No Man’s Land
Danis Tanovic, 2001, Bosnia (8*)Best Foreign Film (AA,GG)
This is a riveting story about the futility of war and how politics can sometimes reach unbelievable absurdities, using a really simple story on the surface. A couple of soldiers in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian conflict wander into the no man’s land between the two artificially and diplomatically drawn lines. Pretty soon one from the other side becomes trapped with them in an odd sort of stalemate, and by the time they are done the whole event has been sniffed out by the media and becomes a major news event, threatening to have international consequences. More cerebral than action, director Danis Tanovic’s film deservedly won an Oscar® and a Golden Globe for Foreign Language Film, and numerous other small festival awards.
Awards page at IMDB: No Man's Land Awards
The Barbarian Invasions
Denys Arcand, 2003 (8*)Best Foreign Film (AA)
This touching and poignant film is about the last days of a middle-aged Canadian man with cancer. Remy gathers his family and close friends around, and after abusing the healthcare system by occupying an entire unused hospital floor, the whole group moves to a peaceful country cottage on a lake for his final days. Instead of being morose and gloomy, Arcand manages to make us feel joy along with Remy to be so surrounded by loving companions and family for his final days. This is a tough subject to pull of, and the film bears similarities to both The Big Chill and Bergman's Cries and Whispers, but manages to make us feel better than either of those. This was made for Canadian TV as a sequel to Arcand's Decline and Fall of the American Empire, but won a well-deserved Oscar for Foreign Language film.
Nowhere in Africa
Caroline Link, Germany, 2001 (9*)Best Foreign Film (AA)
Terrific story of a Jewish family who decides to move to Kenya from Germany to escape the Nazis just before World War 2. This is a riveting and very personal story, perfectly acted and constructed. The majority of the story involves the wife, brilliantly played by Juliane Kohler, and her only child, a daughter. The film spans years, we get to see the effect of being far removed from a homeland has on the parents, and the effect of being raised in Africa on the daughter. African actor Merab Ninidze is terrific and extremely likeable as the family's cook, who quietly helps them all cope with life in Africa. This film was everything Out of Africa should have been, it's much more real and believable, and more humane. This is a film I can watch again and again. One Oscar
Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto
Dir: Hiroshi Inagaki, Japan, 1954 (8*) Best Foreign Film (AA)
This samurai epic has some breathtaking cinematography, that alone elevating it a class above the average Japanese film, deservedly got an Oscar for Foreign Film... the director Hiroshi Inagaki is the star here, the actors, including the famous Tishiro Mifune, are truly just pieces of his vision which includes the poetic, yet overwhelming landscape. The only drawback, other than slowish pacing, is that the film (from Criterion) is in fullscreen, not wide. The first part of a trilogy by Inagaki, it comes as a set also.
Closely Watched Trains
Dir: Jiri Menzel, Czechoslovakia, 1966, bw (7*) Best Foreign Film (AA)
This offbeat film is about a young, bumbling apprentice train dispatcher in a small Czech town during the Nazi occupation. It's an odd time frame for a romantic comedy about losing one's virginity, while being surrounded by others also more interested in amorous activities than some silly world war. It's almost as if the war inside everyone's pants takes precedence, one hardly notices the real war, just some occasional German train officials who come around to talk about "watching the trains closely". There's not a lot of substance here, but some tasteful comedy about virginity and lust, and mildly erotic scenes done in good taste, especially a famous one involving rubber-stamping a flirtatious teenage girl inside the dispatcher's station. One Oscar
All About My Mother
Dir: Pedro Almodovar, 1999, Spain (7*) Best Foreign Film (AA, BAA)
Almodovar's cinematic homage to women reaches new heights in this Oscar winner, he even dedicates it to: "All women who play actresses, all women, and all those who want to be women", so aside from real women, the cast also includes some gender-benders. The film begins with people watching Bette Davis in "All About Eve", so the connection to 50's dramas about women is made immediately by Almodovar.
It's a fictionalized account of the mother of a teenager who wants to be a screenwriter, a mother who once was an actress apparently, but nothing big. Her life connects with some real stage actresses (doing Tennessee Williams' "Streecar Named Desire"), and the stories of each individual is really what Almodovar's films are all about: the unique, creative people all around who inspire his films, especially women. The Argentinian actress, Cecelia Roth, who plays the mother, was riveting - soapy, yet sincere and believable. The music, I believe by Antonio Inglesias, is very good in all Almodovar's films, and it never intrudes on the scene. One Oscar
The Counterfeitors
Dir: Stefan Ruzowitzsky, 2007, Austria (7*)Best Foreign Film (AA)
Engrossing story of a true Nazi plot to counterfeit so many British pounds and U.S. dollars as to affect those economies by flooding the market with bogus money, inflating the currencies. This was possible due to master forger Salomon Sorowitsch, brilliantly played by Karl Marcovichs, being caught by a Nazi officer who knew his skills, and when promoted to head of the secret counterfeiting operation, he brings Salomon onto the team of the best printers, engravers, and forgers the Nazis could round up. This film is immaculate in its details, and becomes a film about honor vs. survival as do many WW2 stories. Won the Oscar in 2008 for Foreign Language Film.
