Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady
British cinematic heritage dates back to 1889, when English inventor William Friese Greene created the first moving pictures on celluloid film. Over the years, award-winning films, actors, directors, and locations (London in particular) have helped keep the UK in the spotlight. Here are five films that showcase London's beauty and unexpected corners of British culture.
Somers Town
This unique story about a friendship between two boys takes place in London, around the time of the construction of the chunnel and the launch of the first Eurostar train (disclaimer: the movie was partially funded by Eurostar). Even so, it’s a delightful portrait of cross-cultural friendship in London that goes from ugly (Somers Town is still a less-than-idyllic neighborhood) to a joyful playground for Tomo and Marek, the main characters. It's worth watching to see the area around St. Pancras before its overhaul in 2007.
My Beautiful Laundrette
A very young Daniel Day-Lewis puts on the hat of a troubled Londoner divided between his childhood friends—a group of lazy skinheads—and his love for a first generation Anglo-Pakistani man who is eager to change his fortune. The story is set during the ‘80s, at a time when England was struggling with the Thatcher government and social and racial tensions were high.
READ FURTHER:
http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2012/04/Context-London
