5 inspiring movies to expand your repertoire

My idea of a good movie can be a little aggressive for people who are too comfortable and only want superficial entertainment. People like that won't get the best that my suggestions have to offer.

1. The Monuments Men. A great movie by George Clooney. It looks like a war movie, and some people define it as such. In my opinion, that's due to a lack of depth in their repertoire to understand what is really at stake there - which, even keeping it superficial, I would say includes the reasons why the Nazis wanted to steal works of art from the countries they invaded and the importance of art as a cultural expression. It is based on a true story that took place during World War II. But the movie is about something much deeper. If you're a shallow person who loves being ignorant, avoid it.

2. L'Ora Legale. If everyone around the world watched this movie, any country could be a much better place. It's a wonderful Italian comedy about the contradiction between demanding honest, ethical politicians and being unwilling to change our own behavior or accept the consequences of honest and ethical decisions. It makes people think about changing themselves before pointing fingers at other people's flaws. And I'm not much of a fan of comedies, but I laughed until I cried.

3. A Good Year. Starring Russell Crowe, although I don't think it's one of his most famous movies. It's an incredible movie for reconsidering our ideas about success. Nowadays, with so much pressure to perform, it's essential to stop and think about whether you're running because you actually want to reach a specific goal faster, or because everyone else is running and you don't even know where you're going.

4. The Count of Monte Cristo. Another one that some people interpret in a way that doesn't fully reflect the depth of the work. I recommend the French version of Dumas's classic literary work, which is constantly described as “a book about revenge.” Whenever I see someone saying that, I think the person either never read the book or stopped halfway through, because the ending doesn't fit that description. The French film adaptation, starring Pierre Niney, is the closest to the spirit of the book that I've seen, although it does take some poetic liberties and makes some changes to how the story unfolds in the book. And unlike the 1990s version starring Jim Caviezel, this one also has an ending that is more faithful to the book's ending - not in every tiny detail, but that's actually a good thing too, because it may make you want to read the book all the way to the end, and it's absolutely worth it! As a bonus, Niney's performance is excellent at portraying everything Dantès goes through throughout the story: the naive sailor, the suffering prisoner, the assertive Count, and so many other facets.

5. Mao's Last Dancer. Also based on a true story, it tells the story of a Chinese ballet dancer from Mao Zedong's era who moved to the United States, showing the culture shock and several other relevant issues. There’s a scene I particularly like where Li, still a young boy, is being taken to school by his father on a bicycle, and his father tells him the story of a little frog who lived at the bottom of a well. One day, another frog stopped at the edge of the well and told him that the view from up there was beautiful. The little frog then began to wish to see the view from the top, from the edge of the well. That story, and the entire movie, fit very well with my Repertoire Expansion project and with the idea that we can become comfortable with something bad (like the bottom of a well, or living in China during Mao's era, struggling and believing that people in other countries were even worse off) and think that everything is wonderful. It encourages reflection about leaving our comfort zones, seeking a better life, and making better-informed decisions.

If you've seen any of these, feel free to share your thoughts and perceptions about the movies!

Nycka Nunes