Poetry in motion

In a world over saturated with drippy romcoms and killer shark-tornado movies I decided to compile my own movie list. These are all films I think have a special artistic beauty to them from their soundtrack down to their narrative. And with all of us now confined to our homes we have extra time to be productive or become a couch potato. But if you do choose the easy option you might as well make it fulfilling and impactful and that's the point of this list. I think it's time to try a few underrated but wholly more moving films than American Pie 1 & 2.

(And this is maybe just another perfect excuse for me to talk about Lolita again).

1) Cinema Paradiso

A foreign language film but still one of my favourites! Cinema Paradiso follows the story of young Toto and his navigation of cinema and its censorship in 1940s Italy. After forming an unlikely friendship with the cinema projectionist Toto is thrown into the world of film and his passion flourishes. Essentially a coming of age story it also explores first love and heartbreak set against the backdrop of Sicily.

What I love most about this film is its sparkling narrative and appreciation of cinema. It's coming of age, it's a love story, it's about friendship and the power of film censorship. What is seemingly such a simple plot is made explosive with its soundtrack; all composed by Ennio Morricone. It's one of those films with an old-school charm that can help you forget all about your current worries.

2) The English Patient

A badly burned man, Laszlo de Almasy is tended to by a nurse, Hana in an Italian monastery near the end of World War II. His past is revealed through flashbacks involving a married Englishwoman and his work mapping the African landscape. Hana learns to heal her own scars as she helps the dying man.

What makes this film so special to me is it’s seamless translation from the original book. The romantic expression and fiery style used by Ondaatje in the novel comes through in this film adaptation. There are elements of love, war, tragedy and adventure all combined into one so you’ll never get bored. And then there are all the various sub-plots from Hana's relationship with Laszlo to Laszlo's own memories of his affair with a married woman. You'll also be left with a mystery; was Laszlo really English or a German spy?

Set against the backdrop of an African desert landscape the film also helps you see beauty in a place you think you'd rarely find it. The bareness and the barren state of the desert is also emphasised in Ondaatje's book which the film manages to portray so clearly. Then there is the narrative and romantic, almost dreamy expression that is highlighted throughout. You are forced to see the beauty and significance in every small thing from the shape of a woman's back to the relief of a rain.

In a film about love and war you are led to see the striking similarity that the two actually share. With both there can be peace, betrayal and conflict. A sentiment which is echoed by Laszlo when he says, "Betrayals in war are childlike compared with our betrayals during peace. New lovers are nervous and tender, but smash everything. For the heart is an organ of fire."

3) Il Postino

When exiled Cuban poet Pablo Neruda arrives on a tiny Italian isle, there's so much new mail that Mario, an unemployed, uneducated layabout, is hired as a postman. His job is simply to deliver Neruda's daily mail. Mario soon becomes a student of the poet, learning the art of poetry to woo a local barmaid and tell about the struggles of the working-class villagers.

Yet another foreign language film! Though Il Postino may be a little more quaint and grainy than Cinema Paradiso it still retains a sort of old school charm to it. I actually came across it one day on YouTube so it's completely free to access!

Probably the most charming and innocent of them all, what I adore about this film is its narrative and simplicity. It's all about a postman trying to win the heart of a local girl through poetry with the help of poet Pablo Neruda. At the time I had no idea who Neruda even was but this film has made me a fan of his work. The inclusion of his own poetry within the movie and his teachings to his protege about it are what makes the film so unique.

As with all the other films it shares the same attention to detail to nature and small, everyday objects. You are made to see the moon more brightly, to compare a woman's smile to the sun and to see that everything in life holds some sort of special meaning.

4) The Lover

Set in 1920s colonial Indochina, a pretty, virginal French teenager meets a Chinese playboy from a respectable family. Going against the conventions of their respective societies, the lustful pair begin an affair in a seedy Saigon neighborhood. Their strong attraction towards one another is only intensified by the illicit nature of their rendezvous.

Ok, so definitely not PG but something about this film captivated me when I was 17. Though there are a lot of erotic undertones to it (desire being one of the main themes) it's done in a tasteful and almost poetic way. The navigation of love and coming of age have always interested me simply because it's something everybody goes through.

I also remember reading the book that the film was based on; L'amant by Margerite Duras. Its simple, abstract style was something that caught my eye and something that was translated well into the film. Little else seems to exist apart from the desire between the two characters and the racial tensions present. It's probably the more candid and explicit of all the films but deals with the topic of desire and love in a way that spoke the most to me.

5) Lolita

Lolita is a story about Humbert Humbert, a literature professor in his late thirties, obsessed with a twelve-year-old Dolores Haze.

Of course I saved the best till last! And if you've never heard of Lolita you're probably thinking I must be crazy for praising a film about...all of that. But there is so much more to this film than meets the eye.

Just like it's novel counterpart written by Nabokov, Lolita has gotten a bad rap over the years. You would think with less censorship and people being more liberal that this wouldn't exist but it seems inevitable with the topic it deals with. If you've never read the book it's important to note that this film portrays Lolita and her life through the eyes of the predator Humbert Humbert. That is why everything seems a little dreamy and a little more provocative rather than frightening. It's only once you are met with the antagonist of the film - Clare Quilty - that you are really shocked into reality.

The main reason Lolita fascinates me so much is because of the way Humbert gains your sympathy throughout. No matter what he has done he always has a perfect excuse for everything and you'll soon find yourself being charmed by him. Nabokov induced sympathy for Humbert beautifully and the film has done the exact same thing. Director Adrian Lyne was able to bring out the emotion and characteristics of characters from the book to life. You'll cry, you'll laugh and you'll watch in terror as you start to have your own morals being questioned. Is it a love story or a great tragedy? Is Humbert as bad as Clare Quilty or worse?

And finally... the soundtrack! Ennio Morricone's composition of Lolita's OST is haunting and lilting. It almost mirrors the different states of mind you'll be thrown into when watching the film - from horror to despair to joy.