December 21, 2018 – Quality films you may not know about…
The setting is Hong Kong, 1962. Two couples rent apartments next to each other. An affair begins, and we see the interaction of the two lonely spouses not having the affair. One of the most romantic movies ever made. Visually stunning, and the lead actors say more without words than in any other movie I know of.
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Cast: Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung
Languages: Cantonese, Shanghainese
IMDb: 8.1
Where: Kanopy, Blu-ray
A young woman is forced to become the third concubine of a wealthy man during China’s Warlord Era of the 1920s. She is initially treated well, but then must deal with the heartless competitive nature of the wife and other concubines. If you’re not familiar with Gong Li, she is like the Chinese Meryl Streep and this movie is her Sophie’s Choice.
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Li Gong, Jingwu Ma, Saifei He
Language: Mandarin
IMDb: 8.2
Where: Amazon On Demand
An officer within the East German secret police is ordered to spy on a popular East German playwright suspected of West-German leanings. The film was lauded for its accurate depiction of East Germany. A movie that’s liked by all who see it. Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch
Original title: Das Leben der Anderen
Language: German
IMDb: 8.5
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Jumping between past and present, the film centers around the relationship between a retired criminal investigator and a judge who are still haunted by an unsolved, decades-old murder case. Great movie with a great ending, and literally a million times better than the American remake. Won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Director: Juan José Campanella
Cast: Ricardo Darín (Nine Queens), Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Carla Quevedo
Original title: El secreto de sus ojos
Language: Spanish
IMDb: 8.2
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu, Google Play
A handsome, successful man is disfigured in a car accident, and awakens to a strange dream world. Or is it reality? A creative, psychological thriller that’s at least a hundred times better than the American remake.
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Cast: Eduardo Noriega, Penélope Cruz, Chete Lera
Original title: Abre los ojos
Language: Spanish
IMDb: 7.8
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A rebel group, the House of Flying Daggers, battles against a corrupt government in 9th-century China. Two police officers, ordered to kill the group’s leader, enlist the unwilling help of a blind dancer. This movie came four years after Zhang Ziyi’s on-screen intensity also wowed audiences in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Beautifully photographed and acted, with dazzling fight scenes.
Director: Yimou Zhang
Cast: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau
Language: Mandarin
IMDb: 7.6
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Eight years after his wife is killed, a doctor receives an email from her, with a video showing she is alive. Simultaneously, he is implicated in a double homicide he knows nothing about. A twisty, turny French thriller that won four César Awards in France.
Director: Guillaume Canet
Cast: François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, André Dussollier
Original title: Ne le dis à personne
Language: French
IMDb: 7.5
Where: Kanopy, Shudder, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube
Epic film spanning the life of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China before Communist takeover, from his early days in the luxurious-but-secluded Forbidden City to his eventual imprisonment. Winner of nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen
Languages: English, Mandarin, Japanese
IMDb: 7.8
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
In Medieval Japan, three sons of a retiring warlord vie for power, turning on their father and one another. An epic movie inspired by William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Oscar winner for Costume Design, and BAFTA winner for Best Foreign Language Film.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Language: Japanese
IMDb: 8.2
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
This movie involves time travel. I don’t want to say much more, for fear of giving anything away. A low-budget sci-fi gem from Spain. One of the best low-budget sci-fi movies I’ve seen. Goya Award for Best New Director.
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Cast: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga
Original title: Los Cronocrímenes
Language: Spanish
IMDb: 7.2
Where: Magnolia Selects, Shudder, Amazon On Demand, Vudu, Google Play
A corporate recruiter lives in luxury because he is also an art thief. He learns of a valuable painting he seeks out to steal, not knowing the consequences. A twisty-turny Norwegian crime drama with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones. Has some Breaking Bad, Fargo vibes.
Director: Morten Tyldum
Cast: Aksel Hennie (Nobel), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnove Macody Lund
Language: Norwegian, Danish
IMDb: 7.6
Where: Magnolia Selects, Tribeca Shortlist, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
In a humble neighborhood, two dimwits try to pass themselves off as tough gangsters. Then the real gangsters show up, not realizing that the humble neighborhood has some tricks up its sleeve. Fun and creative martial arts movie. Wildly successful, multi-award-winning. From the writer/director of the equally likeable Shaolin Soccer.
Director: Stephen Chow
Cast: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
IMDb: 7.8
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu