aren't there any fun foreign films? (1 Viewer)

[MichaelPe]

Of those I've seen this year, I recommend:

• Amores Perros (Love's A Bitch)
• Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
• Un crabe dans la tête (Soft Shell Man)
• Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie)
• Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (With A Friend Like Harry)
• Hua yang nian hua (In The Mood For Love)
• Hundstage (Dog Days)
• Italiensk For Begyndere (Italian For Beginners)
• Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (The Princess And The Warrior)
• Maelström
• La Pianiste (The Piano Teacher)
• Le Placard (The Closet)
• Safar e Ghandehar (The Sun Behind The Moon)
• Sous le sable (Under The Sand)
• La Stanza del figlio (The Son's Room)
• Tillsammans (Together)
• Va Savoir (Who Knows)
• La Virgen de los sicarios (Our Lady Of The Assassins)
• Wo de fu qin mu qin (The Road Home)
• Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too)

 

[DonRoeber]

I'm not sure if you'd count Snatch as a foreign film or not, but its a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

But I definately suggest that you see Amelie. It's one of my favorite movies from last year. I was happy for days after seeing it. Looking forward to the eventual DVD release.

 

[Steve_Ch]

I don't think I saw Insomnia mentioned yet, it's relatively new, and well made, not particularly difficult or abstract, I think it's entertaining.

I am a little surprised that none of Marcello Mastroianni's lighter drama/comedies such as Divorce Italian Style, Stay as You Are (Così come sei, Nastassja Kinski's first movie), along with any of Lina Wurtmuller's films, such as Swept Away, have yet to be mentioned.

French movies such as Tendre poulet (Dear Inspector), la Boum (The Party) are all light hearted laugh out loud type of movies.

And then there's the whole Spain madcap comedy line such as Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown.

On the more serious but still immensely enjoyable side, there's movie such as Plein soleil (Purple Noon, which was remade into The Talented Mr Ripley 40 years later, even the name Ripley was from the original movie), le Samouraï, le Professionnel (1981, Jean Paul Belmondo)...

And then there's one of my all time favorites: DIVA, where style triump over substance.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

The original question reminds of that old beer commercial that asks: "Why are foreign films so foreign?"

Hong Kong movies are fun to me.

I also loved Miracle in Milan.

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

For spiritually uplifting films, ones that don't weigh you down:
Not One Less-somber and moody, but it really makes you feel the human element and strength quite strongly.
The 400 Blows-Truffaut's finest film-again, it centers on enduring human spirit.
Grande Illusion-see at all costs. Simply brilliant filmmaking.
Belle Epoque-Fernando Trueba's great, great fun film. Lovely cinematography and smartly funny.
Croupier-Stylish and suspenseful.
Brother-Violent, and not up to par with the far superior Sonatine (which isn't on DVD), it is nonetheless hip and well made.
Bruce

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Hong Kong movies are fun, try Kung Fu Soccer (proper title: Shaolin Soccer) when it comes out in April, as long as Miramax hasn't screwed with it too badly. The realy problem is that most "fun" foreign films don't come over here because the subtitle crowd doesn't want humor or action, but high drama. (though thankfully that's changing)

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>try Kung Fu Soccer (proper title: Shaolin Soccer)

 

[SteveGon]

City of Lost Children, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, Delicatessen) is a terrific and visually-stunning fantasy/sci-fi film. Once you figure out what the heck is going on, it's a fun film!
Diva, directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, is one of the best thrillers to come out of the eighties. It concerns a young opera fanatic who makes an illegal recording of an opera star and becomes involved with music pirates and murder. There's a great sequence featuring a motorcycle chase in a subway.
Both of these movies are available on dvd - check 'em out!

 

[Brook K]

I think you would really enjoy the films of Francois Truffaut. Recommendations would be:

The 400 Blows

Stolen Kisses

The Wild Child

Mississippi Mermaid

The Bride Wore Black

others:

Children of Paradise

Children of Heaven

Not One Less

Chunhyang

Yi Yi

Madadayo

God of Cookery

Va Savoir

Chloe in the Afternoon

Breathless

My Life To Live

The Blue Angel

The Last Laugh

Suspiria

Belle Epoque

Fireworks

A Better Tomorrow

 

[Ryan Peter]

Il Postino (I hope nobody else posted it, I did a text search and didn't see it come up... here's hoping! )

 

[Hartwig Hanser]

How about "Das Boot"?

