If the London movie map created by FilmLondon and VisitLondon is to be believed, there are few places in this city that haven't been filmed. So next time you have a 'this could be in a film' moment when you're out, that's probably because it was.
London's most often depicted as a jolly place full of Routemaster buses, rather than afloat with porridgey puddles of pavement sick and confused tourists. And yes, there's a high proportion of romantic comedies on the list, but also a surprising number of sci-fi and action films. The South Bank seems to be a key location, having been used for Closer, Thunderbirds, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Borough Market is popular too. It's been featured in eight films including Bridget Jones' Diary, Wilde, and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Westminister Bridge was in both 28 Days Later and 101 Dalmations. Scanning through the film map, you'd think all that Londoners do is go for brisk walks in big parks, fall in love next to tourist attractions, and intermittently have very exciting adventures involving zombies/mummies/American werewolves/Scarlett Johansson. Cool!
However, an alternative film map of London wouldn't go amiss. This comprehensive list might not be a bad starting point. The movie map to Bullet Boy for example probably wouldn't have any takers, but the film manages to make Hackney Marshes look more evocative than any place recently shot in London. How about those films set in historical London - how much does the real thing look like it does on screen? Dirty Pretty Things challenges the tourist board vision of London. What about the London of Mike Leigh's Naked? But if you're planning a romantic day-trip, maybe it's best to stick to the latest Richard Curtis...
Above photo taken from Trenchfoot's photostream on Flickr
