If you are a person who watches movies from time to time, you would know that sometimes, you wanted a movie that truly expresses the emotions within you. If you find yourself to be sad, depressed, or maybe meaningless, here are the top 5 movies to cater to your moviecation for those of you sad peeps out there.
Her (2013)
“‘Sometimes I think I’ve felt everything I’m ever going to feel. And from here on out, I’m not going to feel anything new, just lesser versions of what I’ve already felt.”
Have you ever pictured yourself to be in a world where someone would have a loving relationship with an Operating System (OS)? This movie portrays a world where it sets the world in a futuristic premise. The movie focuses on Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a man who works as a letter writer that finds himself in the last stage of divorcement with his long time sweetheart, Catherine (Rooney Mara). As he hesitated to sign the final divorce paper, he began to slowly pull himself out of the outside world. He sits down at his desk and prepares to get his life in order when Theodore buys a new state-of-the-art computer operating system with the ability to learn and develop with the user. As time slowly moves forward, the lonely writer finds himself falling in love with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the OS that he bought to fulfil his needs and everything. The two form a strange yet intimate loving relationship between them.
Directed by Spike Jonze, an Oscar-winning director, this movie sets to make you feel lost and guided in the same way. From the eye-comforting cinematography to the sentimental and comforting tones of the movie, this movie is a must-watch for those avid movie watchers who find themselves in a weird and soulless situation. This movie was put on this top 5 movies list for a reason, so go check it out!
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Lost in Translation (2003)
“I just feel so alone, even when I’m surrounded by other people.”
Is it possible for a middle-aged man to form a relationship with a young girl without any strings and sex involved? This movie explores the idea of how a faded movie star, Bob Harris (Bill Murray), who is being faced by the reality of a mid-life crisis, performs an estranged relationship with a neglected and conflicted young newlywed girl, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) in an even more estranged country. Here’s a brief explanation as to why this movie is gold and how it deserved a spot on the top 5 movies that can make you bawl your eyes out.
Famous for his comedy blockbusters such as “Groundhog Day” & “Ghostbusters”, Bill Murray’s performance in this movie is beyond words. Receiving an Oscar nomination in this movie, Murray’s performance is remarkable and yet, controlled and subtle with seems like there are no efforts given by the actor himself. Sofia Coppola, the director of the movie, stated that she wouldn’t likely have done the movie if Bill Muray rejected the role. She stated that she specifically wrote the role with Bill Murray in her mind. Her trust within Murray’s capability seems really to be paid off since Bill Murray truly gave one of his best performances throughout his career in the movie industry. The performance from the actor is truly magnificent and the screenplay from the movie, which won an Oscar, is genuinely one of its kind. Sofia Coppola really outdid herself in this movie.
It is warming and yet subtle for the viewer to watch both leading casts to play two undefined and lost souls connect with each other in the city of Tokyo, searching for their every purpose and falling into conversations about marriage, life, and identity. It feels surreal and yet, genuine for viewers to be able to relate with the main characters. There are no fakeness, special effect, or CGI to ruin the movie authenticity. For those who find themself purposeless in this mortal world, this movie is definitely in the to watch list for you.
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
“Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?”
Would you have the heart to erase your loved one from your memories? What would you do if entered into a relationship and it gradually becomes bitter every single day? Joel Barish (Jim Carrey), is devastated and melted when he finds out that his girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), has erased him and their relationship entirely from her memories. Depressed and heartbroken by the fact that his girlfriend did this, he decided to do the same procedures as his girlfriend did. As he watches his memories of his loved one disappear, he realizes within himself that he still loves Clementine, and it is maybe too late for him to undo the mistake that he just did.
Supported by stellar A-list actors such as Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Wilkinson, this movie is a solid example of a big giant labyrinth where the story would crumble upon itself and then it would build it back again and it will continue the process throughout the movie. Winning Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, the mastermind behind the story, Charlie Kaufman, has been prevailed as the most talented screenwriter of the 2000s by the critics. Even after many years of its release, the movie still resembles the meaning of pain and devastation inside a crumbling but yet, loving relationship. Filled with Kaufman’s unique style of writing, Charlie Kaufman has set yet another landmark for his remarkable accomplishments in his name.
To conclude, this movie truly represents some of the feelings that can not be described by words solely. For those movie lovers who want to seek a new experience and also embark in their melancholy side even deeper, this movie is absolutely worth watching. Oh and not to mention, but the fact that this movie is a cinematic masterpiece is also why it’s on the top 5 movies list.
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Before Sunrise (1995)
“Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?”
Before Sunrise is also one of the top 5 movies that can make a person cry. As a human who lives to see people every day, it’s a certain probability that everyone would meet a new person every day in their life. Have you ever thought about spending your day with someone whom you just met on a random train to your destination? Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American tourist who has been wandering around Europe without any real purpose, meets a French student on a train from Budapest to Vienna, Celine (Julie Delpy). Through a short conversation, Jesse felt a really strong connection between them and did not want to waste any chance. Jesse asks Celine to wander around with him in Vienna, and she agrees to it. They wind up spending one evening together in Vienna and both do it knowing that it will be the only night that they would be together.
To classify this movie as a typical romantic comedy movie, it would seem to be an understatement. Before Sunrise feels like a real scenario in life. As for viewers, it feels like we are watching someone through a hidden camera and just watching them as they spend their evening together talking about everything in life. There is no hidden agenda whatsoever. There will not be any betrayals, melodrama, phoney violence, or fancy choreography. Most of the time, it is only a chat as they walk around the city of Vienna from mid-afternoon until the next morning. No one bothers them and they keep being themselves. What exactly do they chat about? Nothing fancy, something as simple as life, love, death, and music. The dialogues seem so simple yet, pleasing and delightful to be listened to.
The idea of this movie is actually based on the director’s real-life experience. Once upon a night, Linklater spent time walking around Philadelphia with a woman named Amy. In contrast with the movie, Linklater actually stayed in touch with Amy for a while. With only a budget of $2,500,000, Richard Linklater has managed to transform the movie into 90s classic and a must-watch movie. Often overlooked by common viewers, this movie is just a hidden gem that viewers should look into if ever, they enter into some kind of not-so-subtle mood in their life.
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(500) Days of Summer (2009)
“The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch.”
Last but not least on this top 5 movies list is (500) Days of Summer. Love is not something that would always end as both of the lovers kiss together under the sunset in a deserted island like in a typical romance movie. More often than that, love would often give us a good straight punch in the guts. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a talented architect who works as a writer for a greeting card company. Upon working, he stumbled to his boss’s beautiful new secretary, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). From first sight, Tom knows that he has fallen in love with Summer. Through 500 days of Summer, the movie explores the journey between Tom and Summer from Tom’s perspective.
This movie might be the most popular on this list. Released in 2009, the movie earned 2 golden globes to its name. Even without the awards and everything, this movie instantly became a classic even for common viewers in the romantic comedy genre. It is a lighthearted movie that explored the concept of love realistically. The production of the movie is of course high quality, and playful but do not seem dull at all. As someone who needs to find a relatable character who is also melted by love circumstances, this movie would definitely be suitable for you.
Those are the top 5 movies that would definitely bring up the melancholy side inside you. I also recommend you to watch it before you write an essay about philosophy because these movies would make you question everything about life (Jokes intended). If you are more of a comedy person, check out this link to find out more.
