Jump to content

Devon Malcolm's Foreign Film Ponce-A-Rama


Devon Malcolm

Recommended Posts

  • Paid Members
1 hour ago, SuperBacon said:

I've somehow become one of those people that buys Sight & Sound every month as I'm a bit sad and the latest issue is on Korean Cinema and this is on my list to watch, so glad it's good.

I might grab a copy of that, would be interested in reading of any other titles I might fancy, cheers for the heads up.

Korean cinema's having a great time at the moment, across so many genres and not just relying on horror and crime as they did for a number of years. They're doing some of the best action and comedy around right now and have knocked out some cracking disaster movies, too, like Tunnel and EXIT - the latter is so much fun especially.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • Paid Members

Happening (Mubi)

Thoughtful and really well acted French drama about a student seeking an illegal abortion in 1970s France. Been a few films on this subject lately but this is just about the best of them. Sadly still very relevant in many parts of the world.

Argentina, 1985 (Prime)

Excellent courtroom drama about the Trial of the Juntas. If you like such films, can't see how you wouldn't like this. It's very long but fills its running time very well. Ricardo Darin may be the best actor to ever have come out of South America.

The Burning Sea

Enjoyable Norwegian action film about an oil rig disaster. Nice companion piece to the excellent Deepwater Horizon although obviously inferior due to the lack of Kurt Russell.

Fast & Feel Love (Netflix)

Thai cinema is on a real high right now and we're seeing some really awesome films from that part of the world. This is a weird romcom mixed with an offbeat sports film about cup stacking. Yeah. It's really good though, even at 130 minutes long, and somehow rarely drags. One of the nicest surprises of last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

Holy Spider (cinema)

Strangely getting a really wide release at Vue, this Jordanian made Iranian thriller is based on a serial killer who murdered 16 sex workers in Mashhad in 2000 and 2001. Very well made and grim; the last half an hour is incredible. From the same guy who made the weird and wonderful Border and who has directed a couple of The Last of Us episodes, I believe.

Paris, 13th District (Mubi)

Really nice and well acted romantic drama, written by Celine Sciamma. Much more upbeat and positive than I was expecting, slight echoes of Chungking Express but really excellent in its own right.

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Netflix)

Iñárritu went from the huge box office and award winning The Revenant (even though it's not very good) to this weird comedy-fantasy that absolutely nobody cares about. Doesn't help that it got the usual Netflix burial but it's very long and very pointless. Much like The Revenant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (Mubi)

Talky anthology from the maker of Drive My Car. Actually a much better (and shorter) film than that. All three parts are equally good and it's actually really sweet in places. Really enjoyed this.

Narvik (Netflix)

This is already being compared to All Quiet on the Western Front, which is stupid as it's not much like it at all. A war film taking a Norwegian perspective of WW2, the split narrative doesn't always work but it's well acted and generally very good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

Sanjuro and Throne of Blood (Mubi)

Did an Akira Kurosawa double-bill. Both outstanding, as you always got from the lad. The former being a sequel to Yojimbo and almost topping it, the latter doing a decent job of making Shakespeare palatable. Both fantastic.

My Neighbours the Yamadas (Netflix)

One of the few gaps in my Ghibli viewings now filled. There's still nothing quite like this, is there? I can see why Ghibli didn't choose to adopt this style more (it was a financial flop although The Tale of the Princess Kaguya wasn't) but in a way that's a shame because this was strikingly weird and charming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

Broker (cinema)

Really warm comedy-drama about how family can be formed in any circumstances. Just a very nice time, not without its sad moments but ultimately positive and wholesome.

Saloum (Shudder)

Senegalese crime adventure turns into a supernatural horror halfway through and both halves are stunning. Never seen anything quite like this, beautifully shot with some excellent perforrmances. Only 80 minutes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • Paid Members

The White Balloon (YouTube)

Iranian drama about a kid who loses her money when on her way to buy a goldfish. I love Iranian cinema for how they can take such a simple premise as this and make it as funny and warm as this. Wonderful.

