Foreign Movies

[unclejack]

Hey yall, I was actually wanting to post this thread askin about any good foreign movies that are out there. I'm really growing increasingly bored with mainstream hollywood and find myself wanting to stray from that arena in search of quality filmmaking. I've seen a few foreign movies that I really liked but I don't wanna start randomly watchin movies that I don't know anything about. Some of the foreign movies that I've seen that I really liked were Anatomy, Anatomy 2, Crimson Rivers, Crimson Rivers 2, I never finished watching the eye but I think I may rewatch it cuz it looks good, and the Bridget Jones Movies. I also like independent movies alot. I liked The Station Agent, I LOVED the move Pi, kinda liked Requim for a Dream even though it was disturbing and emotionally exhausing to watch, and there are others I've seen but can't remember. I wasn't too into the movie Nightwatch, it was just too wierd for me and you have to really stretch your brain to embrace the bizarre concept of the movie. I'm not much of a horror fan anyway, I'm much more into science fiction which is definately my favorite genre. I'm open to other genres also though. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[Allegra]

unclejack, some European films are excellent. I can think of a few for now, may not exactly what you are looking for. And yes Hollywood sucks.

Perfume (German)
The Life of Other People (German)
Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish, not my favourite but some other people enjoyed it.)
Life is Beautiful (Italian)

[HardScienceFan]

los amantes del Circulo Polar
Gegen Die Wand
everything by Tom Tykwer
every Alomodovar
Lo Meglio Iuventute
and zillion others

[unclejack]

I've actually seen pan's labrynth and like it alot. I'm not too much into the whole fantasy scene when it comes to movies so it was kind of a stretch from what I normally watch, but it had an interesting enough story that I enjoyed it even though it was extremely sad. I read a review on Perfume and I know that it's very high on the nudity scale so I'm gonna pass on that one. That is an issue for me in choosing a movie. The rest of them I haven't heard of so I'll check out the trailers when I get a chance.

[unclejack]

Actually, I did go to a couple of foreign movie sites that listed the top 100 foreign movies and there were a couple that caught my eye. Ingmar Bergman kinda catches my eye with some of his movies. I really appreciate movies that have an artistic side to them and that can be very interpretive at times. His movies look like they fit the bill on that one. I'm definately not intersted in the seventh seal, I avoid secularized interpretations of theology as much as possible, but some of his other films like Wild Strawberries and Persona look very appealing to me although the only thing I know of them is what I have read in synopsises and seen in the trailers. La Dolce Vita looks really good but from what I have read I am kind of cautious with it because it sounds like it contains alot of promiscuity and various other similar themes of that type. I don't mind that in a film as a sideline but if I feel the film embraces it and promotes it in a propagandish fashion then I am turned off by it and if the main characters embrace a lifestyle I'm not comfortable with, then I lose interest in the movie. I have certain boundries when it comes to movies regardless of whether or not it is considered a classic or not. Regardless, if you know anything of Bergman or of La Dolce Vita, feel free to lemme know. Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[iansales]

I'd recommend Wild Strawberries over Persona. The latter is very... intense. It also features one of the actresses describing a sexual encounter in graphic detail. Oh, and the opening sequence features a brief shot of an erect penis (which was initially cut from all English-language releases). Wild Strawberries, OTOH, is a gentle and poignant reflection on childhood loves by an aged doctor on his way to his home town to receive a medal.

La Dolce Vita... I'm not a big fan of Fellini. I think you'd be much better off watching Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura.

Other classic European directors worth trying include Andrei Tarkovsky, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Aki Kaurismäki, Werner Herzog and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Oh, and a special mention to Divine Intervention by Elia Suleiman, which isn't European but Palestinian, and is an amazing film.

[Lenny]

There are a few I've seen that stood out.

The first I was going to mention was Pan's Labyrinth... but you've seen it, so I can't.

The others haven't been mentioned:

The Motorcycle Diaries (Spanish, I think)
Wings of Desire (half German, half English)
Run, Lola, Run (German)
House of Flying Daggers (Chinese)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chinese)

[Foxbat]

City Of Lost Children
Delicatessen
Downfall
Cinema Paradiso
Stalker
Anything by Akira Kurosawa

The list is endless

[j. d. worthington]

On Bergman's The Seventh Seal... I don't think I'd let that stop me; it's a marvelous film, richly interpretable, and with various iconic images that you'll recognize from popular culture since. It also has some excellent performances, is a very fascinating piece, and is a wonderfully told story which can be enjoyed whether or not you subscribe to the theological aspects (I certainly don't, for instance).

I'd also suggest Fanny and Alexander, by Bergman, and The Magic Flute, which is simply a delightful film. Cries and Whispers is also very good... heck, most of Bergman that I've seen is good! (Oh, on Fanny and Alexander... you may find the beginning a bit slow, but stick with it... everything there plays an important part in the latter part of the film, either as foreshadowing, or contrast.)

I'd also suggest La Strada, by Federico Fellini... a wonderful little film, seemingly very simple, but really very complex under the surface, with Anthony Quinn in one of his best roles, and a delightful performance by Giulietta Masina.

For sf films, you might want to check out Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris:

Solyaris (1972)

Also, several films by Fritz Lang (before he came to Hollywood -- as well as after, actually) are worth watching, including Metropolis, the Dr. Mabuse films, M.....

I'd also second Kurosawa -- you'll find very few duds there!

As far as horror films go... I'm not much of one for most modern horror, simply because it relies far too much on gore and the "stinger" rather than a good script, good acting & directing, and a carefully-built atmosphere. However, I would suggest several of the Japanese films in that arena (many of which have had American remakes which, frankly, can't hold a candle to the original), as well as a few things from Spain, Mexico, and even Chile.... If you liked Pan's Labyrinth, you should check out The Devil's Backbone. Del Toro uses the fantasy/supernatural tale as a way to address very real socio-historical issues, and does so quite beautifully in these films.

I would also suggest the films of Carl Theodor Dreyer, especially Day of Wrath (1943) and Vampyr (1932) -- this last because of a very dreamlike, eerie approach that works quite well, the former because it is simply a very good drama of a very dark time in history. But I'd suggest Dreyer's films in general. He tends to have a slow, deliberate pacing, but is all the more effective for that; and his silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) is a landmark in filmmaking, and remains startlingly original and quite powerful nearly 80 years later.

As others have said, the list is near-endless; the more you explore of foreign cinema, the more I think you'll find to enjoy and admire... and to revisit over the years....

[Thadlerian]

Make sure to get hold of something by Emir Kusturica, award-winning Bosnian Serb filmmaker. Underground is probably the easiest one to come by. Warm recommendations!

Also: Nimrod Antal's Kontroll - Dark thriller from Budapest subways, my favourite movie.

[littlemissattitude]

I've got to recommend the original Japanese version of Shall we Dance? Forget the US remake (Richard Gere/Jennifer Lopez)...the original is a sweet, funny, lovely film.

Also, big recommendations for:

Central Station (Brazil)
The Dish (Australia)
O Que E Isso Companheiro (Four Days in September) (Brazil)

[Quokka]

Rabbit Proof Fence (Australian) is well worth a watch, its a true story about three aboriginal children leaving a camp to return home during the 1930's when Aboriginal children were forcibly taken away from their familys. IMO one of the best Australian movies to date. The Castle is very funny but one of those comedies that loses alot in translation. Still hollywood probably but Dark City (filmed in oz) has to be one of the more underated Sci Fi movies.

The Commitments is a favourite of mine and My Left Foot is another good Irish movie but I cant remember if that was made by the Irish film industry or hollywood. Daniel Day Lewis's acting in it is amazing and he well deserved the Oscar he won for it.

Once Were Warriors is a very good New Zealand film. It deals with loss of culture, alcoholism and Domsestic Violence among other themes so it can be violent but its not gratuitous. There was a sequel as well but I havent seen it yet.

There's a recent comedy from New Zealand called Sione's Wedding which looks fairly funny, I havent seen it yet but aim to get it next time Im in the DVD store.

Edit: and to add one from England Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels there's been alot of imitations since but this is a great movie, very funny.

[unclejack]

I saw a trailer for rabbit proof fence years ago and it looked pretty good but it also looks like it would be very slow and uneventful. I'm really not that corrupted by hollywood in the sense of having to have some blown out special effects or action in order to keep me interested, but when it comes to inspiriing movies, there does need to be some level of dramatic interaction in order for me to watch it. I'm way too impatient to just let the overall theme and premise of a movie in it's inspiring nature drive me to watch it all the way through. My Left Foot is another one like that, I like inspiring movies but I guess I'm kinda squeemish when it comes to that kind of thing. Maybe squeemish isn't the right word but I find movies about people with dissabilities and there efforts to adapt to be partly inspiring and partly depressing. I hope that doesn't sound insensitive cuz I don't mean it that way, I just have a low tollerance for movies that I find to be very sad.

[unclejack]

Oh, and I saw the commitments and, eh....it was okay. I'm not real big on band movies but it was worth watchin anyway. I actually hated Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels, I didn't even make it all the way through the movie. I guess that foreign style of humor just doesn't do it for me. I did like trainspotting though.
Another movie with Ewen Mcgregor that I did like was shallow grave. I think that movie is a cinematic masterpiece when it comes to horror. Very chilling and unsettling in some parts. I think it stands as one of the best horror movies of all time.

[unclejack]

lol, sorry about all the reposts but I keep forgettin to mention stuff. Anyway, I said I'm not into foreign humor, but the exception to that would be british humor, that I basically can watch until me eyes fall out. As far as I know though, there is more out there in the realm of british sitcoms than there is big screen british humor. I guess not too many people have taken the time to take that original brand of humor and to tie it into a full length movie complete with an intelligilbe plot. But as far as the sitcoms go, I think they are the best. I love Mr. Bean, Keeping Up appearances, and the other one about the department store but I can't remember the name of it.