<p>If you don’t mind animated films, there are some really good ones. When yD was into anime, we rented Grave of the Fireflies. The movie tells the story of two orphaned kids in WWII Japan. Warning - it is a very heartbreaking tale; our whole family cried at the end of the movie. </p>
<p>And of course, Hayao Miyazaki’s fairy tales (Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away) are wonderful.</p>
<p>If animated movies are not your cup of tea, here is a good list to start with:</p>
<p>Others have already mentioned some of my favorites: “Monsoon Wedding”, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, “Like Water for Chocolate”.</p>
<p>I also enjoyed these French films: “Amelie”, “Au Revoir Les Enfants”, and “La Vie en Rose”. (Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her portayal of Edith Piaf in the last one).</p>
<p>“Pan’s Labyrinth” is very dark (Fascists, child abuse) but it is visually stunning. This one is in Spanish.</p>
<p>“Water” (Indian) is a fascinating look at the fate of Hindu widows in the 1940’s. It’s part of a trilogy, but I haven’t seen the other two films (with “Earth” and “Fire”) yet.</p>
<p>If you enjoy really quirky moves, rent “The Band’s Visit.” It’s an Israeli film but didn’t qualify as a foreign film for the Academy Awards because some of it is in English. It’s about an Egyptian military band that mistakenly takes the wrong bus and gets stranded in a small Israeli town.</p>
<p>Re: Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring: I’ve yet to see any Daniel Auteuil movie that I’ve not liked. He’s often (usually?) in comedies. </p>
<p>If you like “Europa Europa”, then try “Nowhere in Africa”. Another true story of a Jewish family that escaped Germany to live in (I think) Kenya during WWII. Has anyone mentioned “Das Boot”, the most amazing war movie ever? Oh yeah, I see someone did. Also “Downfall”, about Hitler’s last days in Berlin. The scene where his generals tell him that he has nothing left with which to counterattack has been remixed a million times on YouTube. </p>
<p>If you end up liking any of the food films, try some of Ang Lee’s early work, all sorts of gorgeous chinese banquet themes with gorgeous food scenes. </p>
<p>Last year there was a fantastic thriller from France called “Tell No One” based on a Harlan Coblen book. We just saw “The Class” and were underwhelmed. “Sophie Scholl” is devastating.</p>
<p>Ones mentioned by others that I alos loved:
Das Boot
Ran
Jean de Florette
Manon des Sources
Return of Martin Guerre
Cinema Paradiso
Babette’s Feast
Monsoon Wedding</p>
<p>I also recommend:
Motorcycle Diaries
Kagemusha
Salaam Bombay
Mediterraneo
Raise the Red Lantern
The Wedding Banquet
Eat Drink Man Woman
Kolya
Y tu mama tambien
Joyeux Noel
Le Femme Nikita</p>
<p>Ive enjoyed most of the movies already listed.
Loved Wings of Desire and another movie that I think is one of the best ever made is Beauty and the Beast- the 1946 version by Jean Cocteau.</p>
<p>Also enjoyed Laagan- Once upon a time in India,
The Englishman who went up a hill but came down a mountain.</p>
<p>Haven’t seen Persepolis, but loved the books.
Talk to Her ( spanish- and my H even liked it & he doesn’t like subtitles )
The Sea Inside ( spanish)
also love the Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I even hunted around and pieced together the soundtrack.</p>
<p>Au revoir les enfants
and in case you think I am too highbrow ;)</p>
<p>La Grande Illusion
Les Enfants du Paradis
Jeux Interdits
Les Dimanches de Ville d’Avray
Cousin, cousine
Tous les Matins du Monde (you have to like early music!)
