Thursday Movie Picks - Non-English Films

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 This week's theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is the re-occurring films not in the English language. Like I've done the past few years, I'm picking foreign films that I saw the year prior to narrow down the scope a bit. 


1) All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - Every time I say I'm over war movies, one comes along that pulls me back in. Least year, it was this German offering from Netflix. Amazing from start to finish. 


2) Ema - Ema as a character is truly a trainwreck but man did I love watching her. This Chilean film was shot beautifully.


3) Lady Vengeance - I found this film as a whole to be very uneven, but the parts I did enjoy were brilliant. This Korean film had been on my watch list for some time. 




Comments

  1. joel65913September 14, 2023 at 10:16 AM

    I haven’t seen any of these however I do plan to eventually watch “All Quiet” I’m just not sure it can compete with the flat-out brilliance of the 1930 original version which won the Best Picture Oscar. I have heard a lot of praise though.

    I don’t watch nearly as many foreign films as I used to now that I don’t have access to TCM, but I did like all three of these.

    Girl with a Pistol (‘La ragazza con la pistola’) (1968)- Saucy comedy with a wonderfully deadpan performance by Monica Vitti as an Italian woman with a mission of honor who doesn't let a little thing like common sense get in the way in pursuit of vengeance.

    Lola Montes (1955)-Once upon a time famous cabaret dancer Lola Montes (Martine Carol) was the lover of many of 19th-century Europe's most prominent men. Now she works in a seedy American circus, where a circus master (Peter Ustinov) tells her life story as the main attraction. And quite a life it was!

    The Golden Coach (1952)-During her troupe’s tour of Peru commedia del arte performer Camilla (Anna Magnani) is courted by diplomat Duncan Lamont and toreador Riccardo Rioli, among others, who are captivated by her beauty. But as the threat of war looms, she soon finds she must make painful decisions about her future. Comedy drama directed by Jean Renoir is awash in color.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 15, 2023 at 7:56 AM

      I have the opposite wonder, I'm not sure if I could ever love the 30's version like I do the new one. lol. I haven't seen any of your picks, but Anna Magnani is always good. I should check out that one.

      Delete
  2. BirgitSeptember 14, 2023 at 11:03 AM

    I must see All Quiet. I love the 1930 film and the tv version with Richard Thomas is quite good. I don't know the other 2

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 15, 2023 at 7:55 AM

      I haven't seen the 30's version, but I will some day. I would be surprised if I end up liking it anywhere near as much as I liked last year's.

      Delete
  3. thevoid99September 14, 2023 at 4:38 PM

    Lady Vengeance is the only film in that list I've seen as I love that film. Especially the climax as it is a great ending to Chan-wook Park's Vengeance trilogy. Ema has been in my watchlist for years as I want to see it as well as the recent version of All Quiet on the Western Front as it's just hard to find the time to watch films right now.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 15, 2023 at 7:55 AM

      It really is. Then I clown myself and re-watch things instead of watching new ones.

      Delete
  4. Wandering Through The ShelvesSeptember 15, 2023 at 5:07 PM

    I haven't seen all, but do know of the first and third. Never heard of the middle one.

    ReplyDelete

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