Thread: Foreign Movies (or, Movies with Subtitles)

Married to a Euro-chick, I find a fair amount of time watching movies that aren't in English. Sadly, Netflix doesn't have a wide range of Czech movies, and they don't make it easy to find the ones they do have (I haven't figured out how to search by language, which means I have to wade through all of the "foreign" category to find the few Czech options). Tonight, we managed to catch a movie that was worth passing along, but you have to either speak Czech or be willing to read subtitles throughout to enjoy it. I'm in the latter category (reading subtitles), and found the movie pretty affecting. Anyway, check out "Autumn Spring" ("Babí léto"). It's definitely not a "feel-good" sort of movie, but it manages to play some rather universal ideas through a uniquely Czech (or maybe generally post-Communist) filter.

At this point, I watch enough movies with subtitles, that I figured I'd look for other movies that kind of fly under the radar (no "Best Foreign Film" mentions, for instance).

Anything recent worth recommending? Bonus points for being available for streaming on Netflix.

Hungarian film Kontroll is pretty cool. A bit quirky, but worth the watch.

Original "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was the last subtitled one I saw. "Chocolate" and "Raging Phoenix" for Thai action films...

Not recent, but Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky is the best film ever made.

Russian Ark - or is that too obvious?

Let the Right One In
Night Watch
The House of Sand
The Kite Runner

Not sure if these meet either criteria of flying under the radar or being available on Netflix, but if you enjoy foreign films they should be on your list.

Manda Bala (send a bullet) - available on netflix
The Elite Squad - maybe don't watch that with the wife, excellent though.

both are Brazilian.

Old Boy was subtitled and pretty awesome.

Originally Posted by mmmthmtskier

Original "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was the last subtitled one I saw.

and wasn't that about 10x better than the big hollywood version?

Good foreign movies:
City of God - life in the slums of Rio de Janerio
Sin Nombre - story of Central American immigrants trying to get into the USA thru Mexico

Pan's Labyrinth.

The Seventh Seal
Mephisto
The Tin Drum
Kagamusha
Any Australian movie

The Raid: Redemption.... out now in the theater. Fucking badass martial arts movie. Most reviews teeter around "cocaine-filled adrenaline rush".

Other foreign films to consider:
- Tell No One (French film noir, excellent movie)
- Los Cronoscrimines (Spanish sci-fi triller about time travel)
- Oldboy (Korean martial arts vengeance movie)
- Abre Los Ojos (Spanish version of Vanilla Sky)
- The Good, The Bad & The Weird (Korean spaghetti western, very funny)
- The Square (Australian film noir)
- Spoorloos (Dutch version of The Vanishing)

PappaG... you mean The Good, The Bad, and The Weird methinks.

Kurosawa films
Triplettes of Belleville
Hong Kong era John Woo (The Killer, Hard Boiled)
Akira

City of Lost Children is one of my favorite films. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who also did Amélie and Delicatessen. He did Alien: Resurrection too but I think he stepped out of his box on that one and it wasn't very good, IMHO.

Dominique Pinon plays, 5?, clones of himself that are usually on the screen at the same time and interacting with each other physically. Very interesting filming and post work. And Ron Perlman speaking bad french is worth the price of admission.

Cinema Paradiso (Italian classic)
Stano Tutti Bene
Mediterraneo
Johnny Stecchino (Roberto Benigni at his finest, funny as fuck)

Nine Queens. Can't find it on Netflix, fuckers...

Originally Posted by systemoverblow'd

City of Lost Children is one of my favorite films. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who also did Amélie and Delicatessen.

Great film. Also liked "Amelie." The original "La Femme Nikita" was great. I also liked "Run, Lola, Run" from Germany.

Also never forget the best WW2 movie ever made: "Das Boot"

I liked the American version of "Girl w/the Dragon Tattoo" much better than the Swedish one, but I'm a Fincher fan. For a good flick from Vikingland that your wife/GF will also like look to Lasse Hallstrom's "My Life as a Dog."

Max Manus. Fantastic movie about Norwegian Resistance during WWII. I really enjoyed it.

Originally Posted by Tippster

The original "La Femme Nikita" was great. [...]

Also never forget the best WW2 movie ever made: "Das Boot"

+1 to both of those.

I need to be in the right mood for subtitled movies, though. Watched two on netflix the other week when I was sick and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Don't remember their names - just chick flicks with subtitles.

Originally Posted by Tippster

I also liked "Run, Lola, Run" from Germany.

Yeah, the multiple scenarios, some cartoons thrown in mostly action sequences the whole time, fast paced. Loved it. Haven't watched it in years.

Original B&W version of The Wages of Fear.