Cities in Movie Titles Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bruges

"In Bruges" is a 2008 dark comedy/thriller directed by British/Irish cinematographer Martin McDonagh.

The plot follows two Irish hitmen, Ray and Ken, who lay low in the medieval city of Bruges, Belgium, after a botched job in London. As they wait for further instructions from their boss, Ray struggles with guilt over his mistake. At the same time, Ken finds unexpected peace in the serene city. The arrival of their boss, with violent intentions, forces both men to reconsider their choices.
With the help of his outstanding cast - Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes - McDonagh created a sharp-witted and emotional movie against a hauntingly beautiful backdrop.

Answer: Tokyo

"Tokyo Story" is a 1953 film directed by Yasujiro Ozu. In the movie, an elderly couple, Shūkichi and Tomi, leave their rural home to visit each of their children one by one in Tokyo. The children are busy and preoccupied and the parents are treated with apathy and lack of emotion. The only warmth and kindness they receive comes from their widowed daughter-in-law, Noriko.

As the couple quietly endures neglect and disappointment, the film exposes the generational disconnect and the changing family dynamics, especially regarding aging.

Answer: New Orleans

"The Toast of New Orleans", starring Mario Lanza, Kathryn Grayson, Rita Moreno, and David Niven and directed by Norman Taurog, is a 1950 romantic musical about Pepe Abellard Duvalle, a carefree Cajun fisherman with a powerful singing voice, discovered by a famous opera diva, Suzette Micheline.

As Pepe is groomed for stardom in the opera, he struggles to adapt to high society and maintain his down-to-earth nature. Romance blooms between him and Suzette, but their clashing worlds and ambitions threaten to pull them apart.

The movie is filled with vibrant music and humor, and the song "Be My Love" was nominated for the Best Music, Original Song Academy Award.

Answer: Paris

"Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris" is a heartwarming comedy-drama directed by Anthony Fabian in 2022. It is based on the "Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris" 1958 Paul Gallico book and tells the story of Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London who becomes enchanted by a Dior couture gown in her employer's closet. Determined to own one herself, she scrapes together the money and travels to Paris, where her kindness and determination charm everyone from fashion house staff to aristocrats.

Lesley Manville plays the charming Mrs. Harris, Isabelle Hubbert the snobbish Christian Dior director, and Lambert Wilson the French aristocrat who becomes her friend.

Answer: Santa Fe

Set in the Wild West, "Santa Fe Trail" follows the story of Jeb Stuart and his friendship with George Armstrong Custer as they battle Native Americans and abolitionists. The film takes some liberties with history, portraying Custer as a hero and abolitionist John Brown as a villain. Despite this, "Santa Fe Trail" was a box office success and helped solidify Errol Flynn's status as a leading man.

It was directed by Michael Curtiz in 1940 with Ronald Reagan as George Armstrong Custer.

Answer: Budapest

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014), directed by Wes Anderson, is a whimsical and visually stunning comedy-drama set in a fictional European country during the Interwar period. The story follows the adventures of the fastidious concierge Gustave H. (played by Ralph Fiennes) and his loyal lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) as they become entangled in a murder mystery involving a stolen Renaissance painting and a vast family fortune.

The star-studded cast includes Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, and Jeff Goldblum.

Answer: Manhattan

"Manhattan Murder Mystery" (1993) is a sharp, funny whodunit directed by Woody Allen, who also stars alongside Diane Keaton, reuniting their classic on-screen chemistry.

The story follows Larry and Carol Lipton, a middle-aged New York couple whose monotonous lives take a thrilling turn when their neighbor suddenly dies and Carol becomes convinced it was murder. With a growing obsession, she embarks on her amateur sleuthing, while Larry reluctantly joins in. Their pursuit leads them to a twisty, suspenseful, and hilarious investigation through Manhattan's streets and secrets.

With supporting performances by Alan Alda and Anjelica Huston, the film is a playful blend of mystery and neurotic comedy, very much in Allen's signature style.

Answer: L.A.

"L.A. Confidential" is a 1997 neo-noir crime film set in Los Angeles in the 1950s. The movie follows three police officers as they investigate a series of murders and corruption within the LAPD. "L.A. Confidential" was critically acclaimed and won two Academy Awards, one for Best Adapted Screenplay and one for Kim Bassinger in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category.

