leeroy711
Posts 238
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4/29/2008 7:24 PM
posted awhile ago
Foreign Gems
So, let's here it. I'd like to get a good list of lesser known foriegn films going that we could all use as recomendations to dump into our netflix queues or find at the Blockbuster or even in the library. Obscurity counts here people.
I'll start with an Indian film, The Terrorist (1998) by cininmatographer, Santosh Sivan. As is expected, this film directed by a cinematographer is filled with some of the most breath-taking shots I've seen. The story is about a young girl in the militia who has applied and been excepted to the highly prestigious position of suicide bomber. It takes you through her journey as she prepares to do her final duty for her cause. I really can't recommend this film enough.
All right who's next?
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Risselada
Posts 1367
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4/30/2008 12:40 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
I have a few favorite foreign directors. It's somewhat difficult for me to evaluate how well known some of these people are since when I like them I spend a lot more time reading about them, so they don't seem too obscure to me anymore.
Tsai Ming-liang
Aki Kaurismäki
Seijun Suzuki
I've just seen one movie by Béla Tarr, but it was pretty great.
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gambrel83
Posts 37
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4/30/2008 1:06 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
I agree with the recommendation for The Terrorist. It's a great film, sort of along the lines of The Battle of Algiers, which I also recommend.
Here are so more:
Il Postino
L'Auberge Espagnole
Scenes from a Marriage - Watch the extended TV version, the acting by Ullman and the dialogue are amazing!
The Return
Wings of Desire
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Puhnner
Posts 199
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4/30/2008 2:49 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
You also may want to look at ( sorry I still don't seem to be able to link Films; it is showing them linked but they are not appearing as icons adjacent to the post ):
it is not exactly foreign, but a great companion piece to The Terrorist
The War Within
here are some others
Branded to Kill
After Life
A Tout de Suite
The Face of Another
The Funeral
Kontroll
Fratricide
In a Year with 13 Moons
Witnesses
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leeroy711
Posts 238
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4/30/2008 3:44 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
 Risselada:
I have a few favorite foreign directors. It's somewhat difficult for me to evaluate how well known some of these people are since when I like them I spend a lot more time reading about them, so they don't seem too obscure to me anymore.
Tsai Ming-liang
Aki Kaurismäki
Seijun Suzuki
I've just seen one movie by Béla Tarr, but it was pretty great.
The only film I've seen by any of those guys was The Hole by Tsai Ming-lian. But along similar lines, I've been recommended Oldboy by Park Chan-Wook.
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leeroy711
Posts 238
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4/30/2008 3:47 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
gambrel83:
Battle of Algiers is one I've been trying to find the time to watch for quite a while now.
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leeroy711
Posts 238
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5/3/2008 4:45 AM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
I just finished watching 13 Tzemeti. If you're into good b&w cinematography with an awesome score, you should check this one out. It doesn't move at the fastest of paces but the suspence scenes were well crafted and some of the shots were very unforgettable. Many of them were reflections from mirrors and window panes, which I've always liked. While in other shots, over half the screen was out of focus, drawing more attention to the other portion. I think this was a good way to draw empathy to the main character's feeling of disorientation.
Anyway, it wasn't the greatest thing I've ever seen, but it held my attention and it definately deserves a gander from those of you with more discriminating tastes. I would highly suggest that you watch it without watching a trailer or reading the synopsis first, I think I would have gotton more out of it if I had done that.
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leeroy711
Posts 238
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5/4/2008 6:24 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
13 Tzameti review
**** out of 5 stars
Directed By: Gela Babluani
Starring: George Babluani, Pascal Bongard and Aurelien Recoing
Language: French with English subtitles
Released: 2005
Synopsis:
This is the short story of Sebastian, (George Babluani) a 22 year old roofer who finds himself down on his luck when his mysterious employer suddenly overdoses and dies before he receives payment for his services. Times are hard for Sebastian, so when he happens upon an envelope with a train ticket and a paid hotel room in Paris for a seemingly lucrative job opportunity meant for the recently departed, he decides to follow the lead himself.
He soon finds out that he may have bitten off more than he could swallow. As soon as he arrives, he is strip search and locked in a room awaiting his "sponsors". The decision of whether or not he would like to participate is soon made for him. He will not be at liberty to leave until his task is complete, that is........if he survives.
Review:
I was very interested to see this film when I found out what the plot was about. Unfortunately, I feel very strongly that I would have enjoyed this film much more if I knew nothing about it. This is the reason that I left the synopsis as bare as I did. That being said, this movie was far from ruined for me. I enjoyed it a great deal, for many reasons more than just an intriguing plot. My only hint will be that it reminded me of a Spanish film I saw a few years ago called Intacto.
The first thing I loved about this movie was the cinematography. It was shot in black and white, which did well to convey the darkness of the overall subject matter. Many of the shots were reflections, where the subject is shown in the reflection of a mirror or a window. I have always like these shots and the film maker did a great job fitting them in with fluency. There were also many shots in which only the subject was in focus, and a large portion of the screen was out of focus. This not only draws more attention to the subject but it adds to the feelings of confusion and disorientation that Sebastian was feeling. These techniques shot in black and white gives the audience a visually stunning view of this picture.
I found the acting to be very good, especially with respect to George Babluani, who I believe is the brother of the director, Gela Babluani. All other supporting cast members brought their talent to the table in this film as well.
The only real downfall of this film is the amount of time it takes to for the real story to begin, although I don't know if it could have been shortened in the beginning without losing parts of the story. When Sebastian does arrives to his destination, the pace quickly speeds up. It may just take a slightly more patient viewer to get that far.
Everyone who has read my reviews knows that I tend to be more partial to foreign films with unusual plots and I am a big sucker for great camera work. If you share my enthusiasm for either or both, I would highly recommend this film. Anyone else that would just like to see a good suspense thriller can enjoy this film just the same.
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leeroy711
Posts 238
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5/17/2008 12:55 AM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
I just finished watching the English film Dead Man's Shoes (2004). I was very impressed. I would have to highly recommend this one. It pretty much had me at the opening line: "God will forgive them. He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven..................... I can't live with that." This is the type of film that will make it into my collection. Did anybody else see this one? If so, what did you think?
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indieabby88
Posts 270
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5/20/2008 6:53 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Foreign Gems
leeroy711:
I just finished watching the English film Dead Man's Shoes (2004). I was very impressed. I would have to highly recommend this one. It pretty much had me at the opening line: "God will forgive them. He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven..................... I can't live with that." This is the type of film that will make it into my collection. Did anybody else see this one? If so, what did you think?
I remember watching that "Dead Man's Shoes" and not being very impressed. But so many people whose opinions I more or less respect have really good things to say about it, so I'm thinking it may be worth another look.
I was pleasantly surprised by "13 Tzameti." The roulette sequences, I thought, were particularly well shot. Very tense, and with a great sense of cool about them that I really dug.
My personal favorite foreign director at the moment is Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I'm sure this seems rather mainstream of me, but I only just started watching his older, pre-"Amelie" movies last year, "Delicatessen" and "The City of Lost Children" among them, both of which I really enjoyed. And yes, I even liked that "Alien" sequel with Winona Ryder...but mostly because it had Ron Perlman and Dominique Pinon in it. I love those guys.
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