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All in Foreign
This week, we start a new format - every other week, we’ll be watching a more recent addition to the top 250 movies of all time list, and we’ll try to make them as easily stream-able for everyone as possible (stuck inside, together!). This week’s movie is currently 185 on the top 250 list, and is streaming on Netflix. If you’re looking for something fun to watch in this new world we live in, strongly consider this comedy/mystery film from India. Andhadhun (2018), directed Sriram Raghavan.
This week, we watch the film that just won Best Picture at the Oscar’s (as well as Best Director, Best Writing, and best Foreign Picture). It is also currently very high on the IMDB top 250 list. We couldn’t recommend this movie enough, and we highly recommend watching it without watching a trailer or reading about it. Parasite (2019), directed by Bong Joon-ho.
This week, we watch the second installment in the Man-With-No-Name Trilogy (sandwiched between A Fist Full of Dollars and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly). This film helped Clint Eastwood further catapult himself into stardom, launch a fully fledged international film industry in Italy, and push the boundary of allowable violence in film a few years ahead all across the world, as evidence by it being X rated even with multiple scenes cut and edited down. For a Few Dollars More (1965), directed by Sergio Leone.
This week, we watch the film that broke Japanese cinema onto the worlds stage. Revolutionary for its time, its non-linear story telling has influenced not only film, but criminal psychology as well, as lawyers and academics alike have referenced the theories presented here for the past 70 years. Rashomon (1950), directed by Akira Kurosawa.
This week, we watch the highest grossing Iranian film ever, and also the first Iranian film to be awarded with an Oscar for the best foreign picture of the year. Realistic tension is the mood sought here, and the actors do an outstanding job realizing this, making for an uncomfortable yet engaging watch throughout. A Separation (2011), directed by Asghar Farhadi.
This week, we watch the highest grossing Indian film ever made. Currently sitting in the top 100 movies of all time, we keep the Aamir Khan train going (star of 3 Idiots and Lagaan) with this epic true-ish story of a father who teaches wrestling to his daughters, and how they made history for women in India. Dangal (2016), directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
This week, we watch the Indian film that broke through to Chinese audiences for the first time, with positive messages on education, pressure, choice, marriage, and suicide. This film successfully tackles very serious topics, while remaining funny for its nearly 3 hour runtime. Aamir Khan steals the show as Rancho. All is well! 3 Idiots (2009), directed by Rajkumar Hirani.
This week, we watch Mads Mikkelsen earn his Cannes film festival award for his portrayal of a school teacher who has to deal with false accusations made by a young student of his, and the fall out from the towns population who won’t listen to anything they don’t want to hear. Not to be viewed when you want to be in a good mood. The Hunt (2012), directed by Thomas Vinterberg.
This week, we watch the film that laid the ground work for the Clint Eastwood spaghetti Westerns, and all the following films that took influence from them. An out-of-work Samurai finds himself in the middle of a violent, two-sided town, where he starts pitting each side against each other for….fun? More of a popcorn film that Kurosawa’s other epic masterpieces, Yojimbo (1961) would be a great starting point for someone looking to get into The Master’s work.
This week, we watch the first Iranian film to be nominated for Best Foreign Picture at the Academy Awards. The quietest children’s movie we’ve ever seen, it’s focus on the simply story of a lost pair of shoes turns out to be a full of lessons on family, poverty, and sacrifice, even in the smallest of things. Children of Heaven (1997), directed by Majid Majidi.
This week, we watch the dark fantasy film where a young girl discovers another reality, helping her temporarily escape the horrible world she lives in. With amazing practical effects and makeup, this ultra-violent tale uses film to tell a story in a way no other medium could. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), directed by Guillermo del Toro.
This week, we watch the tale of a man diagnosed with stomach cancer, which causes him to reflect on his seemingly wasted life. Taking its time to establish moods appropriate for the subject matter, this film makes you think about what it means to be alive, and how to get the most out of life with what short time we have. Ikiru (1952), directed by Akira Kurosawa.
This week, we watch the last epic made by the man who is widely regarded as one of the best directors of all time. With thousands of extras, hundreds of horses, full scale battles, and castles built on the side of Mount Fuji, Kurosawa takes his time and lets each shot linger, recreating the paintings he made that were used as storyboards. Ran (1985), directed by Akira Kurosawa.
This week, we watch the 2010 best foreign picture Oscar winner. One part love story, one part crime drama, this film jumps back and fourth in time as the plot is pieced together, while a historical take of Argentina’s troubled past serve as a backdrop. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), directed by Juan Jose Campanella.
This week, we watch a series of vignettes about a prostitute Rome-ing the streets. Considered by some to be Fellini's masterpiece, this film follows Cabiria's trials as she gets shoved into a river, shoved into a bathroom, and nearly shoved off a cliff. Nights of Cabiria (1957), directed by Federico Fellini.
This week, we watch the wonderful story of a young French boy and his downward spiral. This timeless and magical film was one of the first of the French New Wave, and the one that brought international attention to the movement. This film hasn't aged a day. The relatable story is as relevant as ever, the acting from a cast of mostly children is incredible, and it looks and sounds amazing. The historical importance of this film can not be overstated. The 400 Blows (1959), directed by Francois Truffaut.
This week, we watch the film that is not only largest box office success of Wes Anderson's career so far, but also received a fair number of Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. The cast is stacked, the shots are symmetrical, the effects are a combination of miniatures, stop motion, projected live action on matte paintings - all of the styles we've come to love from Wes. Its might not be the film to turn the nay-sayers, but it certainly gives fans a lot to enjoy. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), directed by Wes Anderson.
