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lawrocket

Recommended Foreign Films

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I love foreign films. No, I'm not talking LOTR stuff, but the quaint films that focus on plot rather than special effects. Or, ones that haven't been Americanized in a remake.

My list:
1. Man Bites Dog - belgian - not for the faint of heart, funny and absolutely brutal
2. The Vanishing - Jeff Bridges did a great job in the remake, but the European version was much better
3. Insomnia - boy, did the Hollywood studios mess that one up
4. Cinema Paradiso - what a lovely movie. Long, but certainly watch it with a significant other.
5. Todos Les Heroes - quirky movie with interesting characters.
6. Romper Stomper - Aussies - see Russell Crow in brutal form.

I'm interested in more of this type of film that is not big Hollywood happy ending stuff with big explosions. Any suggestions?


My wife is hotter than your wife.

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I love foreign films. No, I'm not talking LOTR stuff, but the quaint films that focus on plot rather than special effects. Or, ones that haven't been Americanized in a remake.



I'm interested in more of this type of film that is not big Hollywood happy ending stuff with big explosions. Any suggestions?



Trainspotting
Snatch
Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking Barrels
Mean Machine
Ay Carmela

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Cidade de Deus (City of God)

Came out a couple years ago. I don't really remember much of it, other than it takes place in Brazil, and it's kind of one of those coming-of-age movies...but I do remember liking it a ton.

Oooh! Iron Monkey too. Quentin Tarantino helped get it out on the mainstream market a couple years ago. Great (Chinesse I think) martial arts movie.

Giddyup.

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

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Amelie (French)
Lost Children (French)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chinese)-lots of effects, but the story is far more complicated if you are aware of the cultural differences.
No Man's Land (unfortunately, I haven't gotten a copy of this in its original language)
Grave of the Fireflies (Japanese) - Get a box of tissues. Or get a couple of boxes, you will need them.
Ghost in the Shell - (Japanese)
Open Your Eyes - (Spanish) and much better than Vanilla Skies...MUCHO BETTER!!!!!!!!:)

There are a ton I like in Japanese, but those are considered "anime" though they are quite serious and good. When it comes to foreign films, I could go on forever...:S


~R+R:)...
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Fly the friendly skies...^_^...})ii({...^_~...

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The Spanish version blows the Hollywood one out of the water. Plus Cruz looks sooooo much hotter in the spanish one.

Run Lola Run. GREAT movie.

28 Days Later. British.

The Eye. China. Cruise bought the rights to this one, hope he doestn butcher it like Open your Eyes.

El Mariache. Mexico. Another one that Hollywood gutted.

Delicatesean. French. Dark comedy.

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I'll have to add another vote for Run Lola Run. Absolutely fantastic flick!!!

Killing Zoe isn't a "true" foreign film, but it's damn close. Eric Stoltz is great in this one. Set in Paris.
Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

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AndyMan, my very proud Canadian hubby has gotten me into some very good films by a Quebec filmmaker, Denys Arcand:

Jesus of Montreal - Recommended if you dis/liked "The Passion" and need something else to debate ;)
Decline of the American Empire
Barbarian Invasions

Another great Canadian filmmmaker is Atom Egoyan (just a sampling):

Exotica
The Sweet Hereafter
Ararat

Andy is never going to let me live down the fact that I actually admit to LIKING these movies. :D

_Pm
__
"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

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Do not see the French film 'Irreversible'. It won a bunch of awards at film fetivals, but is just down right distrubing. You will not have a good feeling after watching this film even though the most happy part is at the end.

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It's true. I converted craichead into a fan of Atom Egoyan and Deny Arcand. It wasn't hard, the quality of these films seem to be inversely related to their small budget. Most come in under 1 million.

In addition to the ones craichead mentioned, a very good flic by Denys Arcand is Love & Human Remains.

I'd also add to my list of great independent international film all the work by Francois Girard. His most famous film so far is The Red Violin

Many of these films will not leave you with a warm and happy fuzzy feeling. Most good films do not. Most of these will usually force you to question and discuss some very tightly held beliefs. This is especially true for those by Denys Arcand.

_Am
__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

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"Like Water for Chocolate"
"Babbettes Feast"
"My Beautiful Laundrette"
"El Mariachi" (robert Rodregez, b4 hollyweird got him)
"Tie me Up Tie Me down" (Antonio Banderas b4 hollyweird)
"Strawberries not Chocolate"
And
Who could leave out
Kristof Krislowski's "Three Colours" Trilogy, Red, Whit & Blue:)
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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Cidade de Deus (City of God)

Came out a couple years ago. I don't really remember much of it, other than it takes place in Brazil, and it's kind of one of those coming-of-age movies...but I do remember liking it a ton.



I just saw it few weeks ago. Excellent movie.

It's based on true story (supposed to be) of a ghetto near Rio.
It's violent movie, but violence is what I've heard/read about living in Brazilian ghetto.

More great non-American movies:

Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma
Pasolini's movie based on 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade.

I really loved these two early Peter Jackson movies:
Bad Taste & Meet The Feebles

John Woo was the man before Hollywood spoiled him.
The Killer is his best movie.

Takashi Miike:
Audition & Visitor Q

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All About My Mother
Shall We Dance
La Haine
Winter Light (Ingmar Bergman!)well..anything Bergman (wild strawberries, cries and whispers, the silence)....
Run Lola Run
of course anything fellini did (though la strada and bella de jour are 2 of my favs)
Oh Canada, merci pour la livraison!



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No Man's Land (unfortunately, I haven't gotten a copy of this in its original language



this isn't set in croatioa is it???? saw one that this title fits to.. abut a guy that gets set upon a land mine and is rigger to go off if he moves in the middleof a battle front......


and one of the best all time films........Das Boot es ist sehr besser auf deutsch.....

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

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La Haine..... Great film set amoung the migrant underclass of Paris.

Amelie........Lovely story of a slightly odd but very endearing French girl. A story of voyeurism and love.

Le Grand Bleu.......Story of friendship, love and the sea.

SHOLAY- 1975, directed by Ramesh Sippy (Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan) Best Indian action film ever made.

Seven Samurai -1954, Directed by Akira Kurosawa. The insipration for the Magnificent Seven. A great film with great acting.

Nikita, Directed by Luc Besson. The original film that suprned the crap and crass remake 'The Assasin' and a rubbish TV spin off. The original was stylish understated and sophisticated.

Hard Boiled, A Jonny Woo film before he turned to English speaking films.
When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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