Life Is Beautiful

[Isla]

Yeah, I know it was out a few years ago but I just got around to watching it. I made a promise to myself to watch at least one movie a week that I choose instead of what my husband and kids want to see (so there! ). Last week it was Fargo (deliciously sick!), the week before that it was American Beauty... as you can see, I am very behind on seeing what I want to see. I think next week it might be My Left Foot or Shine.

Anyway, if you haven't seen Life Is Beautiful, I highly recommend it. And yes, you will cry like a baby. Crying is good for you, it helps you release stress toxins!

Some of my observations...

#1 I often find foreign films SO much more enjoyable than most of the drivel Hollywood puts out. This movie was a work of art, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

#2 I'm very impressed by some of the last scenes, which I won't describe in case someone else hasn't seen it yet... but it was the most touching (and convincing) portrayals of what love REALLY is that I have ever seen on film. Sigh.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

i think i will continue to avoid that movie




glad you liked it tho

 

[BDawg]

You're husband didn't want to see Fargo (sensless violence and extortion) and American Beauty (husband rebels against family and scores 16 year old girl)?

 

[Isla]

Originally posted by: BDawg
You're husband didn't want to see Fargo (sensless violence and extortion) and American Beauty (husband rebels against family and scores 16 year old girl)?

I had to talk my husband into drinking his first beer, Oriental food (well, any food that isn't American/Southern), and secular music, for goodness sake. (His mother will never forgive me for ruining her boy, lol) These things take time! And he LOVED both movies, so I'm calling this progress.

And
yamahaXS... I know, I know. But it WAS an amazing film, and you will be glad once you have seen it.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Isla, add these foreign films to your list:

Amelie (you've probably seen it)

Jean de Florette and its sequal Manon of the Spring.

Run Lola Run is also fantastic.

The new Japanese animated movie Spirited Away is also quite good.

Edit: I've heard good things about Chocolat but haven't seen it.

 

[glen]

The Color of Paradise Yahoo rating 4.7 of 5
Is one of the best films I have ever seen.
Itwill blow you away and make you cry but, it is really worth it.

reviews:
? culturevulture.net - "With a camera that worships the beauty of the countryside and a storytelling sensibility that takes its time to let us see the activities of day-to-day life, this morality tale of father and son is spun with skillful attention to detail and deliberate pacing towards what seems an ineluctable conclusion."
? E! Online - (grade: A) "...you'd have to be as heartless as the boy's father not to be moved by this film."
? Film Journal International - "...distinguished by flawless performances, and the writer-director's ability to illustrate profound ideas through simple depictions of everyday life in Iran."
? Flick Filosopher: The Nature of Film - "Think back to the movie that made you fall in love with movies."
? indieWIRE: Majidi Transcends with Rich, Haunting "Color of Heaven" - "...a powerfully effective parable..."
? Reel.com - "...director Majid Majidi refuses to descend into self-congratulatory winks and nudges in his contemplative, slow-moving, yet visually radiant fable, choosing instead to let the sumptuous images speak for themselves."
? Village Voice: Blind Faith - "...has a measure of realist grandeur that can be surprising."

 

[glen]

Also, if you can take another holocost film, and have not seen it, The Pianist is fantastic.

 

[Entity]

I wasn't too fond of Life is Beautiful; I found it trite and overhyped (I saw it at its peak of popularity, unfortunately), though cinematically well constructed.

As far as foreign films goes, one of my favorites is Kolya. I highly recommend it.

Rob

 

[Alphazero]

Excellent movie, definitely one of the best I've seen in a while.

 

[weezergirl]

You should see My Big Fat Greek Wedding and if you don't mind tons of sexual scenes....Y Tu Mama Tambien.

 

[flavio]

I really like Life is Beautiful. Very well written.

 

[Riprorin]

Just avoid any movies with Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Janine Garafollo, Michael Moore and all the other Hollywood wack jobs.

 

[Riprorin]

Here's an excellent Spanish film:

The Grandfather

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Isla
Yeah, I know it was out a few years ago but I just got around to watching it. I made a promise to myself to watch at least one movie a week that I choose instead of what my husband and kids want to see (so there! ). Last week it was Fargo (deliciously sick!), the week before that it was American Beauty... as you can see, I am very behind on seeing what I want to see. I think next week it might be My Left Foot or Shine.

Anyway, if you haven't seen Life Is Beautiful, I highly recommend it. And yes, you will cry like a baby. Crying is good for you, it helps you release stress toxins!

Some of my observations...

#1 I often find foreign films SO much more enjoyable than most of the drivel Hollywood puts out. This movie was a work of art, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

#2 I'm very impressed by some of the last scenes, which I won't describe in case someone else hasn't seen it yet... but it was the most touching (and convincing) portrayals of what love REALLY is that I have ever seen on film. Sigh.

To each their own, but I try to avoid movies based on life in a concentration camp.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Just avoid any movies with Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Janine Garafollo, Michael Moore and all the other Hollywood wack jobs.

 

[Isla]

Thanks for the movie suggestions! I'm open to all of them. I have them written down and will be looking for them in the coming weeks.

 

[sandorski]

Yes, awesome movie. I also agree about "foreign" films, especially European, they generally have something missing from most American films, character developement and realistic characters. Japan and China make some great films too, I saw this Chinese film about a month ago about this girl(her life) in a small village that was fantastic as well, unfortunetly I don't recall it's name.

 

[SilverThief]

The Thief, The Cook, His Wife, and Her Lover (i believe I got it right) was a great movie

 

[0roo0roo]

i hope it wasn't dub. dub is so horrible.

 

[Rogozhin]

Also if you'd like to cry then try

"Burnt by the Sun"

You will need a little knowledge of russian history, mostly the russian civil war after the bolshevik revolution in 1917.

The whites and the reds. It is still sad and beautiful without knowing anything though.



Rogo

 

[Rogozhin]

NT

 

[0roo0roo]

fiddler on the roof se, its like 7.99 at frys now classic!



cinema paradiso special edition, it just rocks!

 

[murphy55d]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

 

[PuppyLovinGuy]

Well I tell you why many foreign movies are good.
Because they have to be, only in Hollywood can a pr0n producer also has the money to produce most of the garbage you see.
Another reason is that not to offend but truthfully, I've lived around Europe, South America and Japan, and it is very very clear that Americans are not the least bit cultured, therego you have an easy recepy for an American movie:
Violence + FX + Sex - Story/Plot = Blockbuster

 

[StormRider]

I'm at a site looking for some new Hong Kong DVDs to buy for my parents and I saw the following description. Seems interesting...

Women From Mars (2002)
ác?j?l?Ì?¬???l

Director: Andrew Lau, Yip Wai Man

Starring: Ekin Cheng, Shu Qi, Michael Wong, Louis Koo, Cheng Tat Ming

Ken, Michael, and Bowie treat girls and relationships with no respect and are always fooling around. One night they come across a beautiful and mysterious woman who takes away their penises as punishment. To recover, they have to find their true love and say "I love you". How are they going to handle their days as "shemales"? Will they live to see a happy ending?

DVD: List Price: US $23.95

Sale Price: US$12.95

Language: Cantonese / Mandarin

Subtitle: English / Traditional Chinese / Simplified Chinese

All Regions (Can be played on any DVD player in the world)

Letter Box

Rating: IIA - "Some Content May Be Inappropriate For Children" (roughly equal to an MPPA rating of "PG-13") Films rated Category IIA may contain mild violence such as martial arts, mild nudity that is not sexually oriented, mild explicit language and some mild adult situations.