some movies i watched in 2024
Someone once said, if you talked about something to more than people, you should write about it. I've been asked by many for film recommendations, and below I've compiled a list of films I watched in that I absolutely adored, in no particular order.
- Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002)
There is no way to summarize this movie succinctly; to me, this felt like a Brazilian version of the Godfather, but everything happens all at once. It tells many somewhat distinct stories that happened in a favela in Brazil, and yet it all pieced together perfectly. "If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you" - perhaps there really is no way out.
- Kuru Otlar Üstüne (About Dry Grasses) (2023)
I love all of Ceylan's movies, and this one was especially nice. His characters are always real; they sometimes remind me of pieces of myself that I don't like. About Dry Grasses is about a teacher in Turkey who wants to move to Istanbul but was assigned to a post in Eastern Anataolia, and he runs into an existential crisis. The plot is driven by an accusation by a student and interactions between his fellow teachers and himself. If you enjoy this movie, then I highly recommend Winter Sleep (2014) as well.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
If you could erase your memories of something or someone, would you do it?
- La meglio gioventù (The Best of Youth) (2003)
This is one of my favorite movies, and although its -hour runtime seems daunting, I loved every second of it. The movie follows the lives of two brothers in Italy, from when they were students to when they work and marry and eventually retire. Everything happened; and there is too much to chew on. I felt like an adult by the end of this movie.
- Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
If you wanted to learn more about Mexico, this is the movie to watch. This was about two teenage boys and an attractive older woman that embark on a roadtrip, as they learn more about friendship, sex, and of course, themselves. I miss being a teenager.
- Μια αιωνιότητα και μια μέρα (Eternity and a Day) (1998)
"How long does tomorrow last?" Watching this movie was like watching pages of poetry. The images and ideas (for instance, the concept of a poet not understanding his own language and buying words from others) are so rich that sometimes I don't really know what to make of it. The caveat is that if you don't like movies without a very clear plot, you may not enjoy this one.
- 花樣年華 (In The Mood for Love) (2000)
This is just a beautiful movie. There is so much intimacy, even without much physical contact.
- Call Me By Your Name (2017)
I heard about this movie a while ago, but I didn't watch it until recently. Personally, I don't think this movie was about sexuality (contrary to what some suggest); it's more about not shying away from your emotions: "We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new".
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