Foreign Films for the Beginner.

[Fuuma]

Couple of recent polar/thriller/political, not all great but still fun:

-L'ennemi intime/the intimate enemy (Algerian war)
-36 quai des Orfèvres (hard-boiled cop genre)
-Mr 73 (noir/serial killer)
-Truands (stomach-turning in it's demolition of the honourable gangster myth, graphic scenes-****, torture, you name it)
-Secret dÃ

fense (spy/terrorism)
-Diamant 13 (hard-boiled, not that good but I like Marchal and Argento in pretty much anything)
-Agents secrets (Bellucci and spy plot, sorta like James Bond if it was realistic and not funny)
-J'ai vu tuer Ben Barka (about third world leader being disappeared w. the help of french foreign services, this really happened)
-Gomorra (Mafia)
-Le conseguenze dell'amore (somewhat Mafia, contemplative and not what you will expect)
Il Divo (surreal Giulio Andreotti biopic, ties in w. corruption and mafia)

 

[heli0x]

Originally Posted by clarinetplayer

Both are excellent!!! I just love the scene in "Cinema Paradiso" when the parish priest "censors" the film with his little bell indicating that offensive scenes must be cut....literally with a pair of scissors.

You know what's an even better scene from that movie? The scene at the end where all the censored clips are shown as a compilation.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Rambo

Downfall was incredible.

Infernal Affairs was the movie that The Departed was based on. 100x better.

+1

 

[Rambo]

I just found out that there were two sequels to Infernal Affairs. Has anybody seen these? They any good?

Pan's Labyrinth is another recent choice that was very good.

 

[KFS]

Das Leben der Anderen is a very good film.

 

[gilwood]

Political and noirish = Motorcycle Diaries

Just out of the blue, I also liked really liked the orphanage (El Orphanto).

 

[sipang]

necroposting but anyway...


Un condamnÃ

à mort s'est Ã

chappÃ

(Bresson)
Le Trou (Becker)
La battaglia di Algeri (Pontecorvo)
Z (Gavras)
If... (Anderson)
L'armÃ

e des ombres (Melville)
Mr. Klein (Losey)
I comme Icare (Verneuil)
La Haine (Kassovitz)
De battre mon coeur s'est arrêtÃ

(or any other Jacques Audiard movies for that matter)

also Peter Watkins films/documentaries (the War Game, Punishment park, ...)

 

[Johnny Amiga]

Speaking of Audiard his newest, Un Prophete, is his best yet and quite probably the best film I've seen in years. Amazing.

 

[mccvi]

Originally Posted by Johnny Amiga

Speaking of Audiard his newest, Un Prophete, is his best yet and quite probably the best film I've seen in years. Amazing.
Un prophete is a must.

 

[sipang]

Un Prophète was amazing. I'm really curious about what they've in mind for the sequel (if it ever gets made) as the film doesn't really ask for one.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by sipang

Un Prophète was amazing. I'm really curious about what they've in mind for the sequel (if it ever gets made) as the film doesn't really ask for one.

Sequel???


The movie was great but it definitely doesn't call for a sequel.

 

[sipang]

I'm pretty sure the writers always meant it to be a trilogy à la The Godfather, the producers have also mentionned the possibility of a part two provided the first film was a success.

 

[ANIKETOS]

Cinema Paradiso is my favorite.Watched it as a teenager and loved it.I think the Director behind it had another film starting Monica Bellucci which was ok too...

There is an Indian film right now getting lots of good reviews called My Name is Khan.I am not big on Indian movies but might watch it.

 

[gamelan]

Ran.

-Jeff

 

[Scrounger]

IMO the greatest non-American noir ever made, and my favorite movie of all time, is "The Third Man". British, so I'm not sure it satisfies your request, but based on what you seem to be looking for I'd strongly recommend it.

BTW, are you familiar with Criterion's website?