Monday, March 29, 2010

Top 5: Movies About Loneliness

Over the weekend, Liz and I saw Greenberg, the new Noah Baumbach film starring Ben Stiller. I liked it. I laughed...I didn't cry...but it was better than Cats! Mostly, it's about loneliness and I freaking love movies about loneliness...so here's my list of the top 5 films about loneliness (how many times can I write loneliness?):

5. Fight Club - A film about a man so lonely, he [SPOILER ALERT!] invents an alternate persona to hang out with. And what a persona it is.

4. Up in the Air - George Clooney has a lot of single-serving friends. He doesn't really connect with anyone...until he does...though, in the end, nothing really changes. He's got no one in his backpack...and he likes it that way.

3. About a Boy - Another movie about a man who loves his solitude. He's f*cking Ibiza! But it takes a lonely boy to show Will (Hugh Grant) he's really a 38 year-old boy himself and maybe happiness (not hell) is other people.

2. The Station Agent- A lonely dwarf, a grieving mother and a bored Cuban come together to form their own alternative family. I would give up...something...to be a part of that family. Mostly in hopes of shagging Bobby Cannavale.

1. Lost in Translation - The ultimate (in my mind) film about loneliness. No one does it better than Sophia Coppola. With this and The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette, Sophia is, like, the patron saint of lonely people. And god bless her for that.

This post is terrible and rambling and full of things that only make sense in my mind, but you should still leave a comment and tell us your favorite movie about loneliness, mkay?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Up In The Air", "Lost in Translation" and "The Station Agent" are three of my all time favourite movies! So yay, Red! All classics.

However, I cannot watch anything with Ben Stiller in it. I just can't. Even if it's the best movie in the history of movies, he makes me want to punch walls.

words...words...words... said...

Lost in Translation would be my #1 too. There are some other movies I really love that at least have loneliness as a major theme, even if it isn't what the movie is nominally about.

The Dark Knight
WALL-E
Sunset Boulevard
The Sixth Sense
The Graduate
Planet of the Apes
King Kong

MJenks said...

Braveheart He's so lonely after his wife is killed that he takes it out on the English army.

Liz said...

I've never thought of Fight Club as being about lonliness, but you make a good point. Interesting observation.

I was going to add my favorite films about lonliness, but I'm tired and my back hurts and I'm supposed to be getting work done right now, so I can't think of any.

BeckEye said...

I've only seen #3 and #4. I know, I know...I just HAVE to see "Fight Club." I just HAVE TO!

I saw "Moon" recently. It's sort of about loneliness.

Cheeseboy said...

What about the ultimate lonely movie "Cast Away"? That movie was so lonely, some lady I didn't know tried to hold my hand in the theater.

Loved Lost in Translation though.

Opinionated White Trash said...

I've only seen #1 and #5.

I like Lost in Translation for the win since it actually made ME feel lonely. Whereas Fight Club did not.

How ironic to use the Chuck quote in the 4th place movie when it's from #5. I like.

@BeckEye - do yourself a favor and read the book instead.

RK said...

stand by me,
fight club,
the shawshank redemption,
up in the air,
about a boy,
eternal sunshine of a spotless mind and the one u all missed cool hand luke. All these movies are my favorite whenever alone n down i watch this also worth a mention
is rocky (when the last bell rings and i am still standing i will know i am not another bum from neighbourhood)

Daniel said...

I watched "Little Children" last night. Great film with loneliness and longing for a better life as central themes. I highly recommend it. Very entertaining and thoughtful movie. If you get Sundance Channel it is on at 7pm tonight.

Anonymous said...

the good girl (Jake Gyllenhaal's character)

in the mood for love

lars and the real girl

turn left turn right

about schmidt