Foreign Films

[chunkylover]

Baise Moi (French, English Subtitles):

from wikipedia, as I couldn't say it better myself

Baise-moi tells the story of Nadine (played by Karen Lancaume) and Manu (Raffaëla Anderson) who go on a violent spree against a society in which they feel marginalized. Nadine is a part-time prostitute. Manu is a slacker who does anything (including an occasional porn) to get by in the small town in southern France where they both live.

One day, Manu and her only friend, a drug addict, are brutally gang-raped by a trio of degenerate street punks. While her friend struggles and screams in terror, Manu lies still with a detached look, angering the rapists. Manu returns home and tells her boyfriend of her ordeal. He reacts by vowing to find and take revenge upon the rapists, but when Manu tells him to forget it, he calls her a "slut" and implies that she actually enjoyed being raped; in response, Manu shoots him in the head. Meanwhile, after another outing, Nadine comes home and after an argument with her roommate, Nadine kills her and takes off with their rent money. Nadine suffers another emotional setback when her only real friend, who is also her pimp, is shot and killed before her by some of his business 'associates.'

Later that night, Manu and Nadine both attempt to take the last train from an otherwise deserted station. They miss the train, but begin talking to one another. They realize they share common feelings of anger and decide to go on a violent & sexually charged road trip together. In need of money, they also hold up a convenience store and kill a woman at an ATM.

Finally, after much killing and sexual activities, the two women enter a swingers' bar and kill many of the couples there. The pair discuss what they have done, and agree that it has all been pointless because nothing has changed inside them.

It all ends when Manu is shot in the nec5 and dies while attempting to rob another convenience store. Nadine flees to a remote cabin to commit suicide, but gets arrested by the police before she can do so.

I give it 3.5/5

[Excaligore]

"Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance"

A movie created by Park Chan-wook of Oldboy fame and, albeit maybe not nearly as grand, is a fantastic film in it's own right. Way slower and more psychological than Oldboy. Still have the ultra-violent elements but doesn't really involve any stylistic action scenes. Personally, I felt it was fantastic. Very very gruesome dark comedy mixed with one of the most intricate plotlines in movie history.

This is a film you have to really really be paying attention to in order to understand. There are moments where I sort of lost a bit of dialog and had to rewatch scenes. Still, it's well worth it. The film tells a really engaging and insanely complicated story. One of which you have to be on your best of wits to comprehend fully. Not to say though, it's just boring dialog. It tells itself through visual techniques more than it does with dialog and some of the visuals are simply intense. A LOT of disturbing images and grotesque humor. Not to mention very grotesque concepts otherwise. A very visceral experience.

Ingeniously plotted and directed film. One of the most complicated films I've seen and pulled off very well. Very enjoyable.

A

[Chris Stern]

Well since someone already did Old Boy, Pan's Labyrinth,  and The Orphanage so I go with two of the more recent foreign films I seen

Itchi the killer: Words can not describe how sick this movie is, it's a nasty, nasty film right from the start and sometimes it get's ridiculous with the violence and the plot can be a little out there but it's worth a look if your a gore hound.

Audition: Now I love this movie and I wish I could go into detail with this one but I'm afraid it may spoil it as it's one of those movies that just builds to a interesting twist but the plot revolves a widower who's friend convinces him to use a audition to find the perfect new wife.     

[Exile]

My two favorite foreign films for this year are A Prophet, A BRILLIANT french film that I would put in my top ten of the year easily. Amazing film. And A White Ribbon which i saw awhile go, german film that won the palm d'or last year and looks to be the front runner for the oscar sans some sort of departures screwjob like last year. Both are amazing but Prophet takes the cake for me. Best foreign film of 09

[brad9993]

the baader meinhof complex is a German movie with a little english but harldy any. I got the film but didnt know it was in a different lanuage. I normally dont sit there and watch foreign movies but this one caught my attention. Its about terriost in Germany back around the vietnam war. Its actually a good movie and id recommend it to anyone who likes foreign films.

[Bryan]

This was mentioned in another thread but I saw Rashomon recently and it was a pretty great film; it's an old Japanese film from 1950 that centers around a murder of a man, with the witnesses of the murder all giving different stories throughout the film. I liked the multiple stories the characters in the story gave, but what I liked even more was the fact that there was no real or definitive true story to the murder. Really great film, and I saw it on Netflix streaming so if you have that check it out.

[! JDM The Professional !]

My two favorite foreign films for this year are A Prophet, A BRILLIANT french film that I would put in my top ten of the year easily. Amazing film. And A White Ribbon which i saw awhile go, german film that won the palm d'or last year and looks to be the front runner for the oscar sans some sort of departures screwjob like last year. Both are amazing but Prophet takes the cake for me. Best foreign film of 09

THIS!

It only came out 2010 for australia in our film festival. Brilliant film!

[Jason Andrews]

you should totally watch Suicide Club that movie is so fucking crazy

[Dorling]

Frit Vilt 1(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808276/) and 2(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188990/) are Norwegian Slasher movies. They're fairly basic but I love the scenery and atmosphere of the movies. 3 and 4 have been released too now I think but I haven't watched them.

Troll Hunter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740707/) is another Norwegian movie and I bloody love it. It's about a Troll Hunter...

Brotherhood of the Wolf (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/) is a French movie about a beast that terrorises a village. The story is pretty good and the characters are vivid.

Taxi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0152930/) is a cool French driving movie. If you've seen that crap with Queen Latifa and Jimmy Fallon, watch this instead, it's much better.

Battle Royal is one of my favourites due to it's epicness. The sequel is pretty good too.

I can also vouch for District (Banlieu) 13 - it's a cracking movie and the sequel is very cool too. Lots of action.

I've recently purchased the Mesrine box set and I'm looking forward to watching that. The Danish version of the Killing season 1 and 2 is also on my shelf to be watched.