Life, and Nothing More 

Iranian drama where director Abbas Kiarostami makes a fictional retelling of a journey he undertook several years beforehand to find out if the actors in one of his previous films (Where is My Friend's House? - another great film) had survived an earthquake. Very sad but also extremely life-affirming. I love Iranian cinema, like I say.

Saint Omer (Mubi)

French courtroom drama about a young immigrant woman being tried for the murder of her toddler. Very hard to watch and listen to but also really important and extremely well acted. You'll have to be in the mood though.

Strawberry and Chocolate (Prime rental)

Cuban love triangle romcom. If you're looking for a film in this genre that avoids all the clichés, then this is it. It's extremely funny at times and really interesting about its social and political backdrop. Loved this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
3 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

 

Saint Omer (Mubi)

French courtroom drama about a young immigrant woman being tried for the murder of her toddler. Very hard to watch and listen to but also really important and extremely well acted. You'll have to be in the mood though.

 

I've had this downloaded for a while and not got around to it yet. Heard lots of good things. Really looking forwards to it, I love a courtroom drama.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
46 minutes ago, Lorne Malvo said:

I've had this downloaded for a while and not got around to it yet. Heard lots of good things. Really looking forwards to it, I love a courtroom drama.

It's different from most because French court hearings are far removed from ours and in America. So it gives it an immediately fresh feel. Hope you like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

All these are highly recommended, lads.

BPM (Beats Per Minute) (Netflix)

French drama about an early 90s group that were established to protest against their government's inaction on AIDS. A hard but inspirational watch, even more at a time when protest is being suffocated in this particular country. Very good.

There Is No Evil

Iranian anthology about capital punishment from four very different perspectives. It was banned in Iran after being shot in secret and its director Mohammad Rasoulof was imprisoned for making and releasing it. His sacrifice was worthwhile - it's maybe the strongest film I've ever seen on this subject.

The Spirit of the Beehive (YouTube)

One of those classics of cinema you hear so much about and that everyone tells you you have to see before, usually, being disappointed. Not the case here, this is every bit as beautiful as advertised and reminded me a bit of Petite Maman, which is about as high a level of praise I can give it.

(ok.ru)

Late 60s political thriller based on the assassination of a prominent socialist Greek politician several years beforehand. Transitions between about three different films, all of them amazing. From the director Costa-Gavras, who made a number of outstanding films.

The Official Story

Argentinian political thriller about a woman who finds out her daughter may have been adopted illegally during the country's military junta. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Argentinian films of all time and not difficult to see why. Devastating at times but a really important slice of that country's relatively recent history.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...
  • Paid Members

When Evil Lurks (Shudder)

Shudder releases good film shocker! Argentinian possession horror, unlike anything I've seen in this genre. Relentlessly mean-spirited and occasionally disgusting, absolutely superb stuff.

The Conference (Netflix)

Really enjoyable Swedish black comedy slasher, amazingly gory at times and doesn't outstay its welcome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

Ballerina (Netflix)

Excellent Korean action-thriller, clocking in at the perfect 90 minute mark. Cracking action scenes, good music, enjoyable vibes, almost no plot, hints at a sequel. Lovely.

Invalid

If you see one Slovakian crime comedy about about a wheelchair bound janitor who takes vengeance against the mayoral campaign that injured him, make it this. Very funny and even quite sweet at times, can see this appealing to warped senses of humour like mine.

Piaffe

German drama about a Foley artist who suddenly grows a horse's tail. I can't think of a single person I'd recommend this to so I don't know why I'm even mentioning it. I liked it though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Paid Members

Anatomy of a Fall (cinema)

Good - but not great. Very painstaking in how procedural it is, to the point where I started to find it a slog near the end. Superbly edited and arranged though, and quite novel to see a French courtroom drama.

Love According to Dalva (Mubi)

This was a very rough watch indeed and not one to watch if you are at all sensitive about the subject in this. Which I am, but I am glad I saw it because it is very good and the performances are excellent.

Roise & Frank (BBC iPlayer)

Irish Gaelic comedy about a woman who thinks a stray dog is the reincarnation of her dead husband. Not as funny as it could have been but Lorcan Cranitch manages to be an even bigger bastard than he was in Cracker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...