Top 10: Foreign-Language Films

While Hollywood may dominate the worldwide box office with its constant stream of films, there has been many a brilliant piece of cinema that has been produced outside the United States. Most of the world's larger countries have strong and flourishing film industries, and although they can't quite compare with the strength of Hollywood, they still manage to produce a number of great flicks. I've only recently - as in the past few years - started to delve into the world of foreign-language film, but in that span, I've managed to see quite a few great flicks, so I figured I'd make this particular list to showcase them.

Below is a list of the top ten foreign-language films I have ever seen. Now, while it could be considered a foreign film, you're not going to see any films from English-speaking countries like Canada or England. Instead of taking films simply produced outside the United States - which would include classics like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West - I chose to stick with films that are predominantly not in English. I think that makes for a little bit more of an interesting selection.

With that, here's the list! I hope you enjoy it!


10. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Japanese: Letters from Iwo Jima

Released nearly simultaneously with its English-language sister film Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima manages to expand upon and outperform its predecessor by bringing a more emotional tale to the screen. Director Clint Eastwood does well to show the Japanese side of the lost battle, and it works in brilliant fashion, and the film benefits from a fantastic leading performance from Ken Watanabe.

9. Downfall (2005)
German: Der Untergang

Many people have seen snippets of this film, but they may not quite recognize it. There's an ongoing Internet video featuring a scene from Downfall in which the subtitled language is replaced for comedic purposes, but the scene comes from this particular picture, which documents Adolf Hitler's last days alive. It's an interesting character study about a man who's losing his grip on reality, and in a way, it's almost a tragic tale.

8. The Lives of Others (2007)
German: Das Leben der Anderen

Although I think The Lives of Others was an undeserved winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture - it went up against Pan's Labyrinth, for goodness sake - it still manages to be one of the better foreign films I've ever seen. Equal parts mystery and human drama, it manages to keep you completely invested with each character, regardless of whether you like them or not. Kudos to the cast and crew.

7. Cinema Paradiso (1990)
Italian: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso

This is a more recent watch for me, and I instantly fell in love with the story of an aging filmmaker reminiscing about his childhood introduction to the world of cinema. It's an epic tale of a boy's life and growth into a young man, and it manages to hit all the key emotions along the way. It's a film made for people who love film, so if you fall under that category, this one's definitely for you.

6. Amélie (2001)
French: Le fabeleux destin d'Amélie Poulain

I remember first hearing about this French film during my first year of college, and after hearing so many people talk about how much they love it, I had to give Amélie a try for myself. What I got was a splendidly delightful tale about a young woman with whom you can't possibly fall in love. Audrey Tautou gives a stellar performance, and the light-hearted and whimsical tone of the movie is sure to draw you in immediately.

5. Das Boot (1982)
German: Das Boot

I've long known of this movie's existence, but as you can see by my year-old review (linked above), it's only recently that I've been able to take in its greatness. Arguably one of the best war movies ever to film, Das Boot effectively manages to convey the claustrophobic atmosphere of submarine life, all while bringing forth an incredible story of men just trying to survive.

4. Amores perros (2001)
Spanish: Amores perros

I saw this film after seeing movies like 2005's Crash and 2006's Babel, when the "intersecting storyline" thing was a big deal. Four years earlier, Amores perros did the same, with arguably much better results. It's a gritty tale, and it's going to take you to some very deep places, but if you can stomach some of the violence, then you're going to be amazed by the final result.

3. Let the Right One In (2008)
Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in

What starts as a very strong look at an off-beat horror film turns into something magnificent and beautiful with the film's climactic scene, and ever since, Let the Right One In has stuck with me. The relationship between the two young leads' characters is heartbreaking, but it's the glue that keeps this film together. Although still a strong film, the 2010 English-language remake (Let Me In) just doesn't compare to this original Swedish masterpiece.

2. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Spanish: El laberinto del fauno

In 2006, Guillermo del Toro gave the world Pan's Labyrinth, one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, and one that made a run for the top spot on this list. Heralded as a fairy tale for adults, the film manages to bring a sense of wonder and dread all at once. Set against the backdrop of war, the story takes many a dark turn, and it's definitely not for the faint of heart, but I'll always hold this one dearly in my heart.

1. The 400 Blows (1959)
French: Les quatre cents coup

What can I say about this film other than its about as perfect as they come? It might be the truest "must-see" film I've ever managed to see, if only because I think every single person needs to see this masterpiece at some point in their life. I watched it at exactly the right time in my own life, and I think that was the reason the message seemed so clear to me. There isn't a person in the world that can't relate to the film's central character, and for that reason, I think that makes this a must-see for everyone.


And so, there's my list of the ten best foreign-language films I've ever seen. As with my other "top 10" lists, this one will be ever-changing, so keep your eye on it!

Movie Review: 13 ASSASSINS

13 ASSASSINS

(Jûsan-nin no shikaku)
2011
R


"Ruling is convenient, but only for the rulers. The people must live to serve."
-- Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira

13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku) is a 2011 Japanese action film directed by Takashi Miike that serves as a remake of the 1963 film of the same name. After Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki) makes his way across the Japanese countryside, murdering servants along the way, a group of samurai led by Shinzaemon Shimada (Kôji Yakusho) starts to plan a counter-attack that would take Naritsugu's life. As the time of their attack draws nearer, Shinzaemon learns that Naritsugu's top guard Hanbei Kitou (Masachika Ichimura) has discovered the plot to bring his lord down, so he and the other samurai have to use their cunning in order to take down the guard of over two hundred warriors protecting the evil leader.

I remember seeing the trailer for this film earlier this year, but if it ever made it to a theater near me, it only lasted for a week or two because I never had the opportunity to see it. Fortunately, it hit NetFlix Instant Watch earlier this summer, and I finally had the chance to give it a view. It had received spectacular critical reviews (it currently holds a 95% approval rating on Rottentomatoes.com), so that alone would have been enough to draw me to the film. Having only just realized that the film is a remake, I may have to go back and give the original film a gander as well.

The screenplay is sufficient for this type of film, and it even has touches of brilliance here and there. It's a longer film, and it takes a little while for it to build up, but once we get to the actual point of attack, it's a non-stop battle for nearly and hour. Everything beforehand is politics, and it just moves a little slowly. However, the slow build-up works very well in juxtaposition to the frenzy that occurs in the second half of the film. Also, I personally found the film's last scene to be truly spectacular. Hopefully you'll be able to see it in the same light in which I saw it.

The acting is also top-notch considering the genre we're being given. Yakusho and Ichimura give fine performances as the film's main adversaries, and a lot of credit has to be given to Inagaki, who plays a perfectly disgusting villain. We also get some great performances from the likes of Tsuyoshi Ihara and Yûsuke Iseya, who provides the comic relief in the second half of the film. While there's not enough brilliance in the acting to leave much of a lasting impression, everyone plays their part to a tee, and it fits well with the film.

Overall, it might not be a film for everyone, but I was pleasantly surprised with 13 Assassins. It's a top-notch action film, and it's definitely a quality foreign film. If you've got a couple hours to kill, you could definitely do worse than this one.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up

DVD Challenge #18: THE ORPHANAGE

The Orphanage (El orfanato)
2007
R
Run-time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Directed by: Juan Antonio Bayona
Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep


Whenever I see Guillermo del Toro's name attached to a film, I have the immediate reaction that I should be expecting something, at the very least, above average. With directorial efforts like the Hellboy films and the brilliant Pan's Labyrinth, he's proven himself to be incredibly competent behind the camera. And although he takes his talents to the producer's chair for The Orphanage, you can still feel that del Toro "stamp" on the film, so to speak.

There are many ways to describe this film, but I think that the critical consensus offered on the online review aggregate Rottentomatoes.com offers the best concise breakdown: the film "is a breath of fresh air for critics and audiences alike, seamlessly blending in a poignant tale of loss with the scares and blood." In a day and age where remakes and reboots are the norm (especially in the horror camp), it's always nice to see something new and original hit the screens.

