Foreign Films - Please Recommend

Galvasean

jackdaw wrote:

anyone recommend good Japanese films that aren't ASIA EXTREME ?

Akira? oh wait..

Karl Hungus

jackdaw wrote:

anyone recommend good Japanese films that aren't ASIA EXTREME ?

Not sure did you mean to reply to Hagakure_irl's post, but Last Life In The Universe isn't on the Asia Extreme label.

Anyway, there was a few Japanese films mentioned already in this thread. I'd second recommendations of Takeshi Kitano's films; Kikujiro, Hana-Bi, Dolls, and so forth. He's an incredibly film-maker. Also try Yoji Yamada's Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade.

I can't recommend highly enough that you see the films of Akira Kurosawa, if you've not already. You might also want to check out the films of Shunji Iwai, and if you're into animated films, you probably cannot get better than Hayao Miyazaki's films.

There's a hell of a lot of Japanese films, so if you want a more specific recommendation, then you'd be best of telling us what sort of films you're mainly into.

Petey2006

In The Mood For Love
2046
Chungking Express
Princess Mononoke
The Seventh Seal
Le Samourai
The Battle of Algiers
Spoorloos (The Vanishing)
Der Untergang (Downfall)
Idi I Smotri (Come and See)
Taegukgi (Brotherhood)

Dont be at yourself

Tampopo - honestly, it's the most overlooked Asian movie.

Also, The Waterboys, if you're looking for a light-hearted comedy.

calex71

jackdaw wrote:

anyone recommend good Japanese films that aren't ASIA EXTREME ?

Korea has some of the best movies ive ever seen

treefingers

as pretty much all my favourites have been mentioned by one person or another, i'll just throw my 2cents in regarding brick. i thought it was terrible! puts me in the minority here it would seem...

johnny_ultimate

jackdaw wrote:

anyone recommend good Japanese films that aren't ASIA EXTREME ?

My Neighbour Totoro
A film so beautifully innocent it takes away from the extreme natures of others.
But those Tartan films contain many of the finest Asian films of recent years. I have to second Chunking Express (not extreme at all) too - excellent film.

adonis

some good ones in ugc at the moment - all french --

tell no one
la vie en rose
moliere...

also indigenes or days of glory (in english) is class

JoeSchmoe

The man without a past, quirky Finnish movie with a Black sense of humour

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311519/

adonis

oh another one...isnt really foreign but it might as well be - anything by david lynch...

1huge1

'The lives of others' was very impressive

original title in German: Das Leben der Anderen

shatners basoon

Yeah it was very good alright, its probably not out on dvd yet though. If you liked that you should watch coppollo's The Conversation with Gene Hackman, one of my favourite films ever.

One that im not sure wheter its been mentioned that got rereleased this/last year is I am Cuba - masterpiece in film making. http://imdb.com/title/tt0058604/

If you're not put off by slow films (watch kitano's hana bi (previously recommended) to see!) then spring, summer, autumn, winter... and spring is well worth a look. http://imdb.com/title/tt0374546/

if you like the asian stuff also check out Public Enemy (decent twist on the dirty harryesque vigilate cop) http://imdb.com/title/tt0306909/
and especially memoirs of a murder http://imdb.com/title/tt0353969/ by the same guy that did the host - Joon-ho Bong.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

SpitfireIV

1huge1 wrote:

'The lives of others' was very impressive

original title in German: Das Leben der Anderen

Agreed!! Das Leben der Anderen was excellent I thought, really loved the movie, the soundtrack and the main character Wiesler, he played some part!!

Placebo

calex71 wrote:

Korea has some of the best movies ive ever seen

no they dont, name atleast 10. Theyre full of their pop bull block buster girl/boy love releases. they have an odd good one


anyway brick is awful i thought.
as mentioned before,
Delicatessen
City of God
The whole mr venegence/oldboy/miss vengence series
Casshern [maybe]


for japenese/chinese/korean , i apparently have two threads asking the same
2005
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=277320&referrerid=&highlight=japenese

2006
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054904841&highlight=japenese

Karl Hungus

Placebo wrote:

no they dont, name atleast 10. Theyre full of their pop bull block buster girl/boy love releases. they have an odd good one

That's a ridiculous statement, the poster is saying that Korea has some of the best movies he's ever seen.

Certainly, Korean films aren't above fault, and there's been quite a few formulaic horror films churned out by their movie industry, but on the whole, I'd have to agree that some of the best movies from recent years have come from Korea, and I'll name more than just 10.

(Some of these are fairly obvious ones, so bear with me)
Oldboy
Lady Vengeance
Sympathy For Mr Vengeance
Joint Security Area
The Host
Memories Of Murder
Save The Green Planet
A Tale Of Two Sisters
Brotherhood
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring (That's 10 there)
3-Iron
A Bittersweet Life
Crying Fist
The Quiet Family
Welcome To Dongmakgol
Public Enemy
Chihwaseon
Failan
The Isle
The Warrior

I'm sure there's loads there I'm missing, but never mind.

