In recent years this almost seems like a ritual: Woody Allen releases films that mainly deal with the cities they happen in. After Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris, this year we get To Rome with Love, which takes place – how incredibly surprising – in Rome.

Indeed, some of the greatest cities in the world have inspired great movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Tokyo: Tokyo Story (1953)
Yasujiro Ozu’s most widely distributed and best-known film presents the story of an elderly couple in post World War II Japan. They come to Tokyo to visit their various children and realize that the family has essentially fallen apart. The estrangement of the big city beautifully reflects the estrangement among the family members.

Las Vegas: Las Vegas (2003-2008)
Resorts, casinos, hotels, restaurants… all of the hedonistic and luxurious things Vegas has to offer appear in this stylized and sexy TV show. It focuses on a team of people working at the fictional Montecito Resort & Casino, dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and restaurant management to casino security.

Paris: Paris, Je T’aime (2006)
A collection of short tales that are just as magical, romantic and unique as the city itself. Each story takes place in a different Parisian quarter, with a different cast and characters. A must see for all of you Francophiles!

Chicago: Chicago (2002)
Dark, yet sparkling and glamorous – yes, I’m talking about Chicago, both the movie and the city (at least in its 1920s version…) The captivating musical deals with two women’s aspirations for fame and glory, even while handling life in prison.

St. Petersburg: Russian Ark (2002)
Russian Ark doesn’t even focus on an entire city, but rather on a very specific part of it: the Hermitage museum and complex of Palaces, in St. Petersburg, Russia. The film captures magnificently the rich past of Tsarist Russia – the wealth, the splendor, the priceless works of art… a fascinating glimpse of a fascinating city.

Baltimore: The Wire (2002-2008)
Each season of this excellent TV series focuses on a different facet of the city of Baltimore. Though it is basically categorized as a crime drama, even the creator of the series claimed that it is “really about the American city, and about how we live together. It’s about how institutions have an effect on individuals.”

Delhi: Monsoon Wedding (2001)
India is a mysterious and magical place in many westerner’s eyes. On the one hand it’s dirty, full of poverty and human misery, while on the other, it is fascinating, exotic and has beautiful ancient architecture. Monsoon Wedding, which takes place in Delhi, reflects that contradiction very well. Shot beautifully, it depicts different classes in India and the contrast between tradition and modernity in Indian society.

London: Sherlock (2010 ongoing)
Contemporary London rarely seems more vibrant and busy than in the current BBC adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock’s fast paced wit and the conclusions he draws in his investigations combines well with the fast pace of the city.

Berlin: Run Lola Run (1998)
Urban, grey and somewhat industrial, Run Lola Run is a great depiction of Berlin in the late 90s. Divided into 3 sections, each one showing a different set of events, the movie deals with Lola, a young woman who has but 20 minutes to locate a missing bag containing 100,000 Deutsche Marks or come up with the money some other way–if she can’t, gangsters are going to kill her boyfriend.

New Orleans: Treme (2010 ongoing)
The series takes place three months after Hurricane Katrina, as the residents of New Orleans, including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and ordinary New Orleanians try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane.

Popularity: 1% [?]