The film was based on a novel of the same name by James Ellroy, which was part of a quartet of novels known as the "L.A. Quartet". The other novels in the series are "The Black Dahlia", "The Big Nowhere", and "White Jazz", all also set in Los Angeles.

"L.A. Confidential" was directed by Curtis Hanson, with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce in the leading male roles.

Answer: Shanghai

"Shanghai Express" (1932) is a stylish, dramatic film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Marlene Dietrich. Set during a civil war in China, it follows a group of passengers traveling by train from Peking to Shanghai, who get caught up in political intrigue and personal drama. Among them is the glamorous and mysterious Shanghai Lily, a "coaster", meaning a woman who accompanies her "clients" along the coast of China.

The movie became famous for its stunning black-and-white cinematography and Dietrich's unforgettable screen presence.

Answer: Moscow

"Moscow on the Hudson" is a 1984 movie directed by Paul Mazursky and starring Robin Williams in one of his early serious roles. He plays Vladimir Ivanoff, a Russian circus saxophonist who defects to the United States during a trip to New York City. After an impulsive escape inside a Bloomingdale's department store, Vladimir struggles to adjust to life as a new immigrant-learning English, finding work, facing loneliness, and chasing the elusive American dream.

The movie mixes humor with emotional depth, capturing both the absurdities and the hardships of starting over as a stranger in a new land. Robin Williams delivers a touching, human performance, for which he actually learned Russian, to play the saxophone and even circus skills.

Answer: Havana

"Our Man in Havana" (1959), directed by Carol Reed, is based on the novel by Graham Greene. It is a sharp, satirical spy comedy set in pre-revolutionary Cuba with Alec Guinness as James Wormold, a struggling British vacuum cleaner salesman who is recruited by MI6 to be their "man in Havana". Desperate for money, Wormold invents fake agents and bogus intelligence reports, until his fabrications start to have dangerous real-world consequences. Maureen O'Hara, Burl Ives, and Ralph Richardson also star in the movie that mocks espionage, bureaucracy, and the absurdities of Cold War paranoia.

Answer: Oslo

Danish-Norwegian Joachim Trier directed "Oslo, August 31st" in 2011, a quiet, haunting drama about one day in the life of Anders, a recovering addict in Oslo. Having just left rehab, he wanders through the streets, compelled to face the deep loneliness, guilt, and lost opportunities that have marked his life. The movie creates a fragile balance between despair and hope, using the city itself almost as a silent witness to Anders' inner turmoil. It's a truthful, and deeply moving portrait of a man torn between his desire to be alive and not being able to find a reason.

"Oslo, August 31st" is loosely based on the French novel "Le Feu Follet" (The Fire Within) by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle.

Answer: Las Vegas

The 1995 film "Leaving Las Vegas" was directed by Mike Figgis and starred Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The movie tells the story of a suicidal alcoholic who moves to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, and the prostitute he forms a relationship with. The movie demonstrates a raw and unflinching portrayal of addiction and despair, and is considered a classic of independent cinema.

It was shot in just 29 days on a budget of $3.6 million, and went on to win numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Actor for Nicolas Cage's performance.

Answer: Barcelona

"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (2008), directed by Woody Allen, is a sun-drenched romantic drama set in Spain. It follows two American friends, the sensible Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and the free-spirited Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) during a summer in Barcelona. They both become entangled with a charming, passionate artist, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), and his fiery, unstable ex-wife, María Elena (Penélope Cruz). As relationships shift and passions ignite, the film paints a bittersweet portrait of people searching for meaning and happiness, often in ways they don't fully understand.

The movie was shot entirely in Spain, mostly in Barcelona and Oviedo, with real locations adding authentic charm. The Spanish government partly funded the film to promote tourism.

Bonus trivia: Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem fell in love during the filming. They later got married and had children in real life.

Answer: Cairo

"The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985), directed by Woody Allen, is a bittersweet romantic fantasy set during the Great Depression. It stars Mia Farrow as Cecilia, a lonely and distressed waitress who escapes her harsh reality by going to the movies. One day, Tom Baxter (played by Jeff Daniels), a charming character from the film she's watching, literally steps off the screen and into her life.

As fantasy and reality clash, Cecilia is torn between the real world and the dreamlike promise of romance and adventure.