My Top 25 Favorite Foreign Films

632   7.1   7.6 

Growing up, it always frustrated me whenever the majority of big budget action flicks or martial arts movies of the time often seemed to sacrifice on story to make room for the expansive bangs & the expensive effects. It was generally said, that in these types of movies, you couldn't really have both, particularly, at a consistent high level. And I was one those kids who always asked "Why not?"
And then came the House Of Flying Daggers. And with it's beautiful story of love & intrigue, combined with lavish costumes, solid performances & unique individually themed action sequences, this film of the burgeoning genre known as wuxia, seemed to asked that very same question.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

303   8   8.1 

Good horror movies come so rarely into my life. The same with good vampire movies. And the same also goes for good love stories (I refrain from using the term "romance movies" since I find Hollywood's idea of romance is always so impossibly & ridiculously fairy-tale-like). This movie is 2 outta 3 (Though there is some, it's very light on the horror). Told more in an adult manner, yet still with enough of an escapist sensibilty that is respective to the genre, this is a soft, beautiful & beguiling story (which is really saying something since I don't know what that word means) of two 12 year olds finding love for the first time thru the flaws of each of their separate (& sometimes desperate) life situations.
The lead actors for this movie portray their characters with a true down to earth awkwardness that is usually found with kids at this age, along with a longing that is both sincere & convincing.
As far as vampire love stories go, I find myself agreeing with those who compare this one with another human-falls-for-bloodfeeder film that was released around the same time :
the 15 year old girls can have their Twilight. I'll take LTROI.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

258   8.1   8.3 

Before movies like Crouching Tiger/ Hidden Dragon & Hero came along & added the artistically flair fantasy elements to these types of epic movies, there was Ran. Some of the most beautiful & grand visuals ever in an Akira Kurosawa film. The fact that his name was associated with this project guaranteed this film's sweeping quality. And, the added high budget seemed to compromise his vision not in the slightest. Instead, it seemed to open up the potentiality that Mr. Kurosawa had holding in his already abundant visionary dreams.
Definitely my favorite of his works.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

314   6.7   7 

Because of the severe financial restraints of this picture, the story is forced to be told thru the creativity of all-out action in it's purest, unadulterated form. I think that there should be a law requiring that all big budget action films be shot & directed with as much energy & fun as in this sparsely financed dynamo, before even one cent of the million dollars of special effects is spent.
Cool, violent & high-octane action-adventure in all it's bared-boned glory.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1434   8.1   8.4 

Pan's Labyrinth is a film whose creativity & emotion are elegantly entwined in a manner that blurs the barrier between the "real" world & the fantasy dimension, almost beyond physical distinction.
Just an absolutely beautiful movie that successfully takes the constant air of peril that comes with living under the grim realities of war & overlays it with the macabre & twisted influence that such a situation can have on a young creative mind's fairy-tale-like imaginations.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

191   6.7   7 

Some of the most breathtaking & gorgeously intricate background set designs ever in a film. So rich are the colors & exquisite details in this movie, that it requires multiple viewings just to be able to soak it all in. Once one can get passed that aspect of the film, it will become obvious that the sets are not a distraction, but an enhancement to the story. An enrichment that adds to the dialogue with an intensity that allows the ideas of what appears to be human pettiness behavior in a royal setting to be revealed as much grander in scope & concept.
And for a movie that can make someone as simple minded as myself come to a conclusion like that, that's definitely a statement to the power of it's artistry.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

998   8.2   8.8 

For me, watching this Brazillian-based film feels almost exactly like watching a documentary. One frighteningly all-too real scene involves a young (incredibly young) kid gang member who is cornered by a much older gang leader from another troupe & then is asked to choose between getting shot in the hand or in the foot. IMO, it is a scene that holds more power, depth & context than most movies contain in their entirety. An incredibly eye-opening & moving picture that reveals the true grit of violence, hopelessness & poverty of the South American slums that lie behind tourist paradises such as Rio de Janeiro and the like.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