When it comes to horror films, I'm not really a fan of the "cheap thrills" - those moments meant to make you jump out of your seat. I feel like they really are cheap, giving you a sudden jolt that you won't remember two minutes later. No, the brand of horror I truly crave is the kind that can offer suspense that seeps into your subconscious. If a movie can get inside your head, I think it's all the more terrifying than a door slamming shut or a monster popping from behind a corner. And while The Orphanage does have a few "jump-out-of-your-seat" moments, it mostly delves into the suspense of the story to give its viewers their thrills and chills.

In order for a film to be successfully suspenseful, however, it needs to have an engaging storyline that allows the audience the opportunity to get lost in the story. With the horror and thriller genre, the only way to create legitimate terror through suspense is to hook the viewer from the opening scene and never let go of that hold. If a film can't do that, then it's lost its audience from the very start and is surely headed towards a drastic demise. It's for this very reason that we don't see all that many great horror films nowadays, but The Orphanage definitely teeters on the brink of greatness. We get a fantastic plot that's infused with a level of emotion not normally seen within this genre. It's this emotion that helps carry the film towards its rather beautiful conclusion, and it should be commended.

On the same hand, we're also getting a slew of great performances from the cast. Rueda is fantastic as our lead, and the young Príncep holds his own whenever he finds time on-screen. We also get a couple of rather good supporting performances, especially from the likes of Geraldine Chaplin who brings a legitimate cameo appearance to the film.

I'd also like to make a quick mention of the film's fantastic musical score, composed by Fernando Velázquez. It perfectly sets the mood for the film and holds the tone throughout. It's a beautifully written score, and here's a little snippet for your listening pleasure:

At the end of the day, however, it's the story and the emotion that truly carry The Orphanage to success. While I'm not quite ready to call the film "great," I do have to say that it's a very good movie that offers a different type of horror experience. If you're tired of cheap thrills and want a "breath of fresh air," then give The Orphanage a go. Be forewarned if you're not a fan of subtitles, however.


Previous DVD Challenge: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)

Movie Review: DAS BOOT

DAS BOOT

1982
R

Das Boot is a 1982 German war film directed by Wolfgang Petersen that centers around the crew of a German U-boat towards the end of World War II. When Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer), a Navy war correspondent, is assigned to chronicle life on a German U-boat, he joins the crew of Captain Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jürgen Prochnow) for their voyage into the Atlantic Ocean. Because I don't want to give away too much of the plot's details, I'll simply give you the synopsis as presented by the Internet Movie Database: Das Boot tells the story of "the claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror." That's about as good of a breakdown as I could give without telling you exactly what happens.

The first thing you're probably going to notice about this film is that it's incredibly long. The original theatrical cut spans for roughly two-and-a-half hours, and the extended director's cut - which I was able to watch - adds another hour on top of that. The length alone is going to turn some viewers away, but for those of you who can stomach sitting through a movie this long, I can honestly say that you're in for quite an experience. Add to the fact that you'll be reading subtitles (unless you know German), and I probably only personally know a handful of folks who would even attempt to sit this one through.

I'm going to start with the acting because I have a little bit more to say on the side of screenplay. I thought that the cast was extremely well-rounded, with each man giving a finely-detailed performance. It seemed as though each principle character had their own unique personality. The aforementioned Prochnow and Grönemeyer deliver fantastic performances, but there's definitely a lot of love to spread around. Klaus Wenneman is great as the boat's Chief Engineer and closest friend to the Captain, and we also get some great performances from the 1st and 2nd Lieutenants, played by Hubertus Bengsch and Martin Semmelrogge respectively. And Erwin Leder gives a number of memorable scenes, so be on the lookout for him as well.

