Around the World In 80 Movies

TURKEY


32: Once upon a time in Anatolia (Ceylan)

A group of people spend the night in the Turkish countryside searching for the body of a murder victim.What starts out as a simple murder mystery becomes something much more complex, as the night progresses we learn that the victim’s body is not the only thing hidden in the movie.
Everyone seems to have at least one skeleton in the closet.
Once upon a time in Anatolia is a superb film, masterfully shot in the dark or in dim lighted environments.The tea scene is probably the best piece of cinematography that I have seen in years.Some may consider this film a bit long, however due to the various sub plots and the complexity of the characters such length is in my opinion necessary and well deserved.
Highly recommended.

I'm really tempted to combine this idea and Donnie's self-challenge thread if you're sure you don't mind someone stealing your idea. It's the ultimate compliment anyway.

I Don't mind at all!

ALGERIA


33. The battle of Algiers (Pontecorvo)


The film depicts the Algerian war against the French colonialists from the point of view of both sides.
Technically this film is a masterpiece, the film was shot in a documentary style and the results were so great and realistic that American releases carried a disclaimer that said: "not one foot" of newsreel was used".
How di Pontecorvo achieve such results without using CGI is quite simple, he threw out the window all the standard safety procedures while shooting this movie. Real bombs went off right next to people, crumbling buildings that could've collapsed at any moment were extensively used as sets, and hundreds of Algerian extras were used to swarm across the screen to make the street fighting look real.
The importance of this movie cannot be underestimated, this film has been widely seen by rebel factions across the world. The pentagon has also recently screened The Battle of Algiers regarding it as “a useful illustration of the problems faced in Iraq”.

One of my favorite movies! I was not tracking the real bombs right next to people and the like. I was tracking the extras, the popularity it has among the radicals and the screening at the Pentagon.

Either way the movie is masterfully shot. It really does look like the real thing. That is part of the reason I enjoy it so much. Though technically it is an Italian production, the majority of the cast is Algerian. Hell most of the cast were nonprofessional acting Algerians reflecting their everyday lives at the time! A taste of Italian neo-realism... only with bombs and SMGs.

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

If I'm not mistaken,this film was commissioned and funded by the Algerian government,the technical crew is Italian while the actors and the locations were Algerian. So I guess that makes it 2/3 Algerian and 1/3 Italian.

Either way given the nature of the film and the events it covered the subject matter is Algerian for the most part. French as well but also Algerian. Though the technical structure and influences are Italian. Point is, the movie is really good. More people need to watch it.

Superb idea for topic! The Battle of Algiers has been on my to-watch list for awhile. M is my favorite German film of all time - Fritz Lang is a treasure. I usually don't get into silent films, but if you haven't seen the restored version of Metropolis, I highly recommend it as well.

I agree 100%

A damn good movie.

I was wrong about this on a different thread. I just did some reading on the production, funding etc, and there certainly seems to have been far more input from Algeria than I realized.

And now we know. And knowing is half the battle...

IRAN


34. Crimson Gold (Panhani)
Crimson Gold is a Noir/neorealist film that deals with the daily life of a pizza delivery driver in modern day Tehran.The movie is based on true events, the script was written by Panhani’s close friend Kiarostami. During the film we witness constant episodes of humiliation: we witness the personal humiliations of the main character because he is poor, and next to that we witness the humiliations on a larger scale of all the normal citizens of Teheran who are being abused in an authoritarian society. Our main character tries to protect himself from such abuses by being deeply introverted, until one day he gets pushed to the edge…
Unsurprisingly this film has been banned in Iran

35. Taste of Cherry (Kiarostami)
A man wonders with his jeep in search of somebody that will help him kill himself.
A beautiful and poetic film that deals with the meanings of life and death.
A slowly paced and demanding film but highly rewarding if you pay the right attention to all the small details present in the movie.

36. Close Up (Kiarostami)
A man pretends to be a famous filmmaker and tries to convince a family to shoot a movie in their house.
This film is probably is one of the most unique pictures that I ever saw, not so much because the story is based on real events, but because the director decided to cast the real people that were involved in the story to act as themselves in front of the camera. So the line between film and documentary is quite blurry in this movie.
The ending of this film is highly significant since it reminds us of the power and beauty that lies within the art of filmmaking.