War and Peace
Dir: Sergei Bondarchuk, 1968, Russia (8*)Best Foreign Film (AA)
This won’t be for all tastes, as it runs over six hours, but as epics go, it is the "most epic" of all, featuring over 250,000 extras (the Red Army), and costing at the time, a record 100 million dollars. They actually made the definitive film of Leo Tolstoy’s novel, maybe a little Hollywood influenced, but still far better than any other attempt at this novel yet. If you haven’t read the novel, this film should suffice, it’s actually a little long and tedious so this shortens the effort by a few dozen hours, and you won’t miss anything! It is, of course, based on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia intertwined with the personal stories of some Russian aristocrats.
Amarcord
Dir: Federico Fellini, 1974, Italy (8*) Best Foreign Film (AA)
Probably Fellini’s most accessible film, as he fondly recalls his childhood through cinema, perhaps rose-colored by time and distance, but enjoyable nonetheless. Paints a vivid picture of rural Italy, how one’s life is shaped by religion, family, school, early friends, and adolescent fantasies and dreams. Here, Fellini’s fantasies make a more universal connection.
Mephisto
Dir: Istvan Szabo, Hungary, 1981 (9*)Best Foreign Film (AA)
This disturbing film about an actor in Nazi Germany put Klaus Maria Brandauer on the map, with a great performance as a man who "sells his soul" in order to remain an actor, basically by doing plays that the Nazi establishment choose for him to perform in Berlin, the most popular being Mephisto in Faust’s play. The ultimate statement concerns whether one remains true to his career or true to his heart.
Quote: I’m just an actor, what do you want from me? (Brandauer)
Kolya
Dir: Jan Sverak, 1996 (10*)Best Foreign Film (AA, GG)
This small and beautiful film from the Czech Republic is one of the more touching and uplifting in recent decades. The story concerns a cellist and avowed bachelor, brilliantly played the director's father, and script co-author Zdenak Sverak, who, needing money, marries a Russian woman for a fee so she can become a Czech citizen. She immediately "disa
ppears" and the musician is stuck with her little boy, Kolya, young Andrej Shalimon is a delight, and was found in Moscow at the last minute after the director had rejected all other auditioners. This is a wonderful film, with a beautiful story and shot that way with an uncanny eye for clarity.
ppears" and the musician is stuck with her little boy, Kolya, young Andrej Shalimon is a delight, and was found in Moscow at the last minute after the director had rejected all other auditioners. This is a wonderful film, with a beautiful story and shot that way with an uncanny eye for clarity.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Dir: Ang Lee, Yuen Woo-Ping, 2000, China (10*)Best Foreign Film (AA, BAA)
A poetic and mythical masterpiece from China, an epic about a stolen sword. Chow Yung-Fat is perfect as the martial arts master who has the sword stolen, and dimunitive Ziyi Zhang (the world's most popular actress) is the likely suspect, only she remains an elusive quarry. Many magical moments and acrobatic martial arts make this a visual treat, as Ang Lee got directorial help for the martial arts. Yo-Yo Ma provided a beautiful soundtrack score, which won an Oscar. 4 Oscars
The Lives of Others
Dir: Florian H. von Donnersmarck, 2007, Germany (9*) Best Foreign Film (AA, BAA)
One of only five films to win both the U.S. and British academy award for foreign language film.
This terrific German film on domestic espionage recalls Coppola's The Conversation. It's a tense, superbly filmed study of the state police of East Germany (the Stasi) using electronic surveillance on a popular writer, who may or may not be guilty of publishing subversive material, which is cause for disappearance. Won both the U.S. and British academy award for Best Foreign Language Film, was nominated for Best Picture in Britain.
Cinema Paradiso
Dir: Guiseppe Tornatore, 1988, Italy (10*)
Best Foreign Film (AA, BAA)
A beautiful epic film (cinema magic about the magic of movies) about growing up with a life that revolves around a cinema theater in a small town in Sicily, and the effect of films on the local townfolk, and one boy in particular, played by Salvatore Cascio as a kid and Marco Leonardi when grown up. The story starts when a projectionist, wonderfully played by Philippe Noiret, befriends a boy whose dad is missing during the war and who hangs out at the theater whenever he can. The story follows him from boyhood to adulthood, all tied together with movies. An all-time top 10 for me, the dvd release also includes the longer director's cut, almost an hour longer.
Best Foreign Film (AA, BAA)
A beautiful epic film (cinema magic about the magic of movies) about growing up with a life that revolves around a cinema theater in a small town in Sicily, and the effect of films on the local townfolk, and one boy in particular, played by Salvatore Cascio as a kid and Marco Leonardi when grown up. The story starts when a projectionist, wonderfully played by Philippe Noiret, befriends a boy whose dad is missing during the war and who hangs out at the theater whenever he can. The story follows him from boyhood to adulthood, all tied together with movies. An all-time top 10 for me, the dvd release also includes the longer director's cut, almost an hour longer.
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