[slaggard]

if you enjoy reading novels u already know that a good read is not about the style and flowers on the top cover. you have to be sucked-in once u start the first chapter, ands its painfully hard to let go.

i watch movies alot. i am the guy that will walk into blockbuster and spend 2 hrs trying to get something. my problem is, i have either seen most of the movies ( renting same movie twice sucks), or i cant get a good ol theme. needless to say, my hobby has resulted in 5 memberships in all the movie rental stores.
that is besides the point. this summer was bad for movies. although hollywood seemed to care more for the diminishing cashbox, one thing stood out....they made alot of shietyyyyyyy movies.
there were exceptions, but hard to comeby. think of CRASH, and afew others. good stuff was scarce.
however, it saw the rise of foreign movies. most of which are only shown in select theatres or sold as dvds. holywood has grown so used to cashing on celebrities, great sound effects, impressive pictures, relentless advertising, hype hype hype and shoddy story lines. it isnt uncommon to watch a movie that has no relevance or flow. if we cant give authors our money for poor literature with colorful pages, i dont see why hollywood expects to be treated different.

on a brighter note, foreign movies are making a dash. if you want to watch something more realistic, and sometimes reflective you need to check your foreign section. i think hollywood is stuck in fantacy, and circumstances that dont really relate to most moviegoers. they have completely shut off anything intelligent or sober. sometimes it feels right to see normal folks acting and living in a world as we know it.
here are good movies to watch (please share what u have seen and liked) :::

1. motorcycle diaries (spanish, english subtitles)
2. japanese story
3. dear frankie
4. bride and prejudice

[thierry]

ahh you guy ..when you post things like these it's the mental equivalent of yanking me by the collar and making me pay attention!! when i read it i was like...they do exist! people who watch movies the same way they read books....it's nice to see..anyway you sound like the kind of person who can't go back to watching mindless shlock anymore coz you've exposed yourself to better stuff...it's like reading..there are some books i just CANNOT stand to read anymore coz, as pretentious as this might sound, i am above them....it's just true i'm not flossing here but you probably understand the sentiment.

I agree with you about this summer but will add that that's always been the case i rarely rarely watch movies in the summer..i think i watched Batman begins and that's pretty much the only movie i liked.
Crash. Here's where me and you depart. I wanted to like this movie but i just did not like it at all. It's like Wole Soyinka..the guy is a premier African author Nobel prize and all but for the life of me i cannot sustain any kind of interest in his books..i know he writes mainly poetry and that's probably a good thing coz when he writes prose it's just the most boring thing you ever read... i was disappointed that i didn't like his books coz i really wanted to but for me it's Achebe all the way.....anyway to crash..i just didn't like it at all it felt contrived some parts of it just did not make sense...e.g Ludacris character complaining that Bullock had held her husband more tightly when she saw them coming down the street...so the guy rants and rants and i'm with him for a sec there then what does he do? proceed to carjack them..AFTER COMPLAINING THAT WHITE PEOPLE ONLY SEE CRIMINALS WHEN THEY SEE BLACKS..he fulfils that very same prophecy..!!! when i saw this i was like..so what was the filmmaker trying to say there? hate prejudice but live up to it anyway? i missed that one...then another unintentionally hilarious thing..the middle eastern charcter was called ..let's take a wild guess peopl..SADDAM!! seriously! when i heard that i almost keeled over..is that some kind of joke! there are tons of other names they could have picked but they picked saddam....was that some kind of satirical thing they were going for there.....then the black chile played by loretta devine is called ..SHANIQUA!!! come on ! that name is a joke....watch comedy central and see all white comedians name the black people in their jokes shaniqua...it's a brand name that one...it's code for large black sassy woman...
Then the mexican guy ...they made him too too sweet...i was cringing when he was telling his daughter those bedtime stories about invisible protective clothing...i was so irritated by that coz to me it looked that they were trying to make him too sympathetic..too likeable....as in he might be latino, but look people he sings lullabies to his daughter! so that makes him a good person..it's an apology almost....

i could go on and on but at that point i just left..i didn't care about the characters and whether they would get redemption in the end and be good people i just walked out...and as picky as i am i almost NEVER walk out of movies...that last time i walked out was when i watched Lord of the rings and after swatching for half of it i just decided there was no point.


anyway i've watched Motorcicke diaries...excellent...

i'll throw out some suggestions of other foreighn movies later

[Okwang]

My sentiments exactly:
1. Sideways
2. Y tu mama tambien
3. Lock, stock, and two smoking barrels
4. Spanglish
5. The runner? (about some actic indian who flees death from and returns to fight another day - very good movie)
cheers

[thierry]

this is good stuff...
which movie was going to be my top recommendation
Y tu mama tambien.... best foreign movie i've watched so far.

Really there is a tie between that and a russian movie called The Return.....that is a fantastic fantastic movie but i picked y tu mama tambien coz The Return is a bit obscure and heavy on the symbolism and metaphor so it might not be as fun to watch as Y tu mama Tambien....but both are equally superb movies..... others

Nobody Knows..about some korean kids left alone in their apartment by their mother for a year...excellent stuff

Amorres Perros ...if you liked the above mentioned mexican movie you'll dig this too

Head On....Turkish/German ....fantastic movie

what else....

2046....Now this one is a beauty of a film....you have to watch this in the theatre and i think it's showing right about now.....it's the most visually beautiful and sultry movie i think i've ever watched....you MUST watch this...you cannot afford to miss it

to round up...
Maria full of grace ...Colombian but directed by an American...


I can't think of anymore right now so will post later.

[Jibril Cessay]

I have just watched 'Sometimes in April' the movie abt the 1994 atrocities in Rwanda. OMG, that movie is so moving. Hotel Rwanda ilikuwa shadow for real. Kwanza that movie coincided with a discussion we had in chuo yesterday abt Darfur. Peepz were so emotional abt the violence meted out to women and a survivor from Darfur spoke. When a jamaa from the audience it was Muslim against Muslim one jamaa from East Sudan who is Muslim said that chaos in Sudan is caused by politics? What constitutes politics in Sudan? I think Ethnicity, Gender, Religion and National interests factor in.

Anyway let Let me add my list of 'foreign' movies:

1. Maria full of Grace

2. Yellow Card

3. Soweto Green

4. The Ballad of Jack and Rose

5. Motorcycle Diaries (all time favorite)

6. City of God

7. Macadam Tribu

8. Bend it like Beckham

9. B-happy (with Manuela Martelli)

10. The Mother

11. Constant Gardener (shot in Kenya)

12. Nowhere in Africa

13. Salaam Bombay

14. Karmen Gei (The first African movie I have seen that deals with bisexual relationships).

15. Bal Poussiere

16. Monsoon Wedding

17. Mississippi Masala (I've always been shidwad where to place this movie cos the cast is Indian and American. This is a Mira Nair movie just as Monsoon Wedding)

18. Tadpole (It's not a foreign movie, it's very much American and an indy movie. The movie is abt a 15 year old who falls in love with his stepmother).

19. Rise and Fall of Idi Amin (Directed by Sharad Patel starring Joseph Olita as Idi Amin)

20. Things Fall Apart (Directed by Hans Jürgen Pohland and stars Elizabeth of Toro and Orlando Martins. I watched this movie on KBC in 1993)

Has anyone patad a chance to watch Constant Gardener? That's a classic no one should miss. Has Anyone watched 'Love brewed in an African pot'?

BTW, did anyone hear anything abt the Film Commission in Kenya? Filming fees has been increased as well. I think peepz will continue choosing South Africa for movies and Kenya will lose big time.

http://www.artmatters.info/comm.htm

[al-zalzalah]

i just saw this great film, 'ae fond kiss'.

it's british, filmed in glasgow, and it fuatas the story of an interracial relationship between a pakistani-british dude, and an irish gal. everyone's out to break them up; friends, family, watu wa kazi.
makes you think about the bigotry encountered by kenyans in the us who try to date interculturally.

simple story line, but great all the same.