191   7.3   7.6 

I had heard of Zatoichi, but never bothered looking up anything about this long-lasting character of the East. I stumbled on this DVD, & found myself enjoying it so much, that the end result was multiple viewings with no diminishment in enjoyment. The movie, just like the series of an earlier time, follows the latest adventure of a mystery traveler commonly referred to as the "blind masseuse", who in actuality is a gentle samurai warrior who's lone wolf journeys could've well been the inspiration of the Italian counter-part, "Man With No Name" of spaghetti western fame. Silent, noble & despite his blindness, the ability to see with more clarity, not just the world around him, but also the will & intentions contained within the hearts of all he encounters.
A great classic character of the Japanese tradition.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

216   7.4   7.7 

Take what Cloverfield took from The Blair Witch Project, add a dash of 28 Days Later, and then sprinkle on some sub-titles (at least, in my case),
& there you go. A quality zombie flick of which I rarely get to see without a giant glob of gooey camp splattered all over it.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

284   7.7   7.7 

Also known as Belleville Rendez-vous.



Speaking as someone who has worked the majority of his life as an illustrator & cartoonist, I was surprised at how close this flick was to the specific style of drawing that got me interested in the field to begin with. Gritty yet beautifully rendered, cartoonishly exaggerated yet realistically animated. I could look at artwork like this all day.
Plus, even though it is a foreign film, it has no dialogue in it, at all. And therefore, no need for sub-titles. So if some bizarre accident occurs (heaven forbid, of course) whereby that part of your brain that's responsible for reading becomes inexplicably cancelled out, you'll still be able to watch & enjoy this flick.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

274   7.6   7.7 

Part of a Vengeance Trilogy of which the more well-renowned Oldboy belongs to. IMO, of the trio, I find that Sympathy For Lady V to more strongly emphasize director Park Chan-wook's "poetic" use of visuals (a phrase you'll probably be able to understand better once you watch it) with a story that flows much smoother into it's gritty climax that, for my money, is richly laden with an equal balance of above-the-law justice & a plausible & sensible empathy for it's unique plot-device.
So while I also recommend Oldboy as a great flick that is armed with a more in-your-face type of plot twist, I still find that my sympathies tend to lean stronger towards Lady Vengeance.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

597   8.6   8.8 

Considered Akira Kurosawa's most accomplished work, Seven Samurai is a black & white classic whose story has inspired many a film afterwards, most notably (& one of my favorites) the Magnificent Seven.
It's a story of the Old East, which coincidently enough, runs themes which will eventually become staples in movies dealing with the Old West.
Here, the heros are truly heroes, but each is shown as a distinctive individual, with human traits & flaws that allow for the empty space to be felt whenever a warrior falls, in battles that, as the movies states, are never truly won.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

232   8.2   8 

This film is an excellent example of what can happen when all of the effort of special effects is replaced with maximum effort into the script.
Definitely a thinking man's science fiction film whose intellect sacrifice none of the science nor none of the fiction.
The plot utilizes the fantasy element of the genre to delve intricately into themes of the pysche such as regret, love, pity, self-inflection & even the most monumental of these concepts, the justification of life and death. It does so with enough room to allow the viewer with no other answer other than the store of reflection which he or she carries with them into the film, before & after.
Despite an incrimately moving pace that many of today movie-watchers may at first be uncomfortable with, once you settle into it's richly layered rythym, Solaris is a great film whose provocation of thought is as richly satisfying as is the grandest world-demolishing visuals of any other more explosive sci-fi films.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

869   7.4   8 

After watching this movie, a viewer's movie-enjoying senses can easily feel depleted, but in a good way. Because just when the story seems like it's about to slow down, it picks up it's velocity again, for one more lap around the track. A plotline whose simplicity can appear to be much more than it actually is due to the layered formula in which it is energetically executed. It is a result that can make one appreciatively smile with a sense of satisfaction that such a tense & thrilling film could've been made from such a simple idea.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

37   7.6   7.2 

So far, the most updated amazing computer animation in any animated feature.
Simply put, the computer-generated visuals in this film truly have to be seen in order to be believed.
However, even though the story is solid, as the sci-fi epic that Appleseed's visuals aspire to be, it does lack some originality in it's plotline. It is for this reason, combined with the indistinguisnness of the faces (as is usually common for most 3-D anime) that prevented this film from being ranked higher on this list, despite the fact that the graphics are, so far, some of the most favorite that my eyes have ever laid upon.
That said, there wasn't a frame in this movie where I just wasn't completely stunned with awe. The technical details & intricate designs in Ex Machina are some of the most striking ever to be generated on film.
Iron-Man's armor looks like it was created by Fisher-Price compared to the hardware that these guys are wearing.
A true marvel to behold.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1188   7.4   8 

The movie that practically introduced the West to the trend of wuxia-style film-making.



