Foreign Films

[Tim-Æ]

I'm doing a seperate thread for this because really it doesn't interest too many people. But if you've seen a Foreign Film (whether in the English language or another language, it doesn't matter) post it here. Recommend one or two, give a short review, it's all good.

[TheNthDegree]

Downfall / Der Untergang
2004, German

A movie about the final days of Hitler in Berchtesgaden using all the historical facts known. The movie is actually based on testimony from Hitler's secretary who was down there during the final days, so a lot of it focuses around her and less so around Hitler and his cohorts, even though they do get their share of the spotlight.
This movie is just brilliant. Bruno Ganz plays Hitler as crazy, maniacal, and completely losing his mind, as he was during those days. And another mention goes to the scene with Goebbels and his wife and their end (any history buff knows what they did and how they did it) - the scene was so creepy and dark and disturbing that it gives you shivers. Or at least, it did me.

Subtitled, it just seems so authentic when put up against other movies based on the same time period with the British accented Germans and very obvious bias (see Hitler: The Rise of Evil for that) A definite recommend for any history afficianado

[Excaligore]

Metropoils - 1920s silent scifi film. It's pretty hacked up. 25% of it is gone. The story is extremely thin and it's old. But the movie is a fucking visual wonder. Black and white and grainy or no one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.

Testsuo the Iron man - Fucking weird.

[Tim-Æ]

City of God - One of the most brutal films you'll ever see. One of the greatest films (imo) ever. In Spanish with English subtitles. A+

Amores Perros - Another brutal film by the same guy who did 21 Grams and Babel. And while I hated the latter, 21 Grams is excellent. In Spanish, English subtitles. B+

Pan's Labyrinth - Guilleromo Del Toro's Oscar winner! Visually breathtaking, creatively it ranks at the top. A

[TaNK]

28 Days Later

28 Weeks later

Doomsday

All kicked ass.

[BobbyStrange]

Daywatch (Russian) - Is the sequel to Nightwatch. I didn't like it as much as the first but it was still a great watch.

Nightwatch (Russian) - a great movie about good vs evil

The Orphanage (Spanish) - If you liked Pan's Labyrinth you will mostly like this movie too

Life Is Beautiful (Italian) - One of the first foreign movies i had ever saw and still ranks up there on my list of the best.

Bon Cop Bad Cop (French/English) - It is one of the highest grossing Canadian movies of all time

The Rocket (French/English) - Since I am a hockey buff, when i saw that they made a movie out of one of the greatest hockey players that ever lived I knew I had to see it. This movie is about Maurice "Rocket" Richard it is mostly in french but has some english thrown into the mix

Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish) - When I first saw the trailers for this movie I knew it was something i had to see but since in all of the trailers no one speak I didn't know it was sub-titled till it was too late. I decided to go see the late showing of this so i was already a little tired and then finding out that i would have to read I was a little upset but half way though the movie I was glad I staied since it was one of the best films I had seen in a while.

[TheNthDegree]

It's weird...I don't consider Bon Cop, Bad Cop foreign I LOVE THAT MOVIE. TO DEATH. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you!" <3
Maybe I don't consider it foreign cause Toronto's only half an hour away, or that I don't need the subtitles.
A great, great movie none the less. I want the sequel.

[Kenfucius]

Infernal Affairs Trilogy: Considered to be Hong Kong's answer to The Godfather. Every single one of them were excellently put together, with good acting across the board. Also proof that not all Hollywood remakes of Asian cinema are bad, since The Departed was a remake of the original.

Les Visiteurs: An example of when American remakes go wrong, it's difficult to remember that the mediocre "Just Visiting" was originally this French movie from the early '90s. This may be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, and this was the first time I'd ever seen Jean Reno do a purely comedy role, something he can do remarkably well, apparently. Also, it's worth noting that they were actually pretty accurate in their research of medieval habits for the movie, and the little touches, like adding subtitles in olde English tickled me.

City of God: Bless Tim for mentioning this first... utterly awesome movie from start to finish. Anyone who likes movies should see it. (Although, just because it's Tim and I like being able to out movie him, this movie is set in Brazil, and therefore the language is Portuguese, not Spanish)

[BobbyStrange]

It's weird...I don't consider Bon Cop, Bad Cop foreign I LOVE THAT MOVIE. TO DEATH. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you!" <3
Maybe I don't consider it foreign cause Toronto's only half an hour away, or that I don't need the subtitles.
A great, great movie none the less. I want the sequel.

I don't really count it as foreign either but since I live in Ottawa which is right on the border of Ontario and Quebec but I included it in my list just because to some people it would be a foreign film since it had french in it as much as english

[Corey]

Oldboy.  Honestly, the less you know, the better.  Basically, a guy is kidnapped and held captive for 15 years, only to be released and must then hunt down his captor. 5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/

[rec].  A Blair Witch style documentary, only about a zombie outbreak in a quarantined apartment.  There's actually a remake coming out for this later this year; but trust me, this will be better. 4.5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038988/

Save the Green Planet.  An isolated man things the world is about to be invaded by aliens.  However, is he deranged or is it true?  It's a good comedy/sci-fi/thriller/horror. 4.5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354668/

Bad Guy.  A guy forces a woman into prostitution.  It examines the changes between the two from the beginning to the end. 4/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307213/

Banlieue 13.  It's a crime/gangster movie that features the guy that founded the Parkour movement.  Expect lots of fact-paced action, jumping around and free-running.  It's a "cool" movie. 3/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414852/

Musa: The Warrior.  A Chinese epic. Even though the name sounds like it's about one specific character, it's not.  It's about a legion of soldiers that try to survive their return home, while protecting a princess they saved from a rival group.  5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275083/

Sad Movie.  It's pretty much what the title implies.  It's a depressing movie about 4 different people/relationships that tie together in the end. 4.5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475711/

My Sassy Girl.  A movie about the relationship between a guy and a quirky girl.  There's a direct-to-DVD American remake.  Don't rent that, watch this instead. 5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293715/

Versus.  Gangsters.  Zombies.  The Matrix.  Over the top violence.  Comedy.  Gore.  Imagine all that wrapped into one movie.  It isn't exactly the best movie ever made, but it's pretty cool, nonetheless. 3.5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275773/

Man of the Year.  I'd say it's sort of a Brazilian Scarface, but not quite.  It's really good, too. 4.5/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312773/

Sex and Lucia.  Sometimes this movie borders on softcore-porn.  But it's pretty good, nonetheless.  It's about an author, the relationships he gets into and the book he writes.  Plus, Paz Vega is pretty hot. 4/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0254455/

The Beyond.  A horror movie from Lucio Fulci about a hotel built over the gates to hell. 4/5
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082307/

[Black Death]

Daywatch (Russian) - Is the sequel to Nightwatch. I didn't like it as much as the first but it was still a great watch.

Nightwatch (Russian) - a great movie about good vs evil

Both were great films ,  it was surposes to be a trilogy , but it same like the second and third where put together in one movie .  Russian babes were smoking  hot.   Nightwatch I enjoy little bit more. 

Ong bak - Tony Jaa is the the shit .  Forget the story and watch the fight scenes , all worth it

the Protector.  Tony Jaa fucking unbelieveable .  one scene when he fight up the stairs ,  wow


Get those two films if you like action. 

[Jack Kaiser]

I watched Mr. Bean's Holiday a few weeks ago.  Does that count?

It's a pretty funny movie and it has Dafoe, which is awesome.

[Black Death]

I think it does , MR. Bean is funny  as hell

[Jay]

So Close starring Shu Qi, Zhao Wei and Karen Mok. It's about a hacker sisters who are extracting revenge on their late father's enemies that cause their father's business to go down and eventually led to his death. Amidst all the successful assassinations they've had pulled off, an intelligent police detective was sent to handle the case and managed to track them down. A lot of fun action plus it features this amazing scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE8BJulhW_k&feature=related

New Police Story starring Jackie Chan. It's about a police who battles a gang of bratty rich kids who are trying to attract their parents' attention by doing heinous crimes including the entire police force. After Chan's force was killed, he became a drunk, washed up ex-police officer which became embittered as he blames himself for the death of his team. A rookie cop who were a fan of Chan as a kid managed to pull him out of his misery that lead them to teaming up and eliminating the gang who killed Chan's police force.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXLgC0g0ZM

That's all for now. I'll look for more.

[The Insider]

I'm a big movie buff, especially of stuff from the mid-2000s, so I've see quite a few from that time period.  That being said, having enjoyed the comics that Nightwatch and Daywatch are based on (Surprisingly, it's true), I did enjoy both movies, but I felt that Nightwatch was much better, as I felt that Daywatch was a little too rushed in its story.  As for any movie with Tony Jaa in it, it wins.  Period.

Now, there's one or two movies that haven't been mentioned here that I feel really deserve the nod.  First is a french action movie that's known in America as District B13.  It's got a little bit of everything, but blends it together quite nicely for something truly compelling.  Other standards that I haven't seen mentioned, but may really not need be, would be 2 Japanese films, one of which has an American counterpart that isn't nearly as good.  First is Ringu 2, which is a lot better than the American version of The Ring Two.  Then, there's Battle Royale, which I think I saw mentioned in a horror movie thread, as it should.