Foreign Language Films - Love or Hate em ?

ShootersHillGuru

Over the last couple of years or so I have really been bitten by the foreign language film bug subtitles and all. I think as a general rule of thumb that if a film escapes it's country of origin and is considered to be good enough for a world audience then it must be worth a look. I have been disappointed a few times but on the whole I think they are great. I have my ten favourites and would be interested to know what others think of this genre and in particular the listed ten films if they are known to you.

1. A friend of the deceased Ukraine
2. The Secret in their eyes. Argentina
3, The lives of others. Germany
4. Them. Romania
5. City of God. Brazil
6. Revanche. Austria
7. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sweden
8. Life is beautiful Italy
9. Amelie. France
10. the Counterfeiters. Germany

Most of these are fairly modern in as much as they were made in the last 20 years. I know there are many classes made earlier and I will get round to those too.

I also loved watching the Danish 20 part detective series "The Killing" shown on BBC 4 earlier in year.

Interested to hear your thoughts.

Radzinsky

I'd say La Haine is definitely up there with my favorite films, Irreversible is also pretty good if not a bit ott

ValleyGary

i really really enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth

SheffieldRed

Another fan - will make a point of watching 1 on your list.

City of God bit disappointed tbh

Agree re La Haine

Also add 13 Tzameti (Fr)

Cinema Paradiso (It)

Battle Royale (Jp)

Bittersweet life (Jp)

City of Life and Death (Ch)

Three Colours Trilogy 

to be honest there is loads more I would recommend 

Exiled_Addick

I don't watch many Foreign language films but generally because I've not been exposed to them much.

However, Pan's Labyrinth and The Orthanage by Guillerm Del Torro are both excellent and I watched Oldboy (Korean) on Film Four a few weeks back and really enjoyed it.

EpsomAddick

Downfall

The Motorcycle Diaries

Oggy Red

Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.......... particularly French films, which often seem a bit off the wall and random.

Ollywozere

Always had a perception that I wouldn't be able to tolerate having to read throughout a film, but when I gave it a go, it's suprisingly easy to forget that you're doing just that.

Only seen a handful myself

Pan's Labyrinth
The Orphanage
Battle Royale 1 & 2
Ringu

With the exception of Battle Royale 2, I loved all of them.

MuttleyCAFC

Gregory's Girl was ok

colthe3rd

Love City of God. Anyone seen Mesrine? Thought it was brilliant as well

Cordoban Addick

There is a season of Ingmar Bergman films on Film 4 on that moment, unmissable. Akira Kirosawa films are also good and old and I really like a lot of the modern(ish) Spanish and latino directors particularly Almodovar. Volver is excellent and Penelope Cruz is stunning in it. Why can't I have Penelope Cruz as my muse!

So yes a thumbs up from me.

siblers

Seen a load of foregin films, mainly modern stuff. Except I've forgotten the names of half of them. Oldboy is one of the greatest films i've ever seen. Love a lot of stuff from Japan, South Korea and China. Infernal Affairs is the film The Departed is based from, great film and well worth checking out if you are a fan of The Departed. Other films that come to mind:
Downfall
Battle Royale
A bittersweet life
I saw the devil
Audition
A Tale of two sisters
Max Manus (norweigan resistance film, awesome)
Switchblade Romance
Underground
The Killer
Hard Boiled
3 Iron
13 Tazmeti
Y Tu Mama Tambien
There's loads more stuff from France, Spain and South America that I've seen, just can't remember them

Love City of God. Anyone seen Mesrine? Thought it was brilliant as well

Yeah, Vincent Cassell is a hero.

siblers

Another fan - will make a point of watching 1 on your list.

City of God bit disappointed tbh

Agree re La Haine

Also add 13 Tzameti (Fr)

Cinema Paradiso (It)

Battle Royale (Jp)

Bittersweet life (Jp)

City of Life and Death (Ch)

Three Colours Trilogy 

to be honest there is loads more I would recommend 

A bittersweet Life is one of the fave films of all time, 13 Tazmeti is amazing too, such an awesome premise.

lordromford

Old Boy.

Just brilliant. Not just one of my favourite foreign films, but one of my favourite films.

Life is Beautiful is marvellous too. Had me bawling like a five year old girl.

Chunes

Some good films listed on here.

Nobody's listed  'Let The Right One In' yet, which I thought was great.

SheffieldRed

Chunes -  'Let The Right One In' yet, which I thought was great.

Agreed, superb

siblers

The director from Let The Right One In is directing this film. http://www.screened.com/trailer-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy/128-677/ Looks like he knows what he is doing/.

Leroy Ambrose

I don't think it matters where the film's made - as long as it's good

I've been a fan of oriental films for years - from chop-socky right up to modern Korean/Japanese revenge flicks. Some of my favourite films are 'foreign', but have never really been able to get into French film, for some reason. It all seems really pretentious (yes, yes, I know - that should suit me down to the ground blah blah blah) but I just don't see any merit in it. I've also never really been a big fan of Italian cinema - some of it is beautiful, no doubt, but it all seems so vapid.

floydroad

I find foreign language films a bit hit or miss. Here's a few that I like:

Let the Right One In (Swedish)

Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish)

Maria Full of Grace (Spanish)

Of Gods and Men (Arabic/French)

Grave of the Fireflies (Japanese)

Apocalypto (Maya)

Amelie (French)

A Prophet (French/Arabic/Corsican)

Bedsaddick

The Kite Runner - A must see 

dabos

Great thread

Only have one to add to the list-

The Chorus / Les choristes 

Lovely little film

Mortimerician

Devil's Backbone was very creepy.  Pretty Village Pretty Flame was an excellent story about how personal relationships fractured in the Yugoslav civil war.  Unfortunately English language movies tend not to be quite as sharp, you only have to look at Let Me In and compare the differences with the much superior original.

Cardinal Sin

Jean De floret and the sequel, Manon Des Source (must watch in sequence!). Powerfully simple story brilliantly filmed and superbly acted. 

Thommo

Jean De floret and the sequel, Manon Des Source (must watch in sequence!). Powerfully simple story brilliantly filmed and superbly acted. 

With you on that.

Worth a mention is Nine Queens (Argentianian) a fantastic con/heist film.

Clem_Snide

Man Bites Dog. Belgium. Day in the life of a serial killer.

hungaroaddick

The Lacemaker (1978) starring Isabelle Huppert, a must for any young impressionable Charlton fans. It's French, so it's only a matter of time before she takes her kit off.

March51

Off-Side. Of all things it's an Iranian 'feel-good' film based around a World Cup qualifier: Iran v. Bahrain. Turns up occassionally on late night Film 4. Also a Russian film whose name escapes me I'm afraid, along the lines of Full Metal Jacker but shows the experiences of a new platoon in Afghanistan. And of course the great Das Boot, which doesn't really need sub-titles at all.

CAFCBourne

Life is Beautiful is marvellous too. Had me bawling like a five year old girl.

Agreed has everything in it HIgh lows love and laughs

Have to be in a certain mood to watch foreign films as they are obviously more

Red5

Life Is Beautiful is a cracking film: really sad, moving and yet at the same time... wonderful.

Being a Tai-Chi / Kung-Fu fan:

Early Bruce Lee: Big Boss/Fist of Fury/Way of the Dragon
Tai-Chi Master
Confucius
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Curse of the Golden Flower
Hero
House of Flying Daggers
Arahan (brilliant)

...to name but a few!

Jints

I like a lot of the films mentioned here. Bit surprised that the the Battle for Algiers and Seven Samurai have not been.

dabos

How could I forget Goodbye Lenin! and The Edukators. Daniel Brühl is in both and they're both excellent.