Sundays are a footnote of the past week as one heads to the next with crossed fingers. A lot rests on the perfect movie for a Sunday, and should guarantee satisfaction. After all, it is the most awaited day of the week.
The weekend could be reserved for a feel-good classic perfect for a group watch or a film that needs to urgently come off of the procrastinated list. Sometimes, some weeks do not go well and a feel-good film might seem too aspirational. A dark comedy or a struggle story with a positive outcome might just do the trick. Here are 10 films that are full of surprises and comforts for a special Sunday.
10 Due Date
Due Date, directed by Todd Philips, stars Robert Downey Jr. as an expectant father named Peter who finds himself on a cross-country drive with Ethan, an aspiring actor played by Zach Galifianakis. The film is hilarious with Downey Jr’s deadpan sardonic humor and Ganifianaki’s physical comedy. The duo’s characters share contrasting personalities, as the accident-prone Ethan invites problems to the road trip and Ethan has no choice but to put up with Ethan. Even when it seems impossible, the compelling performance of the actors keeps the story entertaining and succeeds in telling a moving story even with several slapstick moments in the film.
The Hundren-Foot Journey, directed by Lasse Hallström, stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, and Charlotte Le Bon. The film is about an Indian immigrant family setting up an Indian restaurant in a French village, which enrages a Michelin-star French restaurant owner set in the same neighborhood. The film is based on the book of the same name, written by Richard C. Morais. The film expresses the predicaments of an immigrant family settling in Europe for a better life and also shows the importance of cuisines in multicultural societies in practicing identities. The film is a must-watch for anyone interested in culinary narratives and ticks all the boxes for a feel-good comedy-drama for an uplifting Sunday.
8 Once Upon A Time in …. Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in …. Hollywood is set in 1969 Hollywood, which was undergoing a renaissance and was threatened by crime by Charles Manson. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, an actor going through a midlife crisis fearing irrelevance as an aging actor in the industry. Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth, a stuntman covering Dalton’s stunts. The film explores the friendship between the two, which also represented the camaraderie shared by actors and their stuntmen, especially in that era. The film is Tarantino’s romantic at his best, as he pays tribute to the film zeitgeist that raised and influenced him the most. The film is perfect if one is craving the Tarantino punch, but also seeks a nostalgic fest that brings back the ’70s.
7 Midnight in Paris
Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen, is a romantic fantasy starring Owen Wilson as a writer who time-travels across eras in Paris to seek validation from his literary heroes for his work. The film has a dream-like tint to it with the mystical Marion Cotillard playing Adriana, an inspired take on one of Picasso’s mistresses. The film has the scenic touch of the cityscapes that is typical of Allen’s films. The film is starred in Paris and the cinematography of the film is postcard perfect. The film is witty, enlightening, and a delight visually and musically, which makes it a breezy experience. The film stars Tom Hiddleston as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Alison Pill as Zelda Fitzgerald, Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway, Adrien Brody as Salvador Dalí, Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein, Marcial Di Fonzo Co as Pablo Picasso, and many more which makes the film have the most apt casting in years.
6 Chef
Chef is an absolutely unhateable movie. The film stars Favreau (who also directed and wrote it) as a chef who loses his job after abusing a food critic for a negative review of his restaurant. He ends up opening a food truck, which brings back his passion for cooking and feeding customers and also becomes an opportunity to bond with his son and his estranged family. The film works precisely because it is predictable and guarantees a warm journey from the beginning. The film is also special because Favreau made this film after his success directing in the Marvel Franchise, making it a reel meets real moment as he dives into a film with a much smaller budget replete with simplicity. The film also stars his collaborators Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson as Marvin and Molly.
5 Chungking Express
Chunking Express, directed by Wong Kar Wai, consists of two stories, each with a surreal tone accentuated by its stylistic editing and cinematography. The first story is a crime thriller involving a drug smuggler played by Brigitte Lin and a cop who has been dumped by his girlfriend. The second story stars Tony Leung as a police officer who awaits his lover who ghosts him, and a snack bar assistant who develops a soft corner for him and does his household chores secretly. The film is about loneliness and how one copes with it in their own dysfunctional ways, proving there is no politically correct way of dealing with a breakup, loss, or betrayal. The film is known for its visual aesthetic of color composition and the still and blurry images contributing to the visual poetry of the film.
4 Bridesmaids
Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids is a comedy starring the popular female cast members of Saturday Night Live!. The film follows Annie played by Kristen Wiig who is on a personal and financial low after her cupcake business shut down. To add to her problems, her best friend Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph, is getting married, and Annie might have to compete for the spot of the lead bridesmaid. Helen, played by Rose Byrne, attempts to create a rift between the two best friends for her own insecurities. The film is laugh-out-loud funny and is an eye-opener for many reasons. The film rejuvenated the stagnant slapstick comedy genre, that too with an all-female-led cast. It was refreshing to watch a film that intricately expresses female jealousy and competitiveness with humor. The actresses even go the extra mile to deliver spot-on physical comedy that is not common for female actresses, making it a must-watch film.
3 Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook, directed by David O. Russel, is a mood-lifter if one is in a numb phase. The film gives a realistic picture of bipolar disorder and how one copes with it. The film stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, who is bipolar and is back from the psychiatric hospital to live with his parents. He struggles with his disorder, failed marriage, and adjusting to his family. However, there is a glimpse of hope when he meets a widow named Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who has issues of her own. At its core, the film is really about the collective effort it takes to rehabilitate a person struggling with a psychological disorder and Silver Linings Playbook does not shy away from how difficult it can be, and that hope is always possible. The film is perfect if one did not have the best week, but is hopeful for a better Monday.
2 50/50
50/50 is a comedy-drama based on Levine’s own struggles with cancer. Directed by Jonathan Levine and starring Joseph Gordon Levitt as Adam as a do-gooder but gets diagnosed with cancer, the film shows Adam as the average guy who blends with the background and is easy to ignore. However, after the news spreads about his illness, his indifferent boss is all of a sudden considerate, his dysfunctional mother is ready to let bygones be bygones and his inconsiderate girlfriend goes overboard in making him feel seen. Adam feels insulted that he only seems to matter to the people in his life only when he might die from a terminal illness, except for his best friend Kyle, who does not change his behavior post his illness. The film is fresh for its dark humor in handling how one copes with critical illness and gives a heartwarming perspective on coping with the illness as a collective effort.
1 The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited is a film about a dysfunctional family consisting of three brothers who are on a spiritual journey to India to find answers to their problems. The film stars Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrien Brody in the lead roles and is set in India with the visualscape of the Andersonesque universe. It is interesting how Anderson chooses India to be his canvas and contextualizes the spiritualism in India to the lack of belongingness in the brothers. The colors of India fill the eyes and are in contrast to the dull and existential lives of the brothers, which add to the complexity of the story. The film is perfect for a Sunday when one would like to experiment and enter new territory. The film makes one feel a lot of emotions simultaneously, but is not heavy-headed. The film also stars the late actor Irrfan Khan, giving a compelling performance that is hard to forget.