The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame III: Foreign Language Edition

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Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
He and Bergman might be the reason why I have to. Those two directors could be half my list.
I've just remembered that two of my favourite foreign language movies - Purple Noon and Forbidden Games - are both directed by Rene Clement.

Also that I have not seen any of his other films.

So do I watch more of his films or cut one of those from my list...?

Should probably have nominated Forbidden Games for somebody, although it was in a hof not that long ago I think.



What is recency bias, really? Why does it apply to new films, but not to old films that you only watched recently?
I think that it applies more to new films not just because you have seen it recently, but it has recently been "in the air"--it may have just won an award, you've been reading reviews of it, there is buzz, etc.

I definitely experience recency bias with anything I watch. I would say that when I revisit films, I tend to score about 60% of them 1/2 to a whole star lower than my original rating.

I am going to be sticking to my one per director rule for the foreign list and will be picking Nobody Knows instead of Shoplifters for my Kore-eda. I really wish people would check it out.
Both great.



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.

I definitely experience recency bias with anything I watch. I would say that when I revisit films, I tend to score about 60% of them 1/2 to a whole star lower than my original rating.
I find it can go either way. Sometimes films I was impressed by or was emotionally affected by can lose power on a rewatch, but other films have grown on me the more I watch them.

Which probably means I should rewatch films more to be sure, but there are so many films I haven't even watched for the first time...



I haven't seen enough foreign films to limit myself to one film/director. If I did that, I'd have a very thin list. Think I've seen Bergman the most but haven't really been onboard with any of his films. Though I have another Bergman to watch here,The Seventh Seal...maybe that one will do it for me?



I find it can go either way. Sometimes films I was impressed by or was emotionally affected by can lose power on a rewatch, but other films have grown on me the more I watch them.

Which probably means I should rewatch films more to be sure, but there are so many films I haven't even watched for the first time...
Yeah, I tend to save rewatches for (1) films I really liked or (2) films I disliked but someone convinced me to give them another chance.



I've just remembered that two of my favourite foreign language movies - Purple Noon and Forbidden Games - are both directed by Rene Clement.

Also that I have not seen any of his other films.

So do I watch more of his films or cut one of those from my list...?

Should probably have nominated Forbidden Games for somebody, although it was in a hof not that long ago I think.
I will try and check out Forbidden Games. I liked Purple Noon quite a bit.



The trick is not minding
I never understood limiting a ballot to one film per director.
Kurosawa has about 4 films fighting for a spot on my list. Truffaut with about 3. I might eliminate one film from each but that just means they’ll have still have multiple films represented by me. (And hopefully others)

To me, if I keep it to one film per, I’m practically throwing in a lesser film that pales in comparison to a directors other films.

Your mileage may vary however.

Ps. Not telling anyone how to do their ballot, just musing on the significance of the “1 film per” restrictions some maintain.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I will add Nobody Knows to my watchlist.

Undecided whether to impose a one film per director rule on myself for my foreign language list. It might help me cut it down to 25 but how do I pick just one Melville?
I've been running through a few Melville's this year and I know EXACTLY what you mean


And when it comes to Clement I've enjoyed Forbidden Games and really liked Les Maudits and I have Purple Noon on my Watchlist.
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I never understood limiting a ballot to one film per director.
Kurosawa has about 4 films fighting for a spot on my list. Truffaut with about 3. I might eliminate one film from each but that just means they’ll have still have multiple films represented by me. (And hopefully others)

To me, if I keep it to one film per, I’m practically throwing in a lesser film that pales in comparison to a directors other films.

Your mileage may vary however.

Ps. Not telling anyone how to do their ballot, just musing on the significance of the “1 film per” restrictions some maintain.
I feel much the same way. I can think of several directors who would have more than one film on my favorites list.

I do think that limiting to one film per director has the benefit of spacing your picks out a little more over countries and eras.



I just looked up Forbidden Games as I never heard of it...only to find out I've seen it! Making my Foreign Language list is going to be so hard, if I can't remember what I've seen.



I would never limit the amount of films from a director. What's the point? Why not 1 per lead actor, per country, etc? You get my 25 best and nothing less. No games and the movies get the points they deserve. That said, I'm not sure I'll have any repeat directors anyway.



The trick is not minding
I feel much the same way. I can think of several directors who would have more than one film on my favorites list.

I do think that limiting to one film per director has the benefit of spacing your picks out a little more over countries and eras.
I’m hoping to think of a country that deserves a mention on my ballot, but I won’t be forcing it in just for the sake of it. That said, I’ll be thinking of countries to add outside what I consider the “Big 3” (Japan, France, Italy) and a few other countries that also have strong cinema histories (looking at you Russia, Sweden, Spain, and Germany!) and of course the Johnny come lately countries (Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico, Denmark). And maybe a few others that don’t have as rich of a history but have decent hidden gems (That's you Thailand, Indonesia, Norway, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia!)
Chances are I’ll include a few of them somewhere because I actually think they deserve it.



