I’m writing this as the fog creeps over my window and the rain imbues the streets with a romantic sheen. Perhaps because I’ve seen too many Woody Allen movies, I’m overly fond of the way cities look in the rain, but I also love overcast days because they give me an excuse to stay inside and stay dry. To me grey skies are a signal that the earth will forgive me for spending a day drinking tea and shirking responsibility. Considering the way that Montreal weather has been lately, it is only about to get more stay-at-home friendly. One might end up spending an entire semester holed up in their apartment. However, it’s important to remember that everything is good in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with a lazy Sunday now and again.
Everyone has something they like to do when they’re avoiding work. Watching cat videos on Youtube seems to be popular, but as a movie buff, on occasions when I take a rain check for school I like to discover new films or re-watch some old favorites. Here are some of my favorite films to watch on a rainy day.
Cabaret – On rainy days I like to watch films that will encourage me to think deep thoughts (or at least think I’m thinking deep thoughts); to ponder on life and the nature of human beings. But I also enjoy films with a jazzy soundtrack. “Cabaret” delivers in spades on both counts.
It has everything you could ever want from a movie. It’s a musical with amazing songs but it’s also a legitimate film with character development (you know what I’m talking about “Mamma Mia!”). Also if you’re a history major who’s studied the rise of the Third Reich, or if you’re me, you’ll like it because it offers some trenchant commentary on that terrifying period. All the while there’s sex, beautiful costumes, pretty men and women, Liza Minelli, a love story, drama, comedy, the works. I’m recommending this movie because it’s a classic. It’s essentially the perfect movie, and it’s always a plus if you can divert time away from germane pursuits (I had to) without feeling guilty because you know you’re absorbing some valuable culture and history. What suits it for a rainy day in my mind is that it’s dark and disturbing, and there’s something about looking at a streetlamp in the rain that makes me want to travel back to a time when men wore real fedoras and women smoked from cigarette holders.
Midnight in Paris – This movie’s central message is that a city is a work of art and that the work of art looks best when it’s wet. If you don’t understand the romance and aesthetic pleasure to be found in a rain-soaked city after dark, just watch this film. It’s not the best Woody Allen movie, but if you want some light fare that will make you feel slightly intelligent all the same, then it is perfect. It’s sort of like a Barnes and Noble bookstore mural come to life. It’s not too heavy and not too light. It’s like an apple strudel with cream. It’s like having an apple strudel with cream at a bookstore… in the rain.
Atonement – I think I have a fetish for romantic period films and this fetish is exacerbated on rainy days. “Atonement” is adapted from Ian McEwan’s book of the same name (which you should read because as everyone knows the book is usually better than its movie adaptation). It is a beautiful film, though, both visually and in narrative. And if you enjoy tearjerkers, so that your face will emulate the state of your window, this movie is for you. I don’t cry easily at the movies (real life is another story) and yet mascara magically starts to run down my face each time I watch “Atonement.”
Fargo – If you hate the gloomy Montreal weather then this movie will remind you that it could be so much worse. At least it’s not snowing yet. This is one of the Coen Brothers’ best films and another classic that everyone should see. Again it’s very dark and very disturbing but manages to be equally hilarious in traditional Coen-Brothers style. Or perhaps I’m just a sick, twisted human being. Who knows?
The Princess Bride – If you haven’t seen “The Princess Bride,” then what is wrong with you? Sorry that’s harsh, but this is another all-time classic film that’s required viewing if you’ve ever heard someone mention the name of Inigo Montoya. Also, to fit this into our “day off” theme, the movie is essentially about a man who comes to tell a story to his grandson, who is home sick from school. It’s a movie about storytelling, and apart from being exceptionally funny and quotable it also has plenty of pathos and heartfelt emotion.
The Birdcage – If you enjoy laughter this one’s for you. Of course not everyone has my excellent sense of humor, so if this film disappoints you then keep that in mind. I’m joking! Because if this movie doesn’t make you laugh, you might not have a sense of humor at all. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’m not entirely sure how to relate this movie to the rain, but it does include a long funny monologue about the beauty of the changing seasons.
My Neighbor Totoro – This animated Japanese film was a staple of my childhood. But adults and semi-adult college students alike enjoy this movie because it was rendered by the master animator Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, which is known for its truly beautiful and dramatic films.
This movie also has a scene which highlights the sense of magic and mystery that can be found in a rainy evening. Added bonus, there’s a cat bus. And the cat bus will make you sad that you don’t live inside the world of the movie and have things to do aside from chasing dust bunnies into their light-flecked woodland realms.
Drive – Women love Ryan Gosling. This is just one of the rules of the universe. Personally I’ve been a fan of the Gos since his Jewish neo-Nazi film, “The Believer,” but now that everyone has succumbed to his enigmatic charms, I feel that it is necessary for me to include “Drive” on this list. After all, it is the film that appears to have relit the Gosling flame in all of our libidos. The film is insanely violent and Ryan Gosling doesn’t talk much in it, which explains its intense appeal for women. Everyone knows how we love our crime scene dramas, and men are best when they keep their mouths shut, amirite ladies?
8 ½ – I feel that I haven’t tried hard enough to be pretentious on this list, so I’m including a foreign art-house film by Federico Fellini. The movie itself is not pretentious, the movie is great, but it’s something an insecure populist Hollywood-film bred movie buff would put on their movie recommendation list to appear more well-versed in both art-house and foreign cinema. Have I said too much? Anyway in case you don’t know, “8 ½” is the source material for the underwhelming Daniel Day Lewis-helmed musical “Nine” (a phrase I never thought possible), and if you want to see something truly genius, watch “8 ½” and marvel at how unsatisfying “Nine” is in comparison. It helps that Marcello Mastroianni is a total dish. As you see at this point I have given up the rainy day theme and am just recommending movies that I love.
Vertigo – This is Hitchcock’s best movie. It’s truly terrifying and mysterious unlike, say, “Birds,” which just happens to be disturbing. I would recommend “Rear Window” as well but I don’t enjoy sitting around in my pajamas, watching a movie about a man sitting around in his pajamas. It makes me feel bad, and it makes me paranoid because I start to wonder about my neighbours and if they spy on me. The idea that they can see me as I laze around in my armchair, not contributing to society, is terrifying. So if you want mystery with a strong helping of paranoia on a rainy day, without feeling like you are personally being watched, see “Vertigo.”