I Love Foreign Films

List your favorite foreign films and explain why.

Of course, not a week goes by, it seems, where I'm not gushing about Jean Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie, and A Very Long Engagement). My only complaint with him is that he works so slowly. Four years between films is torturous! The production design and cinematography is top notch, and the stories and characters are inventive and charming.

Even though it's fashionable to hate on it, I liked Run Lola Run quite a bit. The music is pretty dated (I'm not terribly certain it was all that good in its own time, even), but the direction is all whiz-bang coolness, if not exactly unobtrusive. I love the multiple frame shot of the clock ticking, Lola running, and her boyfriend waiting.

Park Chan-Wook's Oldboy and Lady Vengeance were both excellent, too, if a bit gut-wrenching at moments. The long, long action sequence in the hall way during Oldboy is one of the best screen fights I've ever seen. Lady Vengeance is just plain pretty in every respect.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen too many older "classic" foreign titles yet (Felini, Bergman, Godard, etc). I did just watch the original Solaris a few weeks ago, though, and I think that'll end up on my top 100 after a couple more viewings. Definitely worth checking out. It's a long film, but I could spend all day watching Hari.

Any foreign film that is so engrossing that I dont even notice I'm reading subtitles. If I notice the subtitles, than its just an average movie, nothing special.

So based on that 'science', here are my favorite foreign films:

Run Lola Run, City of God, Pan's Labyrinth, Kolya, Letters from Iwo Jima (yes, i know its a US film, but its still in Japanese), Der Untergang, The Edukators.

I'm with Prelude, if I don't notice I'm reading subtitles then the movie is a winner in my eyes.

Noi the Albino, Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Planet, Nosferatu the Vampire, House of Flying Daggers, Tsotsi, Water, Kandahar and I'll stop myself there...

I love foreign films!

My Faves:
Kung Fu Hustle
Passion of Christ
Millennium Actress
The Mad Adventures of 'Rabbi' Jacob
Les Misérables
....and the list goes on...

Even though it's fashionable to hate on it, I liked Run Lola Run quite a bit...

laugh....

Try the german Das Leben der Anderen (The Life Of Others) Excellent one.

We don't get a lot of foreign films going through my town, but I love it when we get a good one. Pan's Labyrinth was wonderful to watch. The long Road Home was a beautifully shot film with a very emotional story line. Life is Beautiful was pretty amazing the way it went from a warm humorous movie to one that was serious and full of sorrow.
Like most of you the list keeps going...

I'm more of an Asian horror junkie. It began with that movie Audition, it is not only a disturbing film, but it shows how the Asian films are thinking more outside of the box when making movies of this sort. Takashi Miike, also did a more commercial mainstream movie called One Missed Call, which is being remade in the U.S. I suggest watching the Japanese version which is English dubbed for those who don't like subtitles. Due to movies like these, I will rarely watch a high budget Hollywood movie.

I'm a big sucker for Bollywood. Not all of it, but some of the better ones :) They have a way of just being over the top, and ridiculously cheesy, but you're still just laughing and crying along with them (unlike most American films). Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Veer-Zaara are two of my favorites. If you get a chance to watch them (and if you like chick flicks), definitely check them out! It takes a while to get used to the random song and dance interludes, but they're pretty fun once you get a litle used to them.

Also, and on a totally/completely different note, I have to say I love Battle Royale. Yummy Japanese film. Oookay actually the film isn't so great, but it's based on a book by Koushun Takami. READ the book! (translated into English). It's amazing :)

10. Zatoichi - I had heard of this character, but never bothered looking up anything about him.
I stumbled on this DVD, & found myself enjoying it so much, I watched over again like 4 separate times. The movie, just like the series of an earlier time, is follows one adventure of the "blind massuesse", a gentle samurai warrior who's lone wolf journies are the counter-part of the italian "man with no name" spaghetti westerns. Silent, noble & despite his blindness, the ability to see with more clarity, not just the world around him but also the will & intentions comtained within the hearts of all men.
A great classic character of the Japanese tradition.

9. La Femme Nikita - Point Of No Return, while not that bad of a film, does not compare with this original version.

8. Seven Samurai - Of course.
Y'know, this is considered such a classic not just in the genre of foreign film, but in all films in general. Therefore, it qualifies just as a film to watch just to be able to say that you've watched it ( even if you turn out to be one in the minotiry who might not end up liking it).

7. Run Lola Run - Just a fun, simple & creative idea for a movie theme.
Run Lola! Run!!

6. Curse Of The Golden Flower - 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. And 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 make someone as simple minded as myself come to a conclusion like that, that's definitely a statement to power of it's artistry.

5. Pan's Labyrinth - Just an absolutely beautiful movie. This film's creativity & emotion are elegantly entwined in a manner that blurs the barrier between the "real" world & the fantasy dimension, almost beyond physical distinction.

4. City Of God - Watching this movie feels almost exactly like watching a documentary. The scene where the young kid gang member is asked to choose getting shot in the hand or in the foot holds more power, depth & context than most movies contain in their entirety. An incredibly eye-opening & moving picture.

3. El Mariachi - Because of the financial restraints of this picture, the story is forced to be told thru the creativity of all-out action in it's most pure & unadulterated form. There should be a law requiring that all action films be shot & directed with as much energy & fun as this one, before any of the million dollars of special effects are added on.
Action-adventure in it's all bared-boned glory.

2. Ran - 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.

1. House Of Flying Daggers - 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 bangs & the effects. It was generally said, that in these types of movies, you couldn't really have both. 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, great performances & unique individually themed action sequences, it seemed to asked the very same question.

This is a duplicate thread, and didnt need to be revived.

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