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What's the ultimate cheapest way of seeing
London? In the movies, of course! Rent or buy the following movies for great
views and experiences of the city. Some of the movies may well present a
stylised and somewhat unnatural view of the city, but who cares? It's still a great
means of seeing the capital!
101
Dalmatians (1996)
London, as brought to you by Disney. Very picturesque, pretty,
romantic...oh, and cute puppies too! There are some very fairytale views
of London's skyline, as well as and actually fairly realistic-looking
Battersea Park. Trafalgar Square also gets shown. |
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About A Boy
(2002)
Hugh Grant seems to be doing quite a good job of publicising London
through the medium of film - five of his movies are featured here. And
in About A Boy, a variety of locations are used including
Clerkenwell (see below), Regent's Park and Hakkasan restaurant in Soho.
Well worth watching. |
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A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Bizarrely, some of the scenes (just after the bank robbery when they
make a getaway, and nearly run over the old lady) were shot in a square in
Clerkenwell - just around the corner from where Hugh Grant's character,
Will, had is apartment in About A Boy! Also shown is Little Venice in
Maida Vale, northwest London - so-called because of its canals - and even
good old Heathrow Airport makes an appearance. A highly
recommended movie! (Not for London, but for the comedy!) |
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Bridget Jones's Diary
(2001) and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Sights of London numerous (vg), lovely English men 2 (excellent)
Of particular interest is the 192 Restaurant on Kensington Park
Road, W11, which is also mentioned in the book! |
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Die Another Day (2003)
Of the various bits of London that can be
seen in this movie, the top bit of trivia concerns Vauxhall Cross Underground station that James Bond
goes down to (to visit Q in his laboratory) via a secret entrance. This,
technically, shouldn't warrant inclusion on this page - Vauxhall Cross does
not exist, and the scenes weren't filmed in an actual Underground station.
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Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994)
Truthfully, London doesn't feature so prominently in this film, and
some other lovely British locations are also the focus for the numerous
events described in the title. One city landmark that is featured is the
South Bank complex, where Charles (Hugh Grant) declares his love for
Carrie (Andie MacDowell), whilst the Church of St Bartholomew the Great,
apparently the oldest place of worship in London, is also shown. |
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Friends (end of Season 4 & "The
Making Of" extras on the Season 5 DVD)
Okay, okay, so not actually a movie. Blink-and-you-miss-it shots of London. Did
Jennifer, Courteney and the rest of the gang really fly all that way to film
some of the episodes in London? They did indeed, and they also filmed the
studio scenes in front of British audiences (which they were nervous of
doing, apparently, as they were unsure of the reaction they'd get).
Highlights include Joey and Chandler arguing ("You're Westminster
crabby!!"), and cameos from Richard Branson and Sarah Ferguson. Some of the last sentence
may have been said in a sarcastic tone. |
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Notting Hill (1999)
Filmed in...er...Notting Hill, so it's unsurprising that you'll see a
considerable part of that area of London in the film, such as Portobello
Road (the market), Westbourne Park Road, Golborne Road and the Coronet
Cinema on Notting Hill Gate. The Ritz Hotel (in Mayfair) is also featured, whilst the
film premiere shown towards the end of the movie was shot at the Empire
Cinema in Leicester Square. |
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Sliding Doors (1998)
Complete with inaccurate tube travel - no, not the good service and
levels of cleanliness, but the fact that the tube trains/signs/exits don't
correspond. Yes, it is pernickety to have pointed that out. There are also
some quite nice scenes featuring the Thames, and it's probably one of the
few films to feature Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in Fulham. |
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The World Is Not Enough (1999)
There are some quite stunning sequences filmed in London for this James
Bond film, the best of the bunch being the boat chase on the River Thames,
during which a number of famous landmarks can be seen in the background. The much-maligned Millennium Dome also
features (although this has now become the infinitely more successful O2 Arena) as does the MI6
building on the south bank of the Thames. |
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