any of these titles: Roman Holiday (1953) by William Wyler: There’s no need to pay a plane ticket to Europe to experience an Italian affair, it’s enough to let yourself be conquered by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn’s chemistry (and sweetness) on screen. Sommaren med Monika / Summer with Monika (1953) by Ingmar Bergman: The idea of abandoning everything and taking off to a desert island with your partner of choice seems tempting, but this film provides plenty of reasons to have second thoughts. When it first premiered, Summer with Monika was considered controversial because of its nude scenes, and a little bit of summer erotics can do no harm. Y tu mamá también (2001) by Alfonso Cuarón: The “charolastras” journey to the mythical beach of Boca del cielo is also a coming of age story. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than joining Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna and Maribel Verdú in their joyride through Mexican roads. Eden Lake (2008) by James Watkins: In this British film, a camping trip to the country turns into a nightmare for loving couple Jenny and Steve (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender), who become involved in a sadistic game with a local gang of youths. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) by Harold Ramis: The first in a series of comedies starring Chevy Chase where a typical American family fails in their attempts to have a fun holiday. In National Lampoon’s Vacation, the Griswold’s go through hell to finally arrive to a theme park which they find closed. Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot / Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) by Jacques Tati: Another victim of the impossibility of finding relaxation in modern times is Monsieur Hulot, whose efforts to have a nice time in the French coast result in great moments of physical comedy. La risa en vacaciones 1 to 8 (1990 a 1996) by René Cardona Jr: It’s hard to make a list of summer films without including this series of movies which where constantly transmitted in Mexican television during the 90’s. There is not much to say about them, except maybe… pasito tun tun, pasito tun tun, pasito tun tun… What film would you include in this list?
