Well, you’ll be in heaven

Tati’s Hulot on the loose in a surreal, scarcely recognisable Paris, tangling intermittently with a troop of friendly American matrons on a 24-hour trip. Not so much a saga of the individual against an increasingly dehumanised décor, it’s more a semi-celebratory symphony to Tati’s sensational city set, all reflections and rectangles, steel, chrome, gleaming sheet metal and trompe-l’oeil plate glass. Shot in colour that looks almost like monochrome, recorded in five-track stereo sound with scarcely a word of speech (the mysterious language of objects echoes louder than words), this jewel of Tati’s career is a hallucinatory comic vision on the verge of abstraction. SJO

Dreyer’s most universally acclaimed masterpiece remains one of the most staggeringly intense films ever made. It deals only with the final stages of Joan’s trial and her ex*****on and is composed almost exclusively of close-ups: hands, robes, crosses, metal bars, and (most of all) faces. The face we see most is, naturally, Falconetti’s as Joan, and it’s hard to imagine a performer evincing physical anguish and spiritual exaltation more palpably. Dreyer encloses this stark, infinitely expressive face with other characters and sets that are equally devoid of decoration and equally direct in conveying both material and metaphysical essences. The entire film is less moulded in light than carved in stone: it’s magisterial cinema, and almost unbearably moving. TR

Banned on its original release as ‘too demoralising’, and only made available again in its original form in 1956, Renoir’s brilliant social comedy is epitomised by the phrase ‘everyone has their reasons’. Centreing on a lavish country house party given by the Marquis de la Chesnaye and his wife (Dalio, Gregor), the film effects audacious slides from melodrama into farce, from realism into fantasy, and from comedy into tragedy. Romantic intrigues, social rivalries, and human foibles are all observed with an unblinking eye that nevertheless refuses to judge. The carnage of the rabbit shoot, the intimations of mortality introduced by the after-dinner entertainment, and Renoir’s own performance are all unforgettable. Embracing every level of French society, from the aristocratic hosts to a poacher-turned-servant, the film presents a hilarious yet melancholy picture of a nation riven by petty class distinctions. NF

In Marcel Carné’s rich, literary romance from 1945 (‘France’s answer to “Gone with the Wind”!’), four men tussle for the affections of one woman, the conflicted, sphinx-like Garence (Carné regular Arletty), an ice maiden in the league of Marlene Dietrich who, in nearly every shot, has her eyes masked by a beam of light. Such ethereal, delicately cinematic touches add to a film which is content to let a dazzling, witty script (by Jacques Prévert), sumptuous set design and exceptional performers lend the fiction its lifeblood. DJ

We really can’t stress enough how major Manchester’s music scene is. Given the city’s open-mindedness, bands of all genres have made it and continue to make it here, so no visit would be complete without a trip to at least one live gig. We’d recommend catching an up-and-comer at one of the city’s many brilliant small venues. Dance to some locally grown talent at the sweaty, subterranean Soup Kitchen, or knock back some rooftop cocktails before seeing a top band at Manchester’s hottest music venue, YES.

Step back in time, literally, as you walk (or bike) along one of the oldest roads in the Roman empire: the Appia Antica. This ancient road connected Rome to Brindisi and remains one of the most picturesque areas in the city. The surrounding park is also full of cultural heritage sites, including catacombs and mausoleums that contain the remains of notable figures such as popes, martyrs and nobility.

This narrow, winding, quaint street in York’s historic quarter draws visitors in droves. The Shambles – an Old English word for slaughterhouse, FYI – is the perfect example of how well-preserved York is. Many buildings on this street date back to the 14th century and still have butcher hooks out front. At first glance, you might wonder which idiot erected these wonky, top-heavy timber-framed buildings, but the overhang actually had a practical purpose: to protect the ‘wattle and daub’ walls below and stop the butchers’ meat from going off in the sunshine. Genius.

Milan’s design scene is hard to beat – head to the Nilufar Depot, and you’ll soon discover why. Nina Yashar is one of the city’s top dealers, having made a name for herself collecting and selling 20th-century Italian furniture. She’s run her gallery on Via della Spiga since 1979, but it was only in 2015 that she opened this massive warehouse showcasing a collection of vintage and contemporary design pieces she’s assembled over the years.

If you’re looking for some green space but want to skip the crowds, there are more gardens to wander through than just the jam-packed Boboli. Your first stop should be the Bardini. Take a walk through the olive grove or, if you’re lucky, visit during April when the magnificent purple wisteria arch is in bloom. At the top of the baroque staircase, you’ll find a beautiful little bar serving up glasses of wine (and snacks) to go with your views.

The Pitt Rivers is Oxford’s world-famous museum of archaeology and ethnography, probably best known for its collection of very, very tiny shrunken heads. It’s not often people genuinely get excited about a museum. The heads are part of it, but there are half a-million-and-counting other exhibits here, too. Entry is free.