Now, for the screenplay, which scored an Academy Award nomination in the "adapted" category. The basic storyline is pretty straight-forward, which we'd expect from a film of this nature. We see the daily activities of living on a U-boat, and we see the "boredom, filth, and sheer terror" that it provides to the crew. At the same time, we're getting little bit of political context. At the film's outset, we learn that the Captain is tired of the ongoing war and sees it for how it truly is - the Germans are on their way to losing to the Allied forces. However, the rest of his crew consists of young, idealistic men who still believe in the words and the message of their Führer despite all the evidence that has been stacking up against him. This ideology is epitomized by Bengsch's 1st Lieutenant, who is as stiff as they could possibly come. Despite their obvious concepts of the war around them, all of them men still stand together when it comes to battling their enemy. That's where I think something even deeper comes into play within Das Boot's screenplay. We're given a story with a very human element, and it's filled with joy and sadness, elation and tragedy. At the end of the day, it's a story of survival, and I think that makes it all the more relatable.

In a way, Das Boot can be seen as a difficult film to enjoy, especially being an individual outside of Germany. Although you never really get the sense that these men are Nazis, that's basically what they are and will be throughout the film's entirety. Sure, they may have their reservations about the leadership, but ultimately, they're the ones that I was raised to cheer against in films like Raiders of the Lost Ark or Schindler's List. The Nazi Party has become synonymous with evil, and humanizing a group of them could seem a little off-putting for some. But that's the wonder of the film - despite all the reasons to hate these men, you start to develop a sort of affection for them, to the point where you're crying with them and cheering with them. A lot of credit has to go to Petersen's direction, but the screenplay definitely sets this film up for its ultimate success.

Overall, Das Boot is a film that you should probably watch if you haven't already done so. Try to get the director's cut if you can, and definitely try to watch it all in one sitting. I'm not sure if it would have as much staying emotional power if you try to break it up into smaller chunks. It's easily one of the best war films I have ever seen, and as you'll see below the picture, it ranks as one of the greatest films I've had the chance to witness. So give it a chance as well - I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A
2 Thumbs Up

Rankings
Best All-Time: #91

Movie Review: [REC]

[REC]

2007
R

[Rec] is a 2007 Spanish horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza that takes place in an apartment building infected with some kind of contagious disease. One night, Ángela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman set out to a fire station to film the latest episode of Ángela's show, While You're Sleeping. The two move about the station, recording the rather mundane livelihood of a firefighter at the station as they wait for any type of nighttime call. It ultimately comes, and the two join firefighters Manu (Ferran Terraza) and Álex (David Vert) to respond to a call at an apartment where an elderly woman is said to be hurt. When the group arrives, they walk to the old woman's apartment with the police already on-scene; the woman appears very agitated and ultimately attacks one of the police officers, biting into his neck, putting him into critical condition. As the group of people shake off the shock of what they just saw, they take the injured man downstairs where the other people living in the complex inform them that they have been sealed inside the building by authorities outside. This sets off a mass panic as everyone inside the building tries to figure out why they've been trapped and just what kind of menace they have to face inside.

I've known about this movie for quite a while, but it really came into my collective consciousness after an American remake (entitled Quarantine) was released in 2008. All I've ever heard about the film was that it's one of the scariest ever to grace the screen, so I've been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to give it a view. Although it's not quite the scariest flick I've had the chance to see, it definitely ranks as one of the best horror films in my film repertoire.

The film is shot in the now-relatively-common Blair Witch style, giving us a character's point-of-view throughout the film. When done correctly, these types of movies can be extremely effective in that they give the viewer a chance to immerse themselves completely into the story. It's almost as though we're the one holding the camera, filming everything that's going on around us. The makers of [Rec] use this style to the best of their ability, not only succeeding with the shaky-camera style, but giving the audience a sense of confusion and claustrophobia that's truly difficult to convey in cinema. Kudos to these guys for doing just that.

I also found the cast to be stellar, although I can see where some people could be annoyed by them. I've been reading some reviews, and a lot of people criticized the cast as being too one-dimensional. In their defense, this type of film with this type of story doesn't necessarily leave room for any type of character development. It's supposed to be a kind of real-time movie with the actors simply reacting to their surroundings. So to those critics who said that the acting wasn't any good, I'd have to disagree. I thought that each character, while ultimately expendable, brought a different type of persona to the film. Velasco does very well as our lead, taking us through a wide range of emotions that fit perfectly with what's going on around her. Every other character complements her Ángela well, making a rather strong ensemble cast.