[Kenyan chic]

How did I miss this..???????

I really am glad that some pple are into foreign films as well. And I am very, very grateful for all the recommendations. I have watched most of them, but as for the new ones, I will definitely try them out.

I only have 2 recommendations for now,

1. The curse of the Golden flower ---> Really captivating

2. The Black book --> Haven't watched it but I've heard lots of great info about it.


Here in America pple can be blind-sighted by some Hollywood crap when there's so much more intelligent/deep/intense movies going on out there.

[lulu80]

Now this is one topic that just caught my eye as i looove! foreign movies.My all time favourites are:


Totsi- Watched it 4 times and wouldn't mind watching it again. I highly recommend it! it's South African.

Yesterday-Another South African movie that i also highly recommend. Really sad but very good!

Abouna-This one is from Chad or Mali, can't remember. The movie is simple but the story line is really sawaz! check it out if you can.

The night of truth- Brilliant! this one is from Burkina Faso. Watch this movie and i guarantee it will leave you thinking really hard afterwards......don't forget to carry kleenex coz you will shed some tears.

Spanish(The ones from Spain are usually the best from what i have observed so far, it's my personal opinion. Also noticed that alot of the spanish movies i have watched thus far, have some gay themes thrown into the storyline.)

In the city-Very interesting story line, a must see!

Y tu mama tambien-Don't jua if i butchered the spelling of the title, very good movie! has some shocking realization but i woun't go into it, go watch it!

Motorcycle diaries-If you are a Che Guevera fun........need i say more? go watch it coz it's based on his experiences.

Italian(Italian movies always seem to have an infidelity theme, and the characters are usually waaaay pasionate in their expressions, kwanza the men)

Malena-Really good movie, watched it twice. Has many funny moments but the underlying message is serious and kinda sad too.

Don't forget me my love- Cheesy title but the storyline is very sawa, it's actually serious but am not going to give u any details, go watch it!

Israeli(If you thought Jews were conservative....you will be shocked! all i can say is "Go watch Israeli movies!" you will be hooked)

Walk on water-sawa movie, has a nice ending.........dang! just gave it away but go watch it anyway.

Late wedding- I think thats the correct title, very good movie and if you thought that it's only Africans who believe in charms and what not..........you are wrong!

Nina's tragedies- All time favourite Israeli movie. Watched it twice coz i liked it so much! highly recommend it!!!

Fallen wings- Sad story line, if i say more i might reveal the ending which of course is awlays the best part of the movie.

French(Not my favourite, the story lines are too slow for me and i guess their story telling just has a different style that doesn't appeal to me but they do have some good movies that i liked)

It begins today- Such a sweet movie coz it involves kids......but you will shed coz it has some sad moments.

Monseur Ibrahim- I think thats the title, don't mind the spelling error, don't jua how to spell that french part for Mr. Anyway, very good movie! a coming of age storo that will trully touch you.

German(Haven't watched too many German movies to come to a generalised conclusion)
Big girls don't cry- The title didn't appeal to me till i watched it........good movie, go watch it!

Brazilian movies usually center on poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor. The one's i have seen so far bring up this social issue alot.

City of god- One of my many favourite movies! very good movie, thats all i can say since i don't want to give more detail. Go watch it!

Madame Sata- Eeh! this one had some serious shoga action between jamaaz! in movies you are used to seeing this kinda action between chicks so seeing two jamaaz was like, something totally new. Anyway, it had some interesting parts and was a biography of a drag queen but dang! it was long and sometimes the story line was just dragging.

unfortunately i can't remember the other brazilian movies i have watched.

CONCLUSIONThese are just a few movies who's title i could come up with at the moment. I have watched so many but i can't remember their titles right now.

[al-zalzalah]

Originally Posted by lulu80

These are just a few movies who's title i could come up with at the moment. I have watched so many but i can't remember their titles right now.

you have great movie taste .
think i've seen half of what you listed.

[lulu80]

@al-zalzalah
Why thank you, if you have watched half of these movies then you have great taste too