I Have Loved You So Long (Kristin Scott Thomas’ accent comes and goes but she is marvelous here)
Hidden Fortress (the inspiration for Star Wars)
Seven Samurai (inspiration for The Magnificent Seven)
Yojimbo (inspiration for My Name is Nobody)
Sanjo the Bailiff
Tokyo Spring
Tampopo
Kagemusha (a counter to Shogun)
Ran
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
The Wedding Banquet
Amarcord
The Tree of Wooden Clogs</p>
<p>We saw The Class over the weekend, and while it was an interesting look at multicultural education in France, I agree that it was somewhat underwhelming. It was a sort of quasi-documentary, and might have worked better if it had been an actual one.</p>
<p>I can, however, recommend Avenue Montaigne, which I saw on cable a couple of weeks ago. It is, as the French say, charmante.</p>
<p>Favorite foreign movies - in no particular order:</p>
<p>Fanny and Alexander (Swedish)
Volver (Spanish)
Small Change (L’Argent de poche) French
Umbrellas of Cherbourg (French)
Forbidden Games (French)
any films by Ozu (Japanese)</p>
<p>– there are others, but these are on top of the list.</p>
<p>“Cries and Whispers”<br>
–red is the color of the soul and the silence in this movie is deafening
you have to see it in a movie house to get the full effect because the VCR version’s sound is so terrible.</p>
<p>“Seven Beauties”</p>
<p>“Crouching Tiger and Hiddent Dragon” does chinese martial arts movies count ?</p>
<p>“Persona” another Ingmar Bergmann landmark</p>
<p>“Rashomon” Kurozawa’s most famous and breakout work</p>
<p>“Sheltering Sky” Bertolucci directed it, but in English does it count ?</p>
<p>“Picnic at Hanging Rock” Australian does it count ?</p>
<p>Amelie (France 2001) - Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Very romantic and quirky love story. Probably one of the most romantic films that I have ever seen.</p>
<p>Chungking Express (Hong Kong 1994) - Wong Kar-Wai: The director’s films have a very art-film style to them…lots of hand-held camera work and craaaazy colors. This is a brilliant story about isolation and love in a big city.</p>
<p>Cranes Are Flying (Russia 1957) - Mikheil Kalatozishvili: If you are looking for a tearjearker, this is definitely it. The hopelessness of the protaganist’s situation…a love torn apart too easily by the ravages of war…one of the most beautiful and visually stunning films I have ever seen.</p>
<p>3-Iron (Korea 2004) - Kim Ki-duk: One of Korea’s up-and-coming great directors. The film is a contemporary take on silent film, but the lack of dialogue only makes the actions of the characters so much more interesting. Definitely very artsy and is the most mainstream out of all of his films.</p>
<p>Amores Perros (Mexico 2000) - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu: By the guy who directed Babel…which was a pretty horrible film. This is what Babel should have been like. 3 intersecting stories featuring on the progression of love. Lots of animal cruelty (dog fighting) so if you’re not into that, this movie might be hard to get into.</p>
<p>The Bicycle Theif (Italy 1948) - Vittorio De Sica: One of the most famous movies for the realist movement in Italy (using common people as actors and focusing on the story of the common man). This is a good movie to see, especially in this economy. It is about an unemployed man who finally gets employed but gets his bicycle stolen, which he needs in order to do his job. Such a heart-rending film…and features the cutest little Italian boy ever! ^^</p>
<p>Europa Europa (Germany 1999) - Agnieszka Holland: About a young Jewish boy and his experience pretending to be German and his eventual reunification with his family. A very touching and interesting story.</p>
<p>War of the Buttons is a 1994 remake of the 1962 French film, La Guerre des Boutons, based on a novel of the same title by Louis Pegaud (who was killed in WWI).</p>
<p>I also like:
Les 400 Coups (Four Hundred Blows), Jules et Jim by Truffaut.
Eric Rohmer’s Ma Nuit chez Maud.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a charming film about the Cultural Revolution that Chinese friends have told me is very reminiscent of their own experiences.</p>
<p>I’m glad marite brought up Eric Rohmer – he’s one of my favorite directors. In addition to Ma Nuit Chez Maud, I also liked Pauline at the Beach and Full Moon in Paris.</p>