I did have a little bit of issue with the screenplay in that they tried a little too hard to explain things at the end. In the film's climactic moments, Ángela starts to piece together the puzzle, but the reveal is so blatantly obvious that I felt a little insulted. It comes down to the whole concept of "showing, not telling." In this case, the filmmakers "tell" us the reasons behind this disease rather than simply "showing" us the pieces and letting us put it all together on our own. Ultimately, I don't think any explanation was really needed - in a film like this, where confusion is key, I think there needs to be a little bit of ambiguity at the finale to make it a little stronger. It's not like the ending destroys the movie, but I did feel like it could've been a little better by being a little more ambiguous.

Overall, [Rec] is a fantastically-shot film that's sure to deliver both suspense and some jump-out-of-your-seat scares. I even have to admit that I yelled out loud at one point, which has only happened during a film once before (when I watched 1979's Alien for the first time). That alone should make you want to give this one a shot. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A-
1.5 Thumbs Up

Addition to Rankings
Best Horror/Thriller: #25

Addition to Awards
2007: 2 nominations

Movie Review: BURMA VJ

BURMA VJ

Reporting from a Closed Country
2009
Unrated

It's a little bit difficult to critique and review a movie like this. It's like trying to say that a documentary about the Holocaust or the mass genocides in Rwanda. The whole point of such a film is to stir an emotional response from the viewer and bring them towards the sympathizing with the peoples affected by such outrageous atrocities. In some ways, to say that a documentary such as Burma VJ is not effective is to say that it's message did not reach you. In some ways, a person can assume a person who makes such a statement may be a heartless, self-centered individual. Perhaps you can see my conundrum when I say that I wasn't entirely impressed with this Oscar-nominated film.

Burma VJ, which was directed by Anders Ostergaard, follows a man named "Joshua" (his real name is not given for security reasons) who is one of the ringleaders of the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), an essentially illegal television and media group who works towards broadcasting the injustices created by the Burmese government; they do this as a direct counter-attack to the constant stream of propaganda ushered forth by the government. The footage shown within this film spans the course of roughly six weeks in the late summer of 2007 where monks and public citizens alike took a stand against the government for the first time in nearly twenty years. These undercover video reporters put their lives on the line to capture this momentous occasion, taking us through the ups and the downs, the trials and the tribulations of organizing such a massive protest.

Not only is this a documentary, but you can probably see this as a foreign film as well considering we're getting a lot of the dialogue in Burmese. I only say this because, unless you're fluent in both English and Burmese, you're going to have some subtitles to read. The English-language sections of the film, which mostly comprise the voice-overs from Joshua, seemed a little bit off for me. It felt as though his lines were a little too scripted for a documentary feature. Yes, I know that voice-over like that is supposed to be scripted, but it works best when it flows seamlessly and without hesitation. Perhaps Joshua simply isn't that great of a line-reader, but his voice-over stood out so glaringly that it would constantly take me away from what he was actually saying. This does not pose well for the film's effectiveness.

Another knock against it is the constant cutaway to blatantly reconstructed scenes. Now, the film does give a disclaimer at the very beginning that says we should be ready for such scenes (all of which comprise of Joshua either on the phone or at a computer while he hides in Thailand and attempts to direct his other videographers), but they always seem a little too out-of-place from the rest of the film. I think this goes into the camera work. These reconstructed scenes are crisp and crystal clear, and they take you away from the grittiness of the hand-held camera images that are being thrust into view. If the change were more subtle, I wouldn't be writing this paragraph, but it's such a stark contrast that it almost feels like we're going from our documentary to a big-budget political thriller. Back and forth, back and forth, and I just got tired of it after a while.

