Monday, September 10, 2007

Foreign into Fall: Part VI

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, & V can be read by click on the links. Here's my most recent Foreign Film's viewed for this series and have been selected from Edward Copeland's best of non-English film nomination list.

(France)
What a bizarre story of a bizarre love triangle. At first I it seemed like this was going to be an early Brokeback Mountain and the two male leads Jules and Jim were going to fall in love, but it certainly is not. Once Catherine enters the picture the sexual deviance of a manipulative woman who can't decide who she's in love with (Jules, Jim, or others), gets out of control as the overly passive Jules continues to live with his ex-wife and best friend when they get married. Talk about drama! It's a unique story, I loved how it was filmed and quickly narrated, the final ending is very cinemagical.

(France/Italy)
I loved this movie. It's like Armageddon, Speed, or Spielberg's Duel, and you haven't seen wages of Fear, then you're missing out. 4 down-and-out men in South America are selected to make a very dangerous nitroglycerine, which assuming they survive has the potential to be financially lucrative. After they are selected, and begin their journey in two different trucks, some of the most exciting and tense action scenes play out before your eyes.

This film was so unique from any film I've watched, the characterization, filming, and effects are incredibly realistic, making this a definite new favorite film.

(France)
Like Jules and Jim, another French love triangle movie. This time their isn't any weird marriages, but instead two guys try to con an English student into helping them steal money from an old man she lives with. Godard's story isn't all that magical, rather it's the style and tone that really stood out to me. There are some gimmicky moments in the film where the narrator's tone is very unique, and intercepts the story line.
There is an incredibly fun and memorable dancing scene in this film where the narrator describes what each is thinking. In 2005 this film was included on Time's list of top 100 movies of all time, to me it was not quiet that enchanting, rather more unique and original.

5 comments:

Jeff Reed said...

all kidding aside, did you attend my foreign film classes?

Surprised you're not talking about:

Metropolis
http://imdb.com/title/tt0017136/

Seventh Seal:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0050976/

Terence Towles Canote said...

Both Jules et Jim and Band of Outsiders are two of my favourites.

RC said...

@jeff..i did not attend your film classes.

i have already seen metropolis and the seventh seal.

metropolis isn't eligible for the foreign film list i'm going off of because it's silent.

@ mercurie...i'm still not sure exactly if I liked either of these movies ton and to what degree.

Will said...

I love that you're reviewing all of these wonderful films.

And I've been a big fan of JULES ET JIM and BANDE A PART ever since seeing them. I think they may be the best films from each of these New Wave directors. Possibly THE 400 BLOWS is better from Truffaut. I dunno.

Keep reviewing! These are all great films!

Jamie Dawn said...

My daughter wants me to go with her to see a French film this weekend. I don't even know what it's called, but she wants me to see it. It should be fun.