Foreign Films for Those Foreign to Foreign Films

It dawned on me that I can’t very well expect those with a phobia of foreign film (or just find them too tedious to sit through) to develop a love and appreciation for them without offering up a few recommendations.  Now in no way am I saying that you’ll find all of the movies in this post to your liking.  What I am saying.  Scratch that.  What I’m guaranteeing is that there’s at least one film on this list that you may fall in love with, if it doesn’t knock you on your arse first.

For all intent and purposes here, I’ll define the label “foreign film” to include any that is made in a language other than English.  People have their own definition.  Some include those in English but originated outside of the U.S.  If that’s as exotic as you care to get at this point in your movie-watching life, then by all means check out the U.K.’s “In the Loop,” a satirical comedy about the U.K. and U.S. collectively pursuing an ill-advised war in the Middle East while key players in both attacking governments try to avoid a catastrophe.  Or Australia’s “Animal Kingdom” which tells the story of a young man who’s just lost his mother and now must adjust to life with his unfamiliar and criminal relatives.  Or Ireland’s modern-day musical drama “Once” which will assuredly change the way you look at musicals forever.  (Seriously, if you haven’t seen “Once” make that the very next thing you do.  After you finish this post of course.) 

Alas, the focus here will be on foreign language films, for I imagine it’s those that receive the majority of unwarranted criticism.  Let’s break down some barriers, shall we?

City of God (Brazil, 2002) I’m wasting no time here bringing out the heavy artillery.  City of God may be my favorite foreign flick of all-time.  If you like it gangster, then try it Rio de Janeiro style.  Two childhood friends grow up together on the streets of this notoriously dangerous city.  Over time their lives take dramatically different paths.  Rocket pursues his passion for photography.  Lil’ Ze becomes the city’s most feared drug dealer and one of the most memorable characters you’ll ever see on screen.

Waltz with Bashir (Israel, 2008) In this animated feature, director Ari Folman walks you through his personal testimony when he interviews fellow military colleagues about their invasion of Lebanon in 1982.  Folman remembers almost nothing about the ordeal but is convinced that a recurring nightmare in which he’s hunted by vicious dogs holds the key to unlocking his memory.  The story is authentic, original and will grip you from the get-go.  The animation will haunt you long after you’ve finished. 



Amores Perros (Mexico, 2000) Mexico’s version of the “Traffic”/”Crash” movie that intertwines multiple storylines in an entertaining and intellectually stimulating tour de film.  Where “Traffic” revolves around drug trafficking and “Crash” emphasizes race, “Amores Perros” concentrates on love and its potential to motivate us to do the unthinkable.  “Perros” may compare stylistically to the two popular American features, but dare I say it trumps them as an overall film.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (Australia 2002) An incredible true story about three Aboriginal girls ranging from ages 8-14 who were taken from their family by the government in order to be “domesticated.”  They escape the girls home where they were dropped off by government officials but must travel thousands of miles through the outback if they want to see their family again.  The film has a nice of balance of English and an Aboriginal language and managed to keep the attention of my 6^th grade class.  Yeah, I’d say that’s a good qualification.

Cinema Paradiso (Italy, 1988) A charming love letter to the movie-going experience, this Italian flick will warm the heart of any sucker for cinema.  It’s about movies, plain and simple.  Why we love them; why we need them.  How they provide an escape, a reprieve, an…….interlude.  How they inspire us and change us and hold up the mirror that allows us to look into our own lives, our own souls. 

OldBoy (South Korea, 2003) So, you like revenge films.  Bronson’s killing spree in “Death Wish.”  Denzel’s bone-breaking tactics in “Man on Fire.”  Uma’s Samurai shite storm in “Kill Bill.”  Oh Dae-Su was kidnapped and has spent the last fifteen years in a makeshift cell inside a hotel room.  Without explanation, he’s set free one day and given clues about his captor whom he still knows nothing about.  The twist carries the force of a hammer to the face (pun intended) and gives you plenty to mull over while you recuperate.

El Mariachi (USA, 1992) I’m kind of breaking my own rules by including this one.  Kind of.  Technically “Mariachi” is considered an American film, I suppose because director Robert Rodriguez hails from Texas.  Aside from that, this is a Mexican film.  The actors are Mexican.  It’s set in Mexico.  The entire movie’s in Spanish.  I had to include it.  I mean did you even know that “Desperado” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” were part of a trilogy?  This one’s the best of the three despite the fact that it was made for just over $200,000.  You heard me.  $200,000.

Paradise Now (Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2005) I was fascinated by the trailer.  Two childhood friends who grew up in the volatile city of Palestine are recruited by Muslim extremists for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.  As their mission draws nearer, the two begin to question their motives and the life-altering effects their actions will have.  The trailer includes some English, but the majority of the movie is in Arabic.  Religious fundamentalists beware.  This may not be the one for you.

A Prophet (France, 2009) If “A Prophet” was an American film, in twenty years it would be spoken of with the same esteem as we speak of “The Godfather” and “Goodfellas” today.  As it stands, it’s an absolutely phenomenal French gangster flick that unfortunately many people won’t have the opportunity to see.  It’s a travesty to say the least.  Malik is a no-name criminal starting a relatively modest prison sentence.  However, by the time he leaves, no one will ever forget him.  The final shot may be the best I ever saw.  Ever.

And because I love you and care about your movie-watching experience, here are the trailers to the three English speaking foreign films mentioned at the beginning of this post.  Now go and fall in love with a film from the other side of the tracks.