 

[James_A]

Don't forget about the Anime!
The Castle of Caligistero (I think that's how it's spelled, but I havn't seen my copy since my brother found how good a movie it was).
Princess Mononoke
Grave of Fireflies (awesome but very moving movie)
Bubblegum Crisis
Lodoss Wars
Check Anime on DVD for more info... it's an amazing site!
Jim

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

George,
The Bridge on the River Kwai is fun, but Lawrence of Arabia isn't? You're not making this any easier.
Is there another word that you can substitute for fun? I wouldn't call Under the Sand "fun", but I enjoyed it a lot. I guess I'm just having difficulty divining what constitues "fun" as, for example, I don't see much substantive difference between the two David Lean films mentioned above.
Another one you might want to check out is God of Cookery, a very silly comedy from Hong Kong.
(BTW, I think you mean Sleeper, not Sleepers.)

 

[Michael Reuben]

I don't believe anyone has mentioned La Femme Nikita. Although it was condemned by The New Yorker as "the death of French cinema", it's still a lot of fun!
I think The Wages of Fear and the ORIGINAL Diabolique (forget the tepid American remake) are a lot of fun.
M.

 

[Julie K]

I'll suggest Peter Jackson's Forgotten Silver which documents the life of early New Zealand film pioneer Colin McKenzie. It's a very amazing little film.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Take Michael's advice and watch Clouzot's "Les Diaboliques". It is one of the all time great thrillers in any language and is not too heavy-handed with the existentialism that seems to turn you off (you told us to begin the psychoanalysis ). It is available on DVD from Criterion. Avoid reading too much about it as one should not have the ending spoiled. It is one of the all-time great endings to a thriller, yet you will not feel as profoundly depressed as you would at the end of, say, "The Vanishing".
Do not by any means go within 100 feet of the re-make starring Sharon Stone.
Most of the enjoyable French farces of the last several years have not been given US theatrical releases so that they could be re-made into inferior Hollywood projects, so we only get the "serious" Best Foreign film Oscar-contending stuff. Many great films fit the latter category, but we are not getting a true cross-section of what is out there.
Regards,

 

[george kaplan]

(BTW, I think you mean Sleeper, not Sleepers.)

Yes, obvious typo. I'll go fix it.

Again, thanks to all for the great suggestions.

 

[teapot2001]

The Godzilla movies are fun.

~T

 

[george kaplan]

I've tried to tally the results to make myself a list. I'm only looking at foreign language films. There are plenty of British and Australian films I like, don't know if it's the language or similarity in culture. I'm also not listing those I've already seen.

I also may be off because of the differing names (english v. original). But as best I can tell, the following were mentioned at least twice:

8 amelie

5 run lola run

4 belle epoque

3 crouching tiger, hidden dragon

3 not one less

3 the closet

2 brotherhood of the wolf

2 chloe in the afternoon

2 diabolique

2 god of cookery

2 il mostro

2 in the mood for love

2 like water for chocolate

2 mississippi mermaid

2 the devil's backbone

2 the gods must be crazy

2 the princess & the warrior

2 together

2 who knows

2 women on the verge of a nervous breakdown

 

[Seth Paxton]

George, based on your list I would disagree with many recommendations you are seeing.
You are looking for something with a bit more traditional Hollywood values it sounds like, with either tight straight ahead comedy or films in which drama sits a tad behind the action aspects.
And that's fine. The fact that you are thoughtful enough to see what is "good" about these films is enough, it doesn't mean you have to enjoy them.
So with that in mind I would say YES to
Run Lola Run
Amelie
Sexy Beast (if we are counting English language films)
Sanjuro (the lighter/funnier sequel to the better Yojimbo)
Yojimbo might still work for you as well
Grand Illusion you might get into, sort of Stalag 17 with a touch of Great Escape
The Dinner Game is a pretty funny straight forward comedy
Brotherhood of the Wolf looks to be another you'd like, although I haven't seen it yet.
But NO to these films that I liked
Princess and the Warrior (much slower and less "fun" than Lola, even though I love it)
In the Mood for Love (slow romance serving the look more than the narrative, very un-H'wood and boring to many)
Yi Yi (great family drama that slowly unfolds and has little "action" although there is some comedy. Think Terms of Endearment or something)
Amores Perros (some parts you might like, but the slower pace and avant garde storyline might drag it down for you - some say Pulp Fiction, but it doesn't have the humor or the pace)
The Road Home I'd say too dry, little humor, no action. Sweet, but not fun.
With a Friend Like Harry You might like it, but your Goodfellas vs Taxi Driver thing tells me it might not be "fun" for you.
Das Boot Again a maybe for you I think. Great action but it's a bit more of a tension drama.
Again, I think all of these films are good, but I'm trying to pick out the ones that you are going to find fun, not just the ones you "should see".
I love LoA but it plays much slower than Kwai. Kwai has it's narrative action more clearly defined and followed. It unfolds in neat little packets. LoA is a bit more spectacle and therefore can leave the viewer a bit bored in wondering where it is going. I don't always find this to be a bad thing which is why LoA is much higher on my list than Kwai, but it makes sense to me why you wouldn't enjoy it as much.