Countdown to Venice: We're in the Home Stretch

As mentioned in a recent blog post, I am traveling to Venice this month to celebrate my 50th birthday. I'm very excited as I've never been to Italy before although I did get a taste of Venetian architecture and cuisine when I travelled to the Dalmatian region of Croatia two years ago.

Half the fun of travelling anywhere, for me, is the anticipation and the planning.

One of my favorite ways to get into the mood is to watch movies set in my travel destination. There are some beautiful ones set in Venice (but then how could they not be beautiful). Some of the films I've enjoyed watching for this trip are:

Don't Look Now (1973)

This 1973 thriller starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie offers some incredible views of Venice. Julie Christie's wardrobe is also worth seeing; great style is forever. Although I had never seen this movie before, I experienced an eerie sense of deja vu the entire time I was watching it. Then I remembered it was based on a short story by Rebecca du Maurier that I read in high school. It's fairly intense; let's just say if I see a small person in a red cloak, it's a safe bet I won't be following them down a dark alley. If you're prudish or have young 'uns hanging around, you may want to pass on this one. Besides the psychological intensity, there's a fairly heavy-duty love scene that was quite controversial when the movie was filmed.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

More psychological mind-twisting and gorgeous, gorgeous settings in this period piece set in 1950s Italy with Jude Law, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow involved in a complicated triangle and stolen identity.

Summertime (1955)

Katherine Hepburn shows off her timeless style in this controversial-for-the-era movie about a mid-life woman who travels to Venice and enjoys a romantic -- and (mostly) remorse-free-- vacation fling with a handsome (and married) Italian she meets there. Even if I hadn't already bought my plane ticket to Venice, this movie would have had me hot tailing it to Expedia.

The Wings of the Dove (1997)

This Edwardian period piece, based on a 1902 novel by Henry James, has to be one of the most gorgeous films ever made. I saw it in the theater when it came out, and I think it's one of those films I must own and rewatch every now and again. The settings, the cinematography, the acting, another love triangle --- and those achingly lovely Fortuny gowns worn by Helena Bonham Carter and Alison Elliot

Bread and Tulips (2001)

This quirky Italian gem is about a bored, long-suffering Italian housewife who gets separated from her tour group -- and her family -- while on vacation. On a whim, she travels to Venice by herself and winds up finding a whole new -- and much more satisfying -- life. I liked this film because it seemed to focus on the "real" Venice where people live and work as opposed to endless shots of the Grand Canal and San Marco Square.

Has anyone else seen any good movies set in Venice?