TAIWAN


37.Eat Drink Man Woman (LEE)

The movie describes the life of an old chef and his three daughters.
Although this movie is an independent Taiwanese work “Eat Drink Man Woman” reminded me in many ways of the golden age of Hollywood movies, and I'm saying this to compliment the film.
Eat Drink Man Woman is a superbly crafted feel good movie, the script is beautifully written as we truly care about all the characters of the film.
The cinematography is superb and it would be harder to find better cooking scenes in any other film.

38.Blue Gate Crossing (YEE)

Wonderful coming of age movie set in Taipei.
Well written and quite realistic but at the same time the film as a dreamy quality to it.The music is very good and the lesbian themes have been dealt with very tastefully.
A very sweet film.

SOUTH KOREA



39. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook)

For no apparent reason a man is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years,until one day he is unexpectedly released.
A postmodern surrealistic thriller set in Seoul ,Park's film is a masterpiece.
Oldboy has it all: complex characters,great visuals and a dark plot that has more twists than a roller coaster.

40. 3-Iron (Kim Ki Duk)

A lonely man breaks into other people houses when the owners are absent;he does not steal anything he simply lives a normal life in these places before silently leaving..
More than a movie I consider 3-Iron poetry in motion,Kim's movie is perhaps one of the finest love stories you will ever see on the screen.

41.I'm a cyborg but that's ok. (Park Chan Wook)

A young woman who believes that she is a cyborg falls in love with a man who thins that he can steal people souls.
An original and bittersweet love story set in a mental hospital.
Highly recommended if you wish to watch something different from the usual Hollywood fare.


42.My sassy girl. (Jae Young Kwak)

This film is about difficult relationship between a young couple in modern day Seoul.
My Sassy girl is great feel good romantic movie. It's one of those films where the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The script is cleverly written and the characters are lively.
Due to it's many memorable scenes I'm pretty sure that you will remember this movie long after the closing credits have finished rolling.

Great thread, haven't seen most of the movies on here.
Are you going to make Canada both French & English movies ?

Yep!

great thread, keep it going!

HONG KONG


43. Chungking Express (Wai)
44. Fallen Angels (Wai)

Love woes in postmodern Hong Kong.
I decided to put these two movies together because thematically and stylistically they can be considered as Part 1 and Part 2 of one big feature. The main characters although very different from each other (we have cops, professional killers and social outcasts) share in common their difficulty in dealing with the consequences of love. Visually this film is breathtaking ,we are seeing Hong Kong through a kaleidoscope full of different colors and lights. The dialogue and camera work in many ways reminds me of the French new wave updated for the digital era. Highly Recommended.

45. In the mood for love (Wai)

A man and a women suspect that their spouses are having and extramarital affair.
In the Mood for love is perhaps one of the best love stories you will ever seen on the screen.
Love in this movie is displayed in it's most poetic and whimsical form.
Although the final result is vastly different ,the scope of story, the meticulous attention to detail and the overall elegance of the main characters reminds me of the golden age of Hollywood.
Maggie Chung has the charm of the old Hollywood actresses that used to dominate the silver screen.


46. Infernal Affairs (Lau-Mak)

A mole in the police force and an undercover cop struggle against time to discover each others real identity.
Lau's and Mak's thriller is fast paced and gripping tale ,you can cut the tension with a knife throughout most of the film. Unfortunately in my opinion the last 15-20 minutes of this film are somewhat flawed ,especially if you consider the overall brilliance of the rest of the movie.
Nevertheless Infernal Affairs is a superb picture and also greatly superior to Martin Scorsese's Remake “The Departed”.



47. Enter the Dragon (Clouse)

A martial arts tournament is held on a mysterious island.
Perhaps Bruce Lee's best film. Enter the Dragon thematically has more in common with Tearly Bond films like Dr. No than your usual action flick. Very solid and very entertaining ,this movie does seem much shorter than it's run time of 100 minutes. The final mirror scene is widely recognized as a cult classic moment in film.