All of this is not to say that the film's message did not reach me. I have known about the political turmoil in Burma for a few years, but I never really knew the true extent. Burma VJ opened my eyes a little bit more to the suffering of the Burmese people under militaristic rule. So please don't assume I'm a heartless piece of crap because I'm not throwing an "A+" grade towards this film. I think that they could have made their argument a little more effective, and it could have been a great film. Instead, it's hanging on somewhere between the range of "good" and "almost great." However, it's still worth watching considering this story needs to be told. Perhaps you'll get a little more sucked into the film than I did, but you should definitely watch it and keep yourself informed about the world around you.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B-
1 Thumb Up

Movie Review: KIMJONGILIA

KIMJONGILIA

2010
Not Rated

You can watch the trailer here

Kimjongilia is a documentary directed by N.C. Heiken that brings together a series of interviews with North Korean citizens that have escaped their oppressed lives under the rule of the infamous Kim Jong-il. Each interviewee describes, in detail, the harshness of their livelihood while living in North Korea as well as the methods they took towards escaping such a hellish place.

I'm just gonna be up front about this: there's a lot wrong with this documentary that should have knocked it outta the park, both factually and emotionally. Yes, we get the facts (there's a number of screenshots that look like a high school freshman created them giving us the details of North Korea's history), and we get the emotion from a number of very good interviews, but there's a lot of intangibles about the presentation of the film that just throw everything off. The biggest portion of the film that simply seems a little off-kilter are the random scenes of interpretive dance that are thrown in from time to time. At certain points during an interview or during stock North Korean footage, a girl will come onto the screen and perform some sort of interpretive dance that is supposed to relate to what is being said; however, it rarely fits and simply took me away from the facts I was being given at that moment.

In addition, I felt as though that there wasn't enough talk of Kim Jong-il. There was much reference to his father, Kim Il-sung, but aside from a few shots of the man himself (as well as the various interviewees expressing their disdain for him), there isn't much said about the man from whom the movie takes its name. At least, not enough to warrant the name, in my opinion. Maybe you'd think otherwise.

I apologize that this is such a short review, but it's an equally short movie (barely reaching seventy minutes), so I'm okay with leaving it here. I think that this documentary had quite a bit of potential to blow the door open to a country that we're learning more and more about in today's society, but it held back just a little too much. If you're going for condemnation, then you have to go all the way, but Kimjongilia never once pushed the pedal to the metal.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: C-
1.5 Thumbs Down

Movie Review: A PROPHET

A PROPHET

(Un prophète)
2010
R

You can watch the trailer here

A Prophet is a French film directed by Jacques Audiard that shifts in language from French to Arabic to Corsican. I honestly never knew the difference since I was reading subtitles anyways, so that's neither here nor there. If you know any of those languages, I'm sure you'll be able to pick out the changes.

We're quickly introduced to Malik (Tahar Rahim), a 19-year-old Arab man who has been put into prison after assaulting a police officer. He's about as fresh as they come, innocent in both the ways of the world and the ways of prison life. After a few days in prison, he's noticed by César Luciani (Niels Arestrup), the kingpin of a group of Corsican mafia situated inside the prison. Luciani enlists Malik to kill a snitch who's been put into the prison, and after much practice and patience, Malik does so, effectively proving his way into the Corsican group. From there, he starts to work his way up the ranks, soon earning status as Luciani's right-hand man despite the fact that he's Arab. Malik, with the help of another inmate, also starts to run drugs through the prison and soon becomes quite a big-shot on his own. This leads to a number of altercations with other prisoners as well as with Luciani who has been sending him on his leave days to take care of business on the outside. All the while, Malik is haunted by the ghost of Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi), the man he killed for Luciani early in the film. Over the course of the film, we see Malik's transformation from an illiterate and unknowing boy to a man savvy in the ways of the [prison] world and perhaps the world outside the prison walls.

