Are you the type of person who likes to spend your weekend at home? With all the busyness that the weekdays have dropped at our table, sometimes we just need some rest and relaxation on Saturdays and Sundays. That means turning our phones off, staying in, and spend the day doing things that we enjoy. Which brings us to the topic du jour: movies.
The massive success of Bridgerton has once again reminded us of one thing: we just love an escapism watch where we can time travel to another era, especially paired with pretty dresses, handsome men, and grand ballrooms. In this blog post, we're highlighting some of our favorite period movies with swoon-worthy love stories and impeccable costumes. Shall we begin?
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hardy
Director: Sofia Coppola
Marie Antoinette is a fantastically pretty movie with Ladurée palettes and tons of gorgeous costumes. Starring Kirsten Dunst as the famed French queen, the movie takes us on a journey from her arrival as an Austrian princess at a foreign country, her political marriage, hot boyfriend (played by the future Christian Grey) and of course her love for glamorous parties and fashion. The story focuses more on her inner turmoil and struggles to meet society's expectations of her, and once you've watched it, you will begin to think like, this is exactly what I would do if I get to run a country at the age of 18. Fun fact: the usage of 1980s rock songs in this movie was the inspiration for the creators of Bridgerton to have orchestral themes of popular pop songs as the soundtrack of the viral Netflix series.
Little Women (2019)
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Watson
Director: Greta Gerwig
The classic coming-of-age story of the March sisters arrive in an adaptation directed by the director of Lady Bird and upcoming Barbie movie, Greta Gerwig. Modern and nostalgic at the same time, through this film we can step into the shoes of Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Beth (Eliza Scanlen), and Amy (Florence Pugh) as they step into adulthood and make major decisions for their future. The message here is nuanced but clear: pursue what you want, trust the path that you've chosen, and be your authentic self. We particularly love Saoirse's monologue on the brilliance of women, and Florence's speech on how she realistically views marriage as a lady of her era.
Emma. (2020)
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O'Connor
Director: Autumn de Wilde
If Clueless is a modern-day retelling of the classic Austen novel Emma, then this Emma (stylized as Emma.) is a more historically-accurate approach. Fashion-wise, instead of Alicia Silverstone in a yellow checkered blazer and skirt set, we get Anya Taylor-Joy in lovely Regency era dresses. Both are great heroines, by the way. Here, we get to see Emma, a beautiful rich aristocrat who's life calling is to create perfect matches to those around her - all whilst staying single and available (ish). That is, until a certain Mr. Knightley came along and hate-turned-love romance blooms between them. We've got to love a classic enemies to lovers trope, especially packaged so prettily like this.
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor
Director: Baz Luhrmann
For the afficionados of theatre and musicals, this one's for you. In this lush and grand love story, English poet Christian falls in love with the courtesan Satine. As expected from the director of Romeo + Juliet (1997) and The Great Gatsby (2013), the avant-garde sets and costumes are characters of their own. This movie takes you to a world where art, beauty, and romance flourish free. It's one of those films that you watch to get inspired, or simply just to fawn at the love story of Christian and Satine.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfayden, Rosamund Pike
Director: Joe Wright
"You have bewitched me, body and soul, and i love… i love… i love you." Iconic lines immortalized in an iconic scene, always gets us in the feels. Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden as Lizzie and Mr. Darcy are examples of exceptional casting for this Austen retelling with historical accuracy and modern approach in storytelling. The cinematography of this movie is so immersive, making you feel like you really entered Regency era London to witness their romance firsthand.