I never understood limiting a ballot to one film per director.
Kurosawa has about 4 films fighting for a spot on my list. Truffaut with about 3. I might eliminate one film from each but that just means they’ll have still have multiple films represented by me. (And hopefully others)

To me, if I keep it to one film per, I’m practically throwing in a lesser film that pales in comparison to a directors other films.

Your mileage may vary however.

Ps. Not telling anyone how to do their ballot, just musing on the significance of the “1 film per” restrictions some maintain.
Totally agree. Right now Kurosawa has at least two and possibly three for my list. Buñuel and Miyazaki are also in the running for more than one film. The most recent countdown I had three from Spielberg, two from Forman, two from Fleming and two from Kubrick.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
It was easy to spread the love with other Countdowns while still retaining a strong list of absolute favorites. Having such a wide choice of past viewings with the addition of recent films seen in various HoFs.
I can pull it off here, especially with the large number of incredible films I've seen so far this year and yet more to come to fill out spots in a list of long-time favorites. Though I most likely will have a few of the same Directors and definitely several from the same country.
It may be, ever so slightly, a little more tricky to tag on the One Pointer (#25) this time around, which I always enjoy doing. Probably not, in the end, turning out to be merely a fun challenge.



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I just looked up Forbidden Games as I never heard of it...only to find out I've seen it! Making my Foreign Language list is going to be so hard, if I can't remember what I've seen.
We watched it in a Hall. We both liked it pretty well



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I would never limit the amount of films from a director. What's the point? Why not 1 per lead actor, per country, etc? You get my 25 best and nothing less. No games and the movies get the points they deserve. That said, I'm not sure I'll have any repeat directors anyway.
In general I agree with you; I'm only considering it because I'm finding it so hard to cut down my list any further!



I just think that when people do things like that, and plenty of members do, we get a less accurate countdown. Of course it's not malicious but it's altering what the real results should look like and I've always thought that was the opposite of the main goal. If someone puts in a movie just for the sake of variety, and it sneaks in instead of something else, I think that sucks. Every countdown someone mentions that they placed a movie in a certain spot strategically. Do some people think it's a competition?



I just think that when people do things like that, and plenty of members do, we get a less accurate countdown. Of course it's not malicious but it's altering what the real results should look like and I've always thought that was the opposite of the main goal. If someone puts in a movie just for the sake of variety, and it sneaks in instead of something else, I think that sucks. Every countdown someone mentions that they placed a movie in a certain spot strategically. Do some people think it's a competition?
Personally it's interesting to me how people compose their voting ballots, but I'm not bothered if they don't do it a certain way. It's like HoFs, some people nominate more obscure films like the HoF was a movie explorer's club...While I see an HoF like the Rock-n-Roll and Sports Hall of Fames, the best of the best. But others don't agree and that's cool because differences make the world interesting.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



The 400 Blows aka Les Quatre Cents Coups

Psychiatrist: Your parents say you're always lying.
Antoine Doinel: Oh, I lie now and then, I suppose. Sometimes I'd tell them the truth, and they still wouldn't believe me, so I prefer to lie.

Ahh, those glorious halcyon days of being an utter mischievous little sh#t.


And yeah, the trouble you get into for it.



Initially, since this is regarded very highly in many cinematic circles, I thought it'll be a good idea to share the experience with a couple of Movie Critics. At least, that's what they assured me they were when I paid for their movie tickets.
They did seem quite engaged during their viewing. I must say.


But, when I asked them to write up their thoughts, they ran off to steal a typewriter, and I haven't heard or seen of them since.



So. . .

This was Director François Truffaut's first full-length film, and it is said his most personal film. Having caused all kinds of trouble as a youth as well. And, having done very much the same myself, I was continually chuckling throughout this. Feeling relieved that I cheered them on instead of acting like a grumpy old codger complaining about the problems with youths.
One of my favorites being the gym coach that takes the boys out running in the city streets, and Truffaut uses a long shot from above displaying the dwindling number of students as they all sneak off, a couple at a time. Until the large group of some twenty or more kids was down to only two.
Like so many other scenes, this brought back all kinds of funny memories of similar incidents. Finding myself more and more involved as the film proceeded.

I paused once to research the writer, Honoré de Balzac, that Antoine (Jean-Pierre Léaud) pinned inside a small cupboard within their tiny apartment. Curious to see the connection and learning that Balzac had a love for the criminal element/To Live Wildly as well within his literature and personal life.

Having viewed this, I totally see how this film of a delinquent by a delinquent won a Hall of Fame.
In short, BRAVO Truffaut!
And, BRAVO to whoever chose this for me!!