Travel Movie Reviews

Charlie Countryman Review

I am sure you all have read about my experiences studying abroad. Well, while abroad, one of the countries I visited was Romania. What in the world is in Romania? What’s the culture like? What do they eat? To get a better sense of what Romania is like, you could watch the movie The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.

This movie really sparked my interest in visiting the unique country. The movie is directed Fredrik Bond and stars Shia LaBeuof, known for his role in Transformers, and Rupert Grint, better known as Ron Weasley in Harry Potter. The story takes place in Bucharest, Romania, the exact city I visited. The movie is about the main character, Charlie Countryman, who experiences a vision of his dead mother to leave home and visit Bucharest. During his travels, he falls for a Romanian beauty who is associated with a crime boss. Regardless of her risky accusations, Charlie continues to pursue her making intense turns within the story. Not only does the movie keep you on the edge of your seat with the bizarre and intense love story, but the director does an excellent job of displaying the beauty of Romania. If you are not into love stories, the movie gives you a taste of some of the things you will see and hear in Romania. I rated this movie a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The reason for 3.5 stars is because the story may move slowly at times and a few scenes are drawn out too long. Overall, I enjoyed the story, acting, and visuals. Many of the scenes give a true sense of what Romania is like, making it a favorite for travelers.

180° South Review

I recently took the time to watch one of my favorite documentaries again, 180° South. 180° South is a documentary based on environmental protection. The story follows a group of rock climbing travelers as they embark on a journey to climb Corcovado Volcano in Patagonia, Chile. In particular, the primary documenter Jeff Johnson, begins his journey by sea to the Chile from California. Along the way to the Patagonia, the group of adventurers learn a lot about the land and non-beneficial energy corporations. Their story details the importance of preserving land and the effects of deforestation. The trip is based off of the owners of Patagonia and The North Face taking the same trip during the beginning years of both companies.

The directing of the film is, in my opinion, superb. The director does a great job of pacing and ordering scenes in a way that is easy to follow and making you feel like you are on the trip as well. Some of my favorite moments were the long takes displaying beautiful scenery and wild life. The film really made me interested in exploring, not just in other countries, but just to get out of the house and experience nature hands on. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in backpacking, camping, or travel in general. The beautiful camera work makes you get the urge to get out and explore. After watching the movie for a second time, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The slightly disappointing soundtrack and one too many repetitive interviews made it drop a half star. Overall, a great movie!

write by Helga