Foreign / Non-English Movies

[entwife]

I love watching movies. But in this thread, let us talk about other foreign films that require subtitles.

Here are my recommendations:

Feel Good Movie:

(French) Amelie

Prison Movie:

(Spanish) Cell 211 - One of my favorite foreign films. 

Drama:

(Italian) Cinema Paradiso - for those who love movies and nostalgia
(Mexican) Amores Perros - This has a raw feel to it and was directed brilliantly.

There are a lot of very good foreign films out there. What's your take?

[ikaela]

Just recently watched "Departures" (Japan -- my husband found it sad but I found it very beautiful), and I agree, there are so many foreign film gems waiting to be discovered!

Off the top of my head:
Friend (Korea) - A gang movie rooted in a friendship among 4 boys
The Raid 1 and 2 (Indonesia) - Best fight scenes I've seen in a long while, and ginaya pa ng Hollywood
Confessions (Japan) - Now this is how a revenge plot is written!
City of God (Brazil) - One of the most epic movies of all time
Life Is Beautiful (Italy) - A deeply sad movie underneath a light-hearted storytelling
Spirited Away (Japan) - I think all of Hayao Miyazaki's film are must-sees

There are a handful of disappointments, too, though. I found Wong Kar Wai's "Chungking Express" (China) so terribly boring, dami pa naman nagrecommend. I think you have to be in a certain mood to watch it. Akala ko rin kung anong maganda yung "A Tale of Two Sisters" (Korea). The twist at the end was not worth all the drudgery you have to go through first, IMO.

[Pink_Sugar]

Priceless - naaliw ako sa movie na to satrring Audrey Tautou. 😃

[entwife]

^^City of God - Yes, this is a masterpiece. Tropa de Elite and Trope de Elite 2 are also very good films from Brazil. Same concept with City of God pero revolving around BOPE.  Captain Nascimento is very fine in these movies. 

Kung icocompare ko sa local films, para tong Manila Kingpin. I think Tropa de Elite was also compared to The Raid. I still have to watch it.

Life is Beautiful pinanoood ko to sa phone so papanoorin ko uli. haha Thanks for suggesting Confessions sis. Looks really promising.

Kung Korean films, one movie na sobrang popular na hindi rom-com is Oldboy. The ending scene is the most memorable. Pero the movie is not for everyone.

Another french film na feel good is The Intouchables. This is a touching story about a caregiver and a rich man. Highly recommended for a lazy afternoon.

[castledoll]

ikaela, ang ganda ng Departures! beautiful story indeed!

entwife, yes, Oldboy is not for everyone. Medyo mahaba lang ang movie pero ang ganda! there is also a remake and I just had to watch it for comparison, the remake is crap! Nawala yung ganda nung story dun sa remake.

Anyways, ang suggestions ko ngayon is South Korean films

H
A Man From Nowhere
Commitment
Werewolf Boy

Spanish:

The Skin I Live In

********************

Check ko yung playlist ko kung ano pa yung mga list ng movies ko. hehe

[entwife]

^di ko na pinanood yung remake ng Oldboy kasi hindi naman daw comparable so original.

Naenjoy ko yung Japanese film na Tampopo. Isa sa fave scenes ko yung nagorder sila ng food sa isang french restaurant saka yung training kung paano gumawa ng ramen. Old movie na to pero very entertaining.

[castledoll]

^ ang baba nga ng rating nung remake sa netflix e haha


I'll post more movies later.

[ikaela]

Okay, next to watch ko na ang "Intouchables". entwife, your description of it reminds me of the Hollywood movie "Robot & Frank", which, although not a non-English movie, is a great story too.

After finishing "Oldboy", I was like, "WTF did I just watch?" Haha. I watched the remake too for the heck of it, and ang daming nawalang elements.

Along the same line, I prefer the Swedish "The Girl with Dragon Tattoo" to the Hollywood remake.

[entwife]

^Di ko pa napanood yung Robot and Frank pero it seems similar nga based sa plot sa imdb.

Inulit ko yung last scene ng Oldboy kasi parang in denial pa ako sa napanood ko. Pero it was really hard to watch.

Favorite director ko si Fincher pero haven't had the chance to watch girl with the dragon tatoo. Mas okay ba unahin ko yung swedish version?

[marichel]

Indian movies:
- 3 idiots (i think most of us had already watched this?)
- ghajini

Thai
- the billionaire
- pee mak
- a crazy little thing called love

Korean
- the host
- the thieves
- miracle in cell no. 7
- masquerade

Spanish
- rec 1 and 2 (super scary)

Japanese
- all studio ghibli films
- a tale of mari and three puppies

[escobarina420]

Miracle in cel no. 7
Rec 3, 2 and 1
Pee Mak 1 and 2

[ikaela]

I just watched "Intouchables" and I love it! Found myself laughing at so many scenes. Keep 'em coming, sisses!

[purpleblush18]

Just finished watching thai movie The Billionaire. Super kakainspire

[entwife]

Sobrang busy sa work lately I have no time to watch movies.

Italian Film fest na naman and may mga free movies sa Shang ri La.