Placebo

personally i think theve released more junk than masterpieces recently. I mean sure you can call 3-Iron a master piece but i found it ridiculously boring, il probably say the same for S,S,A,W,S. From my personal experience everytime i read up on http://www.koreanfilm.org, anything the cinema recently has to offer is bland, i mean i certainly did not like the Host. If that was an english film it would have been classes as rubbish.
in contrast movies associated with japan seem to be a bit more attractive. Obviously there are the select few korean ones that are great but i just meant in general theres heaps on crap that i sat through recently

Karl Hungus

Placebo wrote:

personally i think theve released more junk than masterpieces recently. I mean sure you can call 3-Iron a master piece but i found it ridiculously boring, il probably say the same for S,S,A,W,S. From my personal experience everytime i read up on http://www.koreanfilm.org, anything the cinema recently has to offer is bland, i mean i certainly did not like the Host. If that was an english film it would have been classes as rubbish.
in contrast movies associated with japan seem to be a bit more attractive. Obviously there are the select few korean ones that are great but i just meant in general theres heaps on crap that i sat through recently

I was with you up untill this part:

Placebo wrote:

If that was an english film it would have been classes as rubbish.

You thought 3-Iron and SSAWS were boring? Fair enough, I'd hardly say they were films for everyone, and if you didn't enjoy them, then fair enough. Same goes for The Host. But this absolute rubbish about "If it were in english..." really grinds my gears. Face it, we never hear anyone saying "Oh, you only liked Hot Fuzz because it was English" and with good reason, because it's a ****ing ridiculous thing to say.

Placebo

i just dont know why people particularly like the host tbh. I just feel that some people like it for the sole reason of it being a foreign film.

Capt'n Midnight

I don't think these have been posted so

Nói albinói
¡Vampiros en La Habana!
Mr Vampire
Sophie's World
Metropolis
Münchhausen (the 1943 version made in Germany)
The Butterfly Murders

shatners basoon

Placebo wrote:

i just dont know why people particularly like the host tbh. I just feel that some people like it for the sole reason of it being a foreign film.

I just thought it was an incredibly enjoyable creature flick- the best i've ever seen personally. Granted its not a cinematic art-house masterpiece but for an enjoyable horror/comedy it certainly does the job. That being said you're well intitled to your viewpoint and i can't argue with you on that.

Regarding SSAWS any slow moving film could be consider boring, i mainly enjoyed it as i A) loved the cinematography
and was in the mood for a slow relaxing film (not all escapisms
have to be high octane affairs- take minamilist music as an
example- not everybody's cup of tea but surely others
should be able to appreciate that)

I'd agree with you to an extent with the notion that some (most likely very few and i'm not talking about you Karl!) do often like films just because they're foreign however the subtelty found in most foreign films is more than often exempt in Hollywood films and many viewers find that appealing. However the difference in style certainly shouldn't wholly comensate for any lack of substance.

Anyway in regarding to Korean cinema, in fairness for such a small country Korea has certainly created many noteworthy films (possibly most of those from asia in recent years) so they should certainly be commended for that.

johnny_rambo

1huge1 wrote:

'The lives of others' was very impressive

original title in German: Das Leben der Anderen

x 2
I thought this was a brilliant film! Definitely one I'd recommend.

Sir Graball

For what its worth:

'A Short Film about Killing'

'Babette's Feast'

'Diva'

'Pele The Conquerer'

'Betty Blue'

kawaii

Attack the Gas Station is a GREAT Korean comedy if you ever find it. I HIGHLY recommend it (to Karl in particular, if he hasn't seen it). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262246/

gubbie

"La Vita E Bella" it's my favourite
There's also another one... a french one about this competition that these really wealthy guys have to bring to a party the stupidest guy they can... anyone know what its called? (just googled it and got "Dîner de cons" which I know it is)
Oh and I saw "Dragon Tiger Gate" recently enough. It's one of them Chinese movies but instead of good vs evil, it's evil vs eviler

nadir

jackdaw wrote:

anyone recommend good Japanese films that aren't ASIA EXTREME ?

I'm a huge Shunji Iwai fan, already mentioned by Karl-Hungus.
my favourite movies are,

All about lily chu chu
Hana and Alice

also check out
Ima Ai ni Yukimasu
Cha no Aji
and maybe.. Sekai no chuchin de ai wo sakebu.

calex71

Placebo wrote:

no they dont, name atleast 10. Theyre full of their pop bull block buster girl/boy love releases. they have an odd good one


anyway brick is awful i thought.
as mentioned before,
Delicatessen
City of God
The whole mr venegence/oldboy/miss vengence series

"The whole mr venegence/oldboy/miss vengence series"

some of the finest KOREA has to offer lol ;-)

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

All about lily chu chu
Hana and Alice

absolutely ****ing fantastic movies.

Survive style 5 is another great japanese movie

nacho libre

Wang-ui namja

is_that_so

is_that_so wrote:

El Espíritu de la colmena( Spirit of the Beehive)

You can catch this suggestion of mine on BBC4 tomorrow night @11.30.