We're given a great screenplay that never really takes its foot off the gas. Once Malik starts his descent into the ways of the mafia, he never lets up and continues down the path towards an amount of power he probably never could have imagined. At times, the story is over-the-top, giving us the violence of living inside a prison (and also showing us the crimes Malik is ordered to commit while on leave), but at other times, things turn quite subtle, showing Malik's transformation from boy to man. Malik is a very interesting and well-written character, and although I thought the movie stretched on a little bit too long (it runs at over two-and-a-half hours), it still punched home its resolution in the final scene.

I don't think I can say enough about Rahim as our lead because he's utterly fantastic. He takes the audience through every stage of his maturation, and it's done so convincingly that it's almost as though Rahim changed from a boy to a man during the course of filming the movie. We also get a very good performance from Arestrup - he won the French analogue of the Oscar for his supporting role - that helps breathe life to the Corsican mafia which would otherwise have fallen flat. Adel Bencherif also proves a worthy actor in his role as Malik's closest friend.

Although I had some issues with the movie's soundtrack - they inserted a couple of English-language songs that completely took me away from the movie for a few minutes - A Prophet is still a solid entry into the annals of French film as well as crime dramas.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B+
2 Thumbs Up

Addition to Awards
2010: 1 nomination

Movie Review: JOHN RABE

JOHN RABE

2010
Not Rated

You can watch the trailer here

I found this movie while randomly searching through the foreign film section of NetFlix's Instant Watch films. I'm definitely glad I took a chance on it.

John Rabe (pronounced rah-buh), which was directed by Florian Gallenberger, tells the true story of a German businessman running a Siemens factory in Nanking, China in the late 1930s before the start of the second World War. When the Japanese start to bomb Nanking, Rabe (Ulrich Tukur) decides to aid the Chinese workers in his factory, many of whom he had known for the majority of his twenty-seven years in China. After the initial attacks, Rabe and his wife Dora (Dagmar Manzel) attempt to flee to safety, but John stays behind only to see his wife's boat attacked and destroyed before his very eyes. He falls into a state of depression but maintains his resolve to help the Chinese by creating a "safety zone" within the city that they hope the Japanese will acknowledge. With the help of a college teacher (Anne Consigny), a doctor (Steve Buscemi) and a young German idealist (Daniel Brühl), John Rabe does everything in his power to help the Chinese people while keeping the Japanese forces at as great of a distance as possible.

To start, I'd like to say that John Rabe is as much a foreign film as 2001's No Man's Land - yes, there are scenes in languages other than English, but there's also plenty of screen-time with characters speaking only English. If I had to break it down, I'd say that this film is about forty percent German, thirty-five percent English, twenty percent Japanese and five percent Chinese. We get the whole package when it comes to the languages, so I guess it's fair to call this a "foreign language" film. However, there's no mistaking that this was a German-made and produced feature, so that can't be taken away from it.

That being said, the screenplay is actually pretty good. Despite the constant change in language, I never felt lost with the story or the dialogue. I think that the story was conveyed as best as it possibly could have been, although there were a few scenes that probably didn't need to be left off the cutting room floor. I think that the writers did a decent job giving us some very emotional scenes that expressed the gravity of the viciousness of the situation in Nanking, so that's also a plus. I don't really have any qualms about the screenplay - it's just solid if not fantastic.

The acting is also very good all-around. Tukur is splendid as our lead, a historical figure I had never heard of before seeing this movie (which may be a bit of a shame considering all he did). He conveys his emotions in a very quiet manner, and I think that made his character all the more likable. Tukur made me want to root for Rabe to succeed in his endeavor. Brühl is also very good in his supporting role, and if you recognize him, there's a good reason - he played Pvt. Fredrick Zoller in 2009's Inglourious Basterds. Even Buscemi gives a great performance in a completely surprise role (yes, I was utterly speechless when he showed up on the screen; apparently I need to do a little more research before I watch these movies...).