Anyway, eto German film Run Lola Run. Yung bida na girl dito is yung partner ni Bourne sa Bourne Identity. Then yung guy na bida is sa Das Experiment.

German film din yung Das Experiment based on the controversial Stanford Prison Experiment. Ang bigat panoorin ng movie na to pero they say na medyo accurate yung responses at reactions ng subjects as portrayed on the film. After I watched this, naghanap ako ng feel good movie to ease the heavy feeling.

[chinablue]

I love watching foreign films kahit na sumakit pa mata ko kakabasa ng subtitles, haha. Here are some of my favorites:

Chungking Express- I love this! It's so timeless! Love story siya pero hindi cheesy. Feel-good lang. I just wish na may happy ending din for the cop in the first part of the film. Ang hot din ni Tony Leung.

Hello Stranger- Very funny though bitin ang ending. Like ko ito kasi pangarap ko din magtour sa Korea. hehe

Crazy Little Thing Called Love- Nakakakilig! Saka ang cute ni Mario Maurer!

Cinema Paradiso- Ang ganda! Kaedad ko itong movie na ito kaya memorable sa akin. It teaches us to let go and move on.

3 Idiots- Ang haba pero inspiring na movie. Ang gwapo ni Amir Khan! I told my Indian colleagues I want to marry him after watching the movie, haha. Ang dami ding kulit moments.

Amelie- Ang cute na movie! Must-watch.

Miracle in Cell N0. 7- My gosh! Sumakit ang puso ko after watching this. Isa ito sa mga movies na you should watch talaga. Love ko si Park Shin Hye!

Windstruck and My Sassy Girl- Classic Korean movies at like ko talaga because like ko si Jeon Ji Hyun.

Mga sisses, please suggest more foreign movies na feel-good at di masyado heavy drama. Keep on sharing!

[nenmaroon]

fan ako ng korean films, mostly suspense thriller/dark/revenge/murder pinapanood ko,the best sila sa mga ganitong genre. laging my twist sa end, here are my lists:
-The Vengeance Trilogy ( Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance)
-company man
-murderer
-voice of a murderer
-the chaser
-a man from nowhere
-confession of murder
-i saw a devil
-monster
-midnight fm
-hwayi
-bedevilled
-cold eyes
-memories of murder
-i am a father
-traffickers
-name it baka napanood kona na hindi nasa list na ito

mix of romantic naman:
-classic
-a moment to remember
-I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
-il mare (remake the lakehouse)
-spellbound
-love 911
-only you

-and many more genre din, hehe

akala ko nung una wholesome mga films nila dahil ganon mga dramas nila hindi pala * frozen flower, eungyo*, kaya ako lang nanonood mag-isa

japases films
-confession
-veronika decides to die (book of paulo coelho)
-liar game (fan kasi ako ng series)
-I Give My First Love to You (teary eyed effect on me)
-my sister, my love (the boy is inlove w/ his twin sister)

polish film
-suicide room (nabuhay sa virtual world, good film about depression and bullying)

thai films (lahat mario maurer ang lead except sa last)):
-a little thing called love (nung highschool ako every week pinapanood ko to)
-love of siam (gay film)
-jan dara (erotic film)
-friends never die (friendship film)
-love summer (friendship & romance)

[entwife]

Padaan lang.  Nire-watch ko yung Catching Fire kanina. I remembered na mas nagustuhan ko yung Japanese film na Battle Royale kesa sa The Hunger Games.

Konti pa lang napanood ko na Korean. Dati kasi akala ko puro rom-com lang ginagawa nila. Pero I am sure to watch those listed ^ in time.

[mooncake and leaves]

Favorite director ko si Fincher pero haven't had the chance to watch girl with the dragon tatoo. Mas okay ba unahin ko yung swedish version?

yes. madaming binago si fincher, even sa book. mas maganda lang soundtrack, ata, ng hollywood version but mas loyal sa trilogy yung swedish version. though i liked both versions naman.

anyway, back to the topic-- i don't watch a lot but these are the ones i liked:

the bicycle thief (or is it thieves? my memory sucks)
city of god
in the mood for love

[juni]

Another french film na feel good is The Intouchables. This is a touching story about a caregiver and a rich man. Highly recommended for a lazy afternoon.

I love this movie   Funny and heartwarming siya.  Naisip ko lang, alam kaya ni Dustin Hoffman na may lookalike siya na French actor?  hehe

Other French films that I love are Amelie and Welcome.  Ang cute ng Amelie, nakakaaliw, and ang ganda ng visuals, whimsical yung dating.  Maganda din yung movie na Welcome pero drama siya, it tears at your heart, lalo na yung ending.  It's a story about a boy named Bilal who crossed into France illegally and is trying to get to the United Kingdom to be with his girlfriend.  Nakakabilib yung love and determination niyang makita and makasama yung girl.

[ikaela]

My foreign film this weekend was "The Secret in Their Eyes". A court case drama that's not for everyone, but, wow, heavy ang acting and there were so many weighty scenes. A bit slow-going at first, but once it gets rolling, you don't want to miss a scene.