Unless, I missed it, I don't see a thread for your all time favorite foreign films.

I love to see a good foreign film every once in awhile, and would like to get some great recommendations. I am by no means a *true* foreign film buff, but here's a few of my favorites:

- Run Lola Run
- Open Your Eyes (remade as Vanilla Sky)
- Amelie
- Irma Vep
- Anatomy ("Anatomie")

I'm sure I'll think of a few other good ones that I forgot, but that's a start...

Yay Tony!

Nice to see you drop in...
If you want a recommendation, we're hosting a festival...pick a country you're interested (some threads aren't up yet) and ask. The host will be glad to recommend whatever you are in the mood for.

Hmmmmm. Where to begin on my Favorites List?

This...might...take...awhile...

-Dolce

Not so foreign to me but ..

Andaaz Apna Apna.

Best .. funny ... Indian .. Movie .. Ever!

Hey, you've seen Anatomie and liked it? Makes me happy!

I am actually not a fan of German movies, but Anatomie is a pretty good one and I would even go so far as saying that it is one of the best slashers I have ever seen (I find it better than Screm 2 + 3).

Have you seen Anatomie 2, by the way?

To address the topic, these are my favorite foreign movies:

1. Spirited Away
2. Infernal Affairs
3. Oldboy
4. Life is Beautiful
5. Crimson Rivers

I knew what the catch in Crimson was from a very early point due to obvious circumstances.

It was pretty good and freaky, but the finale was a bit of a let down.

-Dolce

Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Motorcycle Diaries
Amores Perros
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Rashomon (JUST watched it yesterday. Much better than Hero, heh...I still need to rent Seven Samurai)
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Cinema Paradiso
Life is Beautiful

dolce, I read that PM a while ago, btw. Heh.

I thought it was a very well-made thriller, in the vein of Se7en. I liked the cast and the dark atmosphere.

But, please, I beg you, do not watch the artrocity Crimson Rivers 2, it is, so far, the worst movie of 2004. It is so bad that it is intentionally funny. What a let-down!

Oh and you HAVE to see Oldboy.

By the way, I don't really consider The Good, The Bad and The Ugly a foreign movie, otherwise, it'd top my list.

I can't even comprehend HOW they would make a second Crimson Rivers. Instead of a University in France there's one in America? Is it called Yale? Does it breed really stange world leaders?

I'll keep my eye out for Oldboy. Is it an older release or is it hitting theatres now?

-Dolce

Crimson Rivers 2 has NOTHING to do with the first movie, aside from the fact that Jean Reno is in it playing the same character.

Oldboy is the Cannes Festival favorite of this year, from Korea. Tarantino prefered it over F 911, actually. It is a very gruesome and dark tale of redemption and revenge with a great twist in the end. It stands at 8.5 at IMDB right now and has entered their all-time TOP 250 a couple of days ago. Hard to watch, but very well-made.

Thanks for the heads Up Lecter.

As to the question at hand:

(in no particular order)
Shangai Triad
To Live
My Twentieth Century
Black Cat, White Cat
Cleo from 5 to 7
The Red Balloon
Open Doors
Miracle in Milan
Gospel According to St. Matthew
The Nights of Cabiria
Red
Ran
The Double Life of Veronique
Strictly Ballroom
Shall We Dance
Lysistrata
Blow-Up
Women on the Verge

and a whole bunch more I'm forgetting,

And of course: La Dolce Vita

Near miss:
Wings of Desire
Blue
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

-Dolce

I didn't know there was a sequel. Does it have Franka Portente in it?

I really, really liked Run Lola Run (I think it's called "Lola Rent", or something like that in Germany), which led me to Anatomie. It was a nice surprise.

And, I forgot all about Spirited Away! That would be my second favorite foreign film (behind Lola).

Also one of my favorites.

My favorite foreign films in no particular order...

8½
Amarcord
La Fille sur le pont
L'Avventura
Blowup
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Grave Of The Fireflies
Persona
Contempt
The 400 Blows
Jules et Jim
Day of Night
À bout de souffle (Breathless)
Seven Samurai
Throne of Blood
Chungking Express
In the Mood for Love
Wild Strawberries
Bande à part (or anything with Anna Karina)
The Bicycle Thief

With the conclusion of the Colors trilogy and more rewatches, they could very likely be added.

Wow, Dolce...nice list. I don't believe I've seen any of them. I'll have to look some of these up and check out a few. Can you suggest 2 or 3 that you think I might like (I won't hold you to it, if I don't).

I've seen a lot of Pedro Almodovar's films as I liked Penelope Cruz, but I never caught Women on the Verge.

http://www.worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=405
http://www.worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=146

Some commentary on Blow-Up. :wink:

I think I put Miracle and Bicycle on an equal level for de Sica. But admittedly Miracle is much more fanciful and Bicycle much more austere.

-Dolce

I strongly dislike Lola Rennt, one of the most overrated movies of all time, in my opinion. Franka Potente is a good actress, though.

She has a part in Anatomie 2, but it is just a 5 minutes cameo. The movie is a more adult movie and not a teen slasher like Anatomie. It is somewhat worse than the original, but it is yet worth seeing once.

Wow, can't believe you didn't like Lola! That movie rocked. I find the chaos theory interesting, so perhaps that's why I enjoyed it more. Plus it had a great soundtrack, and I learned all of my German from that movie (I can say "Please shit in the bag Lola" in German all because of that movie.)

Yes. Lola was seriously overrated. Felt like something for the scitzo-MTV-bored generation.

Franka is a good actress, and her hair was the best thing in that movie along with the one slow-mo scene in the second scenario when Dinah Washington sand "What a difference a day makes."

-Dolce

That's what I felt about this movie as well.

Well, I'd just like to point out that 28,000+ IMDB.com users agree with me as it is ranked #113 on the all time movies list. I think it's more complex than you guys are making it out to be.

Anyhow, you still haven't answered my post above, dolce. Can you pick 2 or 3 out of your list to recommend?

This list is nothing I take all too seriously. It has many flaws, way too many.

Sorry, didn't notice this post. I'll gladly recommend 2 or 3, but tell me what kind of mood you like? Stuff that will make you cry? Uplifting? Understated "realism"? Historic?

Also, what kind of patience do you have for films. Because some of my friends who have been dragged to these films said they felt they could have been edited down by an hour. Even though they aren't necessarily lengthy, some directors like to force the effect of dragging out. So I need to know you style so I can give you just best suggestions I can.

-Dolce

I pretty much like anything, as long as it's not too girly-ish. If it flickers, I'll watch it, and I am a very patient movie watcher. Surprise me!

Wide Range with these few. They're all very different, and each from a different country:

Shangai Triad
Black Cat, White Cat
Miracle in Milan
My Twentieth Century (will be hard to find so I don't know if you can see it)
Le Double Vie de Veronique

At a later time, I will gladly speak with you about each and every Fellini movie I have seen. I've left them out of this selection. For obvious reasons. :wink:

That was t.o.u.g.h.

-Dolce