As a
British history buff, the film-maker loves everything from A Man for All Seasons to Lawrence of Arabia, while wallowing in
Hollywood noirRead all the other Lockdown watch choicesThe best arts and entertainment during self-isolationAs a professional film-maker and lifetime movie buff, I have quite a collection of films, so in times of distress, my wife and I turn to the classics – our cinematic equivalent of comfort food. We shun dystopian dramas and depressing tales of personal trauma and sour relationships in favour of historical epics, film noir and golden age movies with the great Hollywood stars.
As British history buffs, we recently watched Anne of the Thousand Days and A Man for All Seasons, a great double feature because both tell the same story from a different point of view. Similarly, Becket and The Lion in Winter feature Peter O’Toole as Henry II early and late in his reign. With more time available, we’re watching longer films. Cleopatra (1963), although flawed, is especially breathtaking today when you realise it was made long before CGI, so every set was built, and the thousands of extras you see were actually there. The DVD and Blu-ray editions include a compelling feature-length documentary about its making.