My Favourite Foreign Films

Today I'd like to take a look at my favourite foreign films. Whenever I hear an english speaker say that they don't like films with subtitles I die a little inside. Some of the best films ever made are foreign, and I would go as far to say that most of the world's best films are not made anywhere near the USA. The following films have been picked because they are original, brilliantly acted and perfectly executed.

Black Book (Netherlands)

This is a wonderful film and I truly didn't expect what I got out of it. The story is set in Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War Two. Rachel, a Jew, manages to infiltrate the SS by seducing an SS Officer. The story is complex and there are some very tense moments. It tells a side to the war that I hadn't thought of before.

Flame and Citron (Denmark)

This film is also set during the second world war. It follows Flammen and Citronen who are assassins in the Dutch Resistance. Flammen is the shooter and Ctironen the driver. This film has it all: fight scenes, a traitor in the mix and a love interest who may or may not be a double agent. I highly recommend it.

The Lives of Others (Germany)

An exquisite film by Florian Henckle von Donnersmarck. Set in 1984 in Berlin an agent in the Secret Police conducts surveillance on a writer and his lover. Wiesler, the agent, finds himself becoming more and more interested in their lives. This film is wonderful, and the performances are at the highest standard.

Amelie (France)

I have seen this film so many times, I adore it. The story is very sweet following Amelie who helps those around her and finds love. The setting of Paris, France is beautiful and only adds to the ambience.

Run Lola Run (Germany)

Lola has 20 minutes to get 100,000 Deutschmarks to her boyfriend Manny otherwise he will rob a store. As Lola runs for her life there are three alternatives that will be the outcome, depending on her. The script is quirky and engaging and the editing is great, bringing a fast-paced energy to the film.

Pan's Labyrinth (Spain)

Made by the legendary Guillermo del Toro this film is set in Spain in 1944. A young girl lives with her pregnant mother and brutal stepfather, a Captain in the Spanish Army. Pan has a passion for fairytales and ends up in one of her own, only in this fairytale Pan must pass three gruesome tasks in order to see her father, the king. This is not a film for children, rather it is an adult's fairytale, brutal yet mesmerizing.

Bon Cop Bad Cop (Quebec)

I saw this film when I lived in Montreal and I thought it was amazing. The film is bilingual and follows a  straight-laced Ontarian cop and a rebellious Quebecois cop who are forced to work together. They aren't happy about it but it turns out that if they can put their differences aside then they can be better cops.

Shutter (Thailand)

This is the most frightening film I've ever seen. I know they did an American remake but I won't go near it. When a photographer notices eerie shadows in his photos he and his girlfriend investigate. What they discover is a horrific secret and a vengeful spirit. If you like to get freaked out then don't watch the American version (which will most like scare you for all the wrong reasons) watch this.

City of God (Brazil)

Be warned, this film is extremely violent. It is not easy to watch but it is worth it. The story follows two boys growing up in dangerous Rio de Janeiro, one who becomes a photographer and the other a drug dealer. It paints a picture of a city I really didn't understand. I recommend it but please note that it is realistic in its depictions of violence.

So that's my list of my favourite foreign films. What's on your list (you better have a list!)