Overall, it's definitely a film worth watching, especially if you're a history buff or are interested in wartime films. It's an interesting story that made me think about Schindler's List quite a bit, but it's nowhere as good as that masterpiece. Still, John Rabe should be seen if only to advance a little bit of historical knowledge in somewhat entertaining fashion.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B
Thumb... Mostly Up

Addition to Awards
2010: 1 nomination

Movie Review: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

(Män som hatar kvinnor)
2010
R

You can watch the trailer here

So I'd heard quite a bit of buzz about this Swedish film over the past year or so, and I saw the source novels popping up in my local Borders and Barnes & Noble. A few of my friends have read - or are currently reading - the trilogy (yes, there's two more movies; they must have filmed them all together), and they've all said good things. So when I saw that NetFlix had The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Instant Watch, I figured I'd give it a shot.

The film, which was directed by Niels Arden Oplev, opens with the sentencing of Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) to three months imprisonment for slandering an industrialist in his investigative journal, but he claims he was set up by a friend. At the same time, we meet professional hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) who has been following Mikael's life for her boss. Mikael has six months before he has to do his time, and his investigative prowess is soon employed by a man trying to solve the disappearance of his niece from forty years earlier. As Mikael begins to work through all of the information, he finds out that Lisbeth has been hacking into his computer and, impressed, asks for her help in his investigation. The two team up and try to solve a mystery that's much more complex than either can imagine.

That was probably the toughest plot synopsis I've ever had to write. Sure, there are movies with more intricate plots (i.e., Inception), but I didn't want to give anything away from this one. The screenplay is very good and very tightly-written, and it kept me engaged through its nearly two-and-a-half hour run-time (which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself). Although I did guess parts of the ending relatively early in the film (it's this semi-predictability that keeps it from being an amazing movie), I was still so entrenched with the story that I had to keep watching just to see how it got to that point. I think that says quite a bit about the movie on its own. I did have a couple of issues early in the film with one of Lisbeth's relationships - I understand why the filmmakers put it in the movie, and maybe it's more prominent in the books, but I just don't see why it was necessary other than to give character development that we get elsewhere anyways.

The acting is solid in the film with the leads carrying, and delivering, much of the weight. As good as Nyqvist was, I think the accolades have to (and have gone to) Miss Rapace for her performance. I could go into detail about the nuances and psychology of the development of her character, or I could talk about the range that Rapace delivers, from subtly quiet to over-the-top anger. However, the one thing that truly stood out - and this is probably going to sound pretty lame - is that she never once smiles during the movie. It may seem something too small to mention, but the fact that Lisbeth Salander doesn't smile makes the character much more complete and realistic. Although I don't know any of Noomi Rapace's previous work (it's all been in foreign films to this point), I can assume that she completely embodied this character to the best of her ability, and it definitely shows.

As I previously mentioned, there were a couple of things here and there that kept The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from being a fantastic film. That doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't watch it. I know that I'd definitely give it another viewing, and it impressed me enough to seek out both of the film's sequels (The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) and watch those as well.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: A-
Current All-Time Rank: Best - # 242
Thumb... Up

Awards
2010: 3 nominations

Movie Review: DELICATESSEN

DELICATESSEN

1992
R


You can watch the trailer here

(This review is going to be short, solely based on the fact that I'm utterly exhausted.)

Apparently not every foreign film that makes it to the U.S. market is a good one. Maybe I've been spoiling myself a little bit, taking some of the foreign films that have been nominated for Academy Awards. When two of the best French films you've ever seen are Amélie and The 400 Blows, you'll be hard pressed to find another French film to add to that group.

Acting isn't the issue here. Our two leads (Dominique Pinon and Marie-Laure Dougnac) perform well, even if the supporting roles are a little ridiculous. I blame that more on the screenplay than the actors' ability. It's convoluted and confusing, and I really didn't have much of an idea of what was going on.

However, the biggest issue I had with the film is that I didn't react the way the filmmakers wanted me to. It was promoted as a horror-comedy, but I wasn't scared, and I definitely wasn't laughing. If anything, I was just bored throughout. This is a huge hit against the screenplay and the direction of Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I couldn't get into it, and that drastically hurt it's ability to entertain me. It was just a waste of one hundred minutes for me.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: D+
Thumb... Down