A martial arts film that decides that it's not goin to be one.
Many forms of physical combat like to brag of itself as being a form of violent ballet, but Crouching Tiger Hidden dragon is one that just wants to portray it martial arts as an art tool that blends into the majesty of the story's theme of honor, love & wisdom, that this film ends up laying claim to that dance-metaphor that the other fighting films wish they could be truly worthy of.
No character in this film, no matter how small, is colored in the simple black & white colors of good & evil, and all are dutied bound by a personal sense of honor. And both men & women are equally capable in either mastefully full contact engagement or scaling the walls & even the very air in gravity defying leaps that serve more to enhance the fable-like atmosphere of the story.
Intelligent, straightforward & "martially artistic", Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a pure fun action flick merged into a story whose simplicity is hidden behind the human depth of a group of characters who believe their respective situations to be truly epic.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

284   6.9   7.5 

She's crazy, she's French & she's a hitman. What more can you ask for from a crazy female assassin flick made in France?



Point Of No Return, while not that bad of a film, does not compare with this original version.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

830   7.2   8 

A martial arts movie with beautifully colored fighting themes, an actual purpose in it's plotline & more arrows than some metaphor that would contain a point about many more arrows that any situaion would ever deem necessary.
An epic kung-fu flick that is way more poetic than this or any description of Hero could ever hope to be.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

17   7.1   6.5 

At first glance, this looked like a B-style action-flick that was just too goofy for me. But as I watched it, it became more like a movie that seem to sufficiently balance between the lines of well-crafted high-fantasy creditability & a comicbook-like storyline. And also at the same time, between epic wuxia style battle moves & cheesy yet energetically fun kung-fu camp.
And at the center, tying all these almost conflicting themes together are three high-flying colorful female warriors whose chemistry made it impossible for me not to fall in love with each one of them. This trio of hot asian super-heroines who fight crime with such cool moves & kick-ass sultry outfits are so sexy, that it makes my pimp-ass want to do sumthin villainous just for the spanking.
Plus, I defy any one not to "loose their head" over the villianous Kau & his throwing "skull-cage" on a chain.
While I realize that this isn't really considered a maverick of this field,for me, the charisma between these well-rounded & distinct characters was enuff to hook me into this non-guilty guilty pleasure.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

752   8.2   8.3 

A hard-bitten, no-holds barred tale of revenge that bites hard & holds no bars. And while I know that sentence is doublely redundant, it seems to fit the situation as far the level of emotional ravishing that this story leads it's characters up to. Brutal it may be, it's a film that depicts it story in an operatic level & with a refreshing energy to give the film a distinct life that widely separates it from the standard vengeance theme of traditional Hollywood-fare. IMO, a great flick that is armed with a in-your-face type of plot twist & proves that the medium of the graphic novel & comicbook (of which this movie is based off) is a world full of potentially good cinema, if one is willing to shuffle passed the mainstream same old same old.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

69   7.8   7.6 

Monkey see, Monkey fu.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

1763   8.2   8.6 

A French film of such a picturesque quality, both in it's scenery as in it's colorful storyline, that one can't help but walk away from this movie with a smile that may contain a certain je ne sais quoi.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

91   7.3   7.6 

Now while I agree with most people that (Legend Of The) Drunken Master II was technically a better & more masterful movie, this film is the beginning, & my favorite one featuring Jackie Chan's comedic style of "combat". There are still times when I watch the action scenes of DM & they still seem as energetic, cool & creatively crazy today as back when this first came out.
And also,
I bet I could fight like that too.
If I was drunk.
Really drunk.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

261   7.5   7.4 

Y'know how when you try to wake up your foot after it's fallen asleep & it then feels like there are a hundred thin needles piercing thru the flesh? Raise the level of that feeling from uncomfortable to horrific,
add a little razor-wire & an angelic smile, & there you go. You've got this movie.
Rarely does the face of horror look so beautiful and hurt so torturously bad at the same time.

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

174   8.2   7.9 

Do you like movies with bullets, babies, lots of all-out, gun-toting action & that don't come sunny-side up?
Then this is the film for you.

The Mighty Celestial's rating: