Look at it this way. We have the chance to see virtually every American film that's released, and many of the English language films in general. But with the crisis in U.S. distribution, the only foreign-language films are those someone paid hard cash for, and risked opening here. "You always like those foreign films," I'm told, often by someone making it sound like a failing. Not always, but often. They tend to involve characters of intelligence and complexity. If
they're about people of subnormal intelligence, they're about that, or acknowledge it. In most of the world, people want to hurry into adulthood, not clinging to adolescence.
Have you noticed how many American mainstream films are about stupid people who are presented as normal? One opened recently: "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" No one in that film has an interesting thought as they stumble from one plot point to the next. I prefer characters who are articulate. Foreign films tend to be about people like that. Many American films are, too; in release now, for example, "Up in the Air," "A Single Man," "Crazy Heart," "Me and Orson Welles," "Mammoth," "Invictus."My list of the year's best foreign films contains 15 titles. Why? Because that's how many I put on the list. Five others were on my earlier lists. Altogether now, adding my lists of documentaries and animated films, I have 50 "best films." Does that mean I'm getting soft? No, it means I reviewed 284 films in 2009, and these 17% were the best. Why do people insist that critics stick to a magic number? Manohla Dargis listed her top 10 films. Including ties, her list came to 19 movies. That's the spirit.
These were very good:
Broken Embraces. Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" is a voluptuary of a film, drunk on primary colors, caressing Penelope Cruz, using the devices of a Hitchcock to distract us with surfaces while the sinister uncoils beneath. Involves a blind man who lost his great love in a car crash and years later learns the truth of her death, and how another man destroyed his last film. Penelope Cruz, Almodovar's constant Muse for over a decade, plays a prostitute who was with the blind man's producer when she fell in love with him-true love, and doomed. Dripping with primary colors, especially red, this is the year's most sumptuous film.
The Class is about the power struggle between a teacher who wants to do good, and students who disagree about what "good" is. In a lower-income melting pot neighborhood in Paris, a school year begins with high hopes. The students' intelligence may be one of their problems: They can see clearly that the purpose of the class is to make them model citizens in a society that has little use for them. The director, Laurent Cantet, worked for a year with François Bégaudeau, as the teacher, and the young actors who play students to achieve an uncanny spontaneity and realism. Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2008,.
Coco Before Chanel begins with an abandoned orphan girl (Audrey Tautou), watches her grow into a music hall chanteuse, and then sidestep prostitution by becoming a mistress. From behind the clouds of her cigarettes she regards the world with realism and stubborn ambition. She becomes the most influential fashion icon of the 20th century. An unsentimental approach to Chanel's life. Less of a biopic, more of a drama. It's not about rags to riches but about survival of the fittest. Coco likes a rich playboy, but signed aboard for money, status and entre, not merely romance. She isn't a brazen temptress but a capitalist, who collects on her investment. Directed by Anne Fontaine.
Gomorrah. Remorseless drama about the foot soldiers of the Camorra, the crime syndicate based in Naples which is larger than the Mafia but less known. The recruits know De Palma's "Scarface" by heart. Living a life surrounded by drugs and women is a bargain they're willing to make even if it means death. It almost always does. An implacable algebra tightens the noose on day laborers, who kill each other for peanuts while invisible millionaires grow richer. Grimy and pitiless; the grand prize winner at Cannes 2008. Directed by Matteo Garrone.
Lorna's Silence The story by the Dardenne brothers, among the best living filmmakers, involves a young woman from Albania, now resident in Belgium thanks to a marriage-for-sale deal with a pathetic drug addict. The vermin who has arranged the marriage now plans to kill the addict to benefit a Russian will pay her to marry him so he can obtain a passport she will be free to marry her lover. Sounds like it may be about plot, but it's about personalities, as intensely-observed as always with the Dardennes. In a way, everyone knows what has to happen.
Munyurangabo considers the genocide in Rwanda through the lives of two teenagers. They aren't symbols, simply boys who have been surviving on their own in a big city, but are not toughened, and essentially good. They embark on a cross-country journey for purposes that eventually become sadly clear. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, 30, a first generation Korean-American who grew up in a small farm in rural Arkansas. it was shot on location in Rwanda in two weeks, involved only local actors, and is in every frame a beautiful and powerful film--a masterpiece. Invited to Ebertfest 2010.
O'Horton Bittersweet deadpan whimsy about a retiring Norwegian railroad engineer named Odd Horten. He sets his life by the railroad timetable and is baffled by retirement. Left on his own, he finds himself being driven by a blind man, sitting through a farewell party thrown by his fellow engineers (who sing him the choo-choo-choo woo-woo-woo song), and climbing a scaffold into the wrong apartment. Like Monsieur Hulot, he can always count on the consolation of his pipe. Directed by Bent Hamer.
Paris is about a group of Parisians. Their lives are not interlocking but parallel. Cedric Klapisch, the writer-director, creates a symphonic tribute to the city he loves, with each character a movement. A dying dancer, his sister (Juliette Binoche), a historian of the city with a creepy romantic obsession, an architect, a street vendor, a prejudiced bakery owner. At the end, one of the characters happens to glimpse some of the others through taxi window: anonymous Parisians, getting on with their lives.
Police, adjective a young Romanian cop is assigned to tail a suspected 16-year-old pot smoker. The kid is guilty, but the cop, having just witnessed the freedom in Prague on his honeymoon, doesn't want to arrest him and ruin his life with eight to 15 years in prison. This leads, not to the routine action ending of many American pictures, but to a curiously suspenseful argument with his captain over the dictionary definitions of the words "conscience" and "justice." A good example of the emerging Romanian cinema. Won both the Un Certain Regard jury prize and the Critics' Prize at Cannes 2009.
Revanche Tamara is a prostitute from the Ukraine, Alex is an ex-con who works as a bouncer in her Vienna brothel. They're having a secret affair, and lack the nerve to challenge the reprehensible pimp who rules their world. Alex plots an "easy" bank robbery, and brings her along in the getaway car. It goes wrong. He hides on the farm of his proud old grandfather, who lives alone, mourns his wife, feeds his friends the cows. Alex meets Susanne, a friendly neighbor's wife, and loneliness confronts with tragic coincidence. A 2009 Oscar nominee.
Seraphine is built upon one of the year's most acclaimed performances, by Yolande Moreau. She is a bulky, work-worn house cleaner who fiercely scrubs the floor, then she slips away from work to steal turpentine from the church votive candles, blood from the butcher and clay from the fields. These she combines with other elements to mix the paints she uses at night, covering panels with fruits and flowers that seem to regard us in alarm. Inspired by the true story of a woman whose work is now in many museums. Came from France as the year's most honored film, winner of seven Cesars from the French Academy, including best film and best actress.
Still Walking. Twelve years ago, the eldest son, doted on by his parents, drowned while saving a life. Every year the family gathers in his memory; the second son hates this because his father blames him for not being the one who died. The guest of honor is the pudgy, squirmy loser whose life was saved. This annual rite, we realize, is an ordeal for everyone except the bitter father, and probably him, too. Written and directed by the great Hirokazu Kore-eda, in some ways the heir to Ozu. Winner for best director, 2009 Asian Film Awards.
Summer Hours. begins on Helene's 75th birthday. She's joined in the French countryside by her three children and their families. Much of the talk is about how far two of the them had to travel, and they're eager to be going home. Helene understands this. She understands a great deal. The film builds its emotional power by stealth, indirectly, refusing to be a tear-jerker, always realistic, and yet respectful of how sad it is to see your life disappear. Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, with Juliette Binoche and Charles Berling.
Tokyo Sonata About a family so locked into their lives they scarcely know one another. The autocratic father is fired and says nothing. He leaves "for the office" every day, and lingers with other jobless men. His son secretly takes piano lessons his father has forbidden. His wife observes much and is silent. Then the director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, derails our expectations with two totally unexpected scenes, the second of spellbinding beauty which somehow resolves this story with masterful indirection.
Tulpan shows such an unfamiliar world it might as well be Mars. The horizon is a straight line against the sky in every direction. There are no landmarks, no signs, no roads. We are among the modern yurt dwellers of Kazakhstan. A young sailor has come home to live with his sister and her family. They negotiate with a poker-faced man and his hostile wife for the hand of their daughter. Humor involving a veterinarian on a motorcycle and a fresh cucumber salesman. Also a great silence and desolation, which we sense they love. Doesn't there have to come a time in everyone's life when they should see a deadpan comedy about the yurt dwellers of Kazakhstan? Won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes 2008.[ Notes: In addition to these films, on my earlier best films lists for 2009 I named "Departures," "Everlasting Moments," "Silent Light," "You, the Living" and "The White Ribbon." Below, all of the trailers from IFC Films represent films that are streaming online, some of them free. ]
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A good number of these titles are available on Netflix Instant Play; the world opens just a little more.
And a digression: I haven't seen "Nine," but your review confirmed my fears. (By the way, the line about Nino Rota is beautiful: "I could watch a Fellini film on the radio." I want the theme from "Amarcord" to play at my funeral, so that everyone can cry and smile simultaneously. Like the man says, "It's a sad and beautiful world." Also, you mention Alec Baldwin as a possible casting choice--and you're pretty right: He's the closest thing we have to an American Mastroianni. Just ask my wife.)
Darn lovely list Mr. Ebert. Interesting to see that only 3 of the films were actually made in 2009.
Ebert: They opened here in 2009.
You should check out the chilean film The Maid, if you have time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Nana
O'Horton was indeed bittersweet. Odd Horten reminded me of the old man in Wild Strawberries, except he was much more sweet and not so bitter. I guess you could put them both in the character asking 'what the hell has it all been about?' category. There is something about knowing exactly how many tunnels there are between two railway stops that brings on that sort of reflective questioning. Another quant little movie of the same ilk was "Is Anybody There", from the UK, starring Michael Caine. It's about a little boy who lives in his parents house which doubles as an old folks home. He's lonely, bored and a little resentful about his circumstances. An Old Magician (Caine) moves into the old folks home and is in the exact same predicament, but add on a heavy dose of bitterness.
Ebert: I liked O'Horton's arrangement with the woman who lived at the end of the line.
Paris looks really good indeed. I'm glad you introduced that to me. And of course, I'm waiting on pins and needles for Still Walking.
No Samson & Delilah?
"Lorna's Silence" – is it me, or does that photo make the actress look like Ellen Page?
"Seraphine" – I want this one to win the Oscar and yes I’m totally biased. But it's a rare glimpse of a reality so seldom shown let alone this poignantly. There's a reason its won so many awards.
"Paris" - this has me thinking of another film with Juliette Binoche called “Flight of the Red Balloon.” I saw that, but not this one.
"Tulpan" – I’ve seen this on DVD courtesy of the Burnaby Public Library. Also “O’Horton” and “Munyurangabo” and “Gomorrah” and “The Class”.
Yes, they’re that good Roger, at stocking foreign films. They've got almost half your list.
Note: most of the markets around my around area cater to newbies - folks arriving in Canada from foreign lands and bringing their culinary preferences with them. And so I get to explore exotic offerings simply by walking down the street and as a reflection of it, films too.
Vancouver real estate is too expensive now and so the suburbs are a delightful mix of spices, so to speak. If someone in Mongolia makes a movie, I'll get to see it a year before the U.S. does and because there's a market for it here in my backyard. Literally, chuckle!
The library is also where I found one of THE most original films I've ever seen from Mongolia (2006)
"Khadak"
http://www.khadak.com/teaser.html
It's about a guy, his destiny, a Shaman, a girl, the Russians and a tree in the snow with a blue ribbon tied on it.
I think film makers outside the U.S. are making really interesting films and ironically because they have less money to work with - so you have to use a good story instead.
Assuming of course, your palette is educated enough to care. You might be content with less for not noticing you're watching the equivalent of visual McDonald's.
Now don't get wrong - I'm not a snob; I like french fries too! But there's Steak n' Shake, and then there's a pile of grease. There's a milk shake made with REAL ice cream, and then there's "weird stuff" like guar-gum; a plant seed extract.
WTF?! It's a milk shake! Milk from a cow + sugar + strawberries + egg and freeze it! I don't want no stinkin' GUAR GUM! So you can keep your craptastic "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" thank-you not very much, Hollywood.
I like pizza and hamburgers and french fries and munchies too. I'm not always watching what amounts to "Death by Chocolate." But if you're gonna eat a burger then eat a REAL ONE, eh?
And that's what a good foreign film, is. It's Steak n' Shake vs McDonalds.
You can disagree with that of course but I'll only pretend to still respect you, afterward. :)
Ebert: I liked O'Horton's arrangement with the woman who lived at the end of the line.
Meals were included, what's not to like. Horten, if you're listening here's what you do, sell the damn boat and move in with the lady already.
I wish the word "foreign" with its baggage wasn't so entrenched in the tradition. Hard to think of an unclumsy word or shortphrase substitute, though!
Is Cruz really as beautiful as Audry Hepburn? Wow!
"I could watch a Fellini film on the radio."
Indeed!
Ebert: Yes, I smiled when I wrote that.
I could watch a Fellini film on the radio."
Indeed!
Ebert: Yes, I smiled when I wrote that.
I thought of Marilyn Monroe.
Sigh, here's another bunch it's gonna take a long time to see. "Coco apres Chanel" was pretty darned wonderful. I missed "Tulpan" by a day, though.
"Munyurangabo," must see. Some years ago I attended an Easter-time party with a group of Hutu. Don't actually know what celebration, Easter's pretty pre-Christian. One of the men had a large circular lacuna carved out of his right upper arm from a bullet wound in those fights -- which have been going on between them and the Tutsi for centuries.
I complimented a Hutu woman who'd made this really scrumptious fish dish. Smiling to her was apparently a faux pas. The host, a descendant of some kings or other, warned me that this made her husband very very jealous.
I see the producer has a Chinese name. China comprises a bit of politics in Africa we don't much hear about. When you dig, however, you find one more near-exploding headache for the planet.
Ok. Fess up. How many of you are there, Roger?
284 film reviews. Almost 100 blog postings. What, maybe 20,000 blog replies read, thousands replied to? Gotta average 50-100 words each (more for your contributions)? It's almost scary to think of how many words you've written and read in the past year compared to how many minutes there are in 365 days: just over 500,000.
Thank you for spending some of that time to make your lists of documentaries, animated and foreign films. It is not always easy to find a way to view these films, and even harder sometimes to know what's even available. Absent being near many/any theaters inclined to show these, and aside from Netflix, what other accessible outlets exist?
Ebert: (*Hollow laugh*) So far, 45, 617 comments, with 17 to go tonight.
I'm thoroughly upset that Antichrist didn't make your distinguished cut. As von Trier succinctly puts it, he is, after all, "the best film director in the world."
A few more for the netflix list. I wish there was a list of classic and current films available on netflix instant, or some easily accessible medium. I feel like I'm missing so much of my film history.
But at the same time, what a wonderful time to be living in, when I can call films up from the comfort of my living room.
Alright, I know that Gomorrah, Munyurangabo, Sin Nombre, Still Walking, Summer Hours, and Tulpan are all on Netflix streaming, but what about the others?
And considering the number of tweets you've given it, a bit surprised at the lack of list love for Julia, though when you're listing things with a set number in mind, it's certainly understandable that one would get left off.
Shall there be a "Best Performances" list? If so, I nominate John Turturro for managing to keep a straight face while noting the size of that one giant robot's testicles in T2:RotF.
Great list.
Unfortunately I've only seen two of them but eleven of the others were already on my must see list. Will now add the other three. Thanks.
Was 'A Prophet' close or not a contender or have you not had a chance to see it?
I saw a great little 78 minute film at the Sudbury Film Festival by the director of Gomorrah called "Pranzo di Ferragosto" ("Mid August Lunch"). Such a deviation from Gomorrah but also a marvelous film. It's played at a number of U.S. film festivals. As you so eloquently put it ... we need more films about intelligent and articulate characters. Highly recommend this wonderfully sweet film.
Correcting my error.
Gianni DiGregorio is the writer/director and male lead in Pranzo but he only shared the screenwriting credits in Gomorrah.
I recently quoted your line "Those who think Transformers 2 is a great or even a good film are, may I tactfully suggest, not sufficiently evolved. Film by film, I hope they climb a personal ladder into the realm of better films, until their standards improve."
One of the responses I received was "I disagree, though it's by no means an amazing movie, it is thoroughly an entertaining film. A movie doesn't always have to be a work of art to be good. Just because you don't like it doesnt mean its not a good movie. Yes, the movie did have poor plot and dialogue, but it wasn't meant to be an amazing movie, it was meant to be a means of entertainment for people who dont care about dialogue and plot. It's stuff blowing up for two hours, if people enjoy it, then it has served it's purpose."
It's sad to see other people my age going to see movies like Transformers 2 but have never heard of films like Up in the Air or Crazy Heart. I'm in college and most of the people I know are more compelled to see a film like Transformers 2 than a movie like Up in the Air. They wouldn't even dare watch a foreign film.
I also recently posted a list online of what I thought were the year's best movies. One of the responses I received was "Adventureland was about some douchebag trying to get laid in the 80s, so i guess if thats an interesting romance story to you thats your choice, hurt locker is about the 1 guy in the army who didnt pass his mental exam and goes crazy because hes scared as s*** and shouldnt have gotten paired up with crazy bomb defusal guy, and drag me to hell was advertised as a horror movie and was just dumb"
Are we just getting worse as a society or has it always been this bad? Then again maybe it's not just my age group. IMDB lists The Dark Knight as the 8th greatest movie of all time and also says Fight Club is better than Citizen Kane. A movie like 8 1/2 is as far down as 165.
Missing seeing "Everlasting Moments" on your list. Was happy to see it appear on a different list on your blog. Happy to see "Still Walking" here.
Roger,
Just out of curiosity, did you enjoy A Prophet? I guess what I'm really asking is, was it underwhelming or just so-so and if you did enjoy it was it left off this list because its release was delayed until February?
Side note: I was wondering how that works that A Prophet could be the official selction from France for the Foreign Film Oscar, yet it hasn't played a single weekend in American theaters in 2009. I was under the impression that it was required for a film to be eligible.
Ebert: Foreign films dion't have to open. The nations' nominations are screened by an Academy committee.
I bet Chandni Chowk to China ranks as the worst foreign film this year.
As for 8 1/2's music, I was half-asleep, that means eyes closed, through most of my second time (these things happen when you start watching at two in the morning), and liked it more.
My choice for your best review among these movies is Still Walking.
You must check out Gulaal and Dev D by the Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap.
I am wondering why you didnt mention "The White Ribbon" by Haneke. I find him to be the contemporary Bergman. TWY was his best ever.
Ebert: Read the entry a little more closely.
Hi Mr Ebert:
You are one of my all time favourite contemporary writers. I really hope that you read and reply to this off-topic message.
When ever I see a movie I like to decide for myself if I liked it and what i liked or disliked about it. Then I visit rogerebert.com to compare "notes." Well I did that today after seeing one amazing movie "Chopper" starring Eric Bana. Then I visited your site to read your review. You gave it a very good review with nothing but very positive things to say about it. My question is this...
Why did you only give it 3-stars? The review seemed to imply that it was worth 4-stars. Users of the web site gave it a very modest 3 1/2 stars and I would have given it 4-stars myself.
Thanks, Roger. I just put all these on my Netflix queue. Some are not available yet but, luckily, several of them are available for Instant View.
All these lists are going to break the metacritic web-site. It's bad enough they don't mention that your lists are alphabetical.
http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2009/toptens.shtml
there have been a lot of buzz for the french film, "A Prophet." i think it screened at cannes to some excitement. are you going to review the film soon?
Ebert: "A Prophet" doesn't open until February.
"Departures" lost out to "Tokyo Sonata"? (If such a ranking system was in play.)
No love for Un prophète?
Ebert: Opens in February.
No 'The White Ribbon'?
Ebert: Read the entry a little more closely.
A great list, I was wondering if you have seen any Egyptian films, I know they are not shown in the U.S but was wondering if you have. There was a great movie that came out this year called " Ahaky ya Shaherzaid" in English it would be " Tell me a story Shahrazad". I hope you can check it out; it's a great film in my opinion.
What about "Thirst" from Chan wook Park? How does that not make your top 10 list?
Only film I have not watched yet in this list is "Police, Adjective". These are good films, although I don't much like "Coco Before Chanel". Thanks for recommending "O'Horten", "Tulpan", and "Paris". The last one is available on DVD and download service in South Korea, and I found it quite charming.
"Lorna's Silence" and "Tokyo Sonata" are in my list, too. They are different movies, but both end memorably with beautiful moment.
"Broken Embrace" is released in South Korea last month and received mostly favorable reviews in here, too. Although I do not include in my list, but I like the colors in the movie a lot. Who can forget them tomatoes and Penelope Cruz? I was delighted to know that it is not coincidental that the movie reminded me of "The Magnificent Ambersons".
"Still Walking", "Seraphine", and "Summer Hours" has already been available on DVD and download market, too. In case of "Seraphine" DVD, screen ratio and image quality is so unsatisfying that it made me cringe throughout the movie but I managed to enjoy it. "Still Walking" are in many local critics' lists, and I absolutely agree with them.
"The Class", "Gomorrah" and "Revanche" are not released yet despite positive response at local film festivals, but I introduced these to visitors with my reviews this spring. Too bad "Muyurangabo" did not get much attention in here despite being shown in certain film festival two years ago. I am glad that this hidden gem will be invited to Ebertfest. My prediction was correct.
I watched "Sin Nombre", “The White Ribbon", and "Everlasting Moments" last week, and thanks again for your strong recommendation. These made my time worth a lot. "The White Ribbon" is especially quite chilling for what it implies. Many South Korean movie lovers are waiting to watch this in theater after great buzz at Pusan International Film Festival in this October.
P.S.
"I could watch a Fellini film on the radio."
I watched "8 1/2" for preparation yesterday before watching "Nine" on this Wednesday. I second that. Who can copy or duplicate this music?
And it's never enough to get soft on good movies. Why not?
My recommendations:
1. I Killed My Mother
2. A Prophet
3. Everyone Else
4. Home
5. Dogtooth
6. Father of My Children
7. Petition
The Maid isn't here!! I strongly recommended it to you
Overall an excellent list. I have yet to see "Summer Hours" or "Tulpan," but they've just become must-view appointments. Kudos on the inclusion of "Seraphine," which seems to be ignored elsewhere for some reason.
But, in my opinion, there are two glaring ommissions:
"Private Eye," which is a fantastic Korean detective story which sees a doctor-in-training practicing technique on a body he finds in the woods, only to learn later that the body was famous and he is a suspect. Horrified, he hires a disgraced detective to uncover the real murderer. It's dark, twisted and very, very brilliant.
The other is "Looking for Eric," which might have escaped your list because it is English...and therefore perhaps not as foreign as the other films here? But it's director Ken Loach's first stab at something with comedic elements, and it's a real winner. It involves an directionless man creating an imaginary friend out of soccer star Eric Cantona and trying to make things right with his ex while saving his son from organized crime. It's complex, funny and, most refreshingly, surprisingly honest.
Roger, perhaps you haven't seen these films yet (there aren't reviews on the Web site) and that's why they aren't here. If you haven't, I implore you to seek them out immediately. If you have, why the heck aren't they here!?
Ebert: I was disappointed by "Looking for Eric."
Great list! I'm glad you included Tokyo Sonata, since it was one of my favourites this year.
PS: Will you write a review for "The Lovely Bones"? Just curious.
So, basically you don't have a favorite films list. Also, it's a funny thing when a man who claims to hate listmaking makes 4 lists, more lists than anyone else.
Ebert: I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain mutitudes.
Roger, add my name to list of why no WHITE RIBBON, to me the masterpiece of the year.
Happy new year
Liloo in Toronto, Al and Ruth Rudis in Long Beach, we share their friendship.
Matt
Roger, I urge you to look into this Turkish director named Ezel Akay if you already haven't. His movies don't get released in the States but he has a very distinct style that makes him (in my not-so-humble opinion) one of the best directors of the past decade. I am pretty sure you can find DVDs with English subtitles somewhere online.
Sorry Roger, in early entry could not find reference to WHITE RIBBON, so thought it might be in your overall list which I could not find.
I really respect your love for cinema and wish you the very best
THE MAID to me was a 10/10, dogme 95 style reminding me of ROSETTA.
ANTICHRIST, painful, but brilliant...best LVT to date.
matt
Ebert: The list has this footnote:
[ Notes: In addition to these films, on my earlier best films lists for 2009 I named "Departures," "Everlasting Moments," "Silent Light," "You, the Living" and "The White Ribbon." ]
All my lists are linked here: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/
I haven't seen most of the films on this list but hope to rectify that soon. One question though: was Penelope Cruz's character in Broken Embraces a prostitute? I know she went with the wealthy man to pay for her fathers' medical treatments but she was working as a secretary at the time. Depends on your definition of prostitute possibly...
Ebert: As a dear old London friend once told me: "Sex for cash, m'dear. That's my definition."
You wrote a 3 stars review of "Police, Adjective" and now it's in your best of the year list. We know you don't really believe in the stars system. After the yearly ranking list, is that the next thing to go?
Ebert: All "best" lists start anew.
Ebert: As a dear old London friend once told me: "Sex for cash, m'dear. That's my definition."
It wasn't the hunchback from the catacombs was it?
Ebert: I neglected to query him.
So The White Ribbon made the 'mainstream' list- not the offical 'foreign' or 'independent' list? I find that confusing. I think all this categorizing of films similar to a record shop that has the music divided into so many categories it becomes impossible to find what you’re looking for. Why not, out of all four of these lists, make a ultimate top ten? Wouldn’t that be fun? I'm guessing your number 1 is Inglorious Basterds and number 2 Avatar. 3 maybe Munyurangabo?
Either way, I love what you do. Thanks.
Ebert: These lists are simply a way of recalling more good films.
Roger,
When can we expect to see a BEST OF THE DECADE list from you? I hope you do one just for foreign films.
Hmm..."Baader Meinhoff Complex" ?
I'd like to put in a word for some films that had small or no release in 2009 but that are among the best of the 2009 films I saw (at film festivals, of course).
About Elly (Iran) - A L'avventura-style film that shows how pressure can crack a solid group of friends.
A Place of One's Own (Taiwan/Hong Kong) - Death and real estate, all with abundant humor and magic.
The Forest (Poland) - A visual imagining of the process of dying as experienced by an old man and his loving son.
De Profundis (Spain) - Breathtaking animation telling a fairytale of an artist who visits the underwater world of his imagination after his boat capsizes.
The Athlete (Ethiopia) - Ingenious biopic about two-time Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila.
Great list! I missed my chance to see a number of these at last years PIFF (Portland International Film Fest). Luckily, I did manage to see Tokyo Sonata, by one of my top three directors all time, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Taking a break from his usual horror/thrillers, it's a great slice of life not to be missed! Interesting that Antichrist isn't on here. I suppose it's in English, but I'd consider anything by Von Trier to be absolutely foreign. I also would have called Bronson my top foreign film of the year, but I'm also aware that Mr. Ebert wasn't half as thrilled about it as I was.
Does anyone bother editing "articles" anymore? These are only the most obvious examples. I'm not going to do someone else's job for free. Perhaps some people think that blatantly poor grammar and spelling errors shouldn't matter, but it really made me not want to finish reading this. The only reason I did was so I could point out these laughable errors to someone, though I doubt anyone will care. Why bother reading "news" if no one cares to properly present it?
Broken Embraces
“...using the devices of a Hitchcock...”
The Class
“...the young actors who plays students got achieve an uncanny spontaneity...”
Gomorrah
“I almost always does.”
Lorna’s Silence
“The vermin who has arranged the marriage now plans to kill the addict to benefit a Russian will pay her marry him so he can obtain a passport she will be free to marry her lover.”
Paris
“Cedric Klapisch, the writer-director, creates symphonic tribute to the city he loves, with each character is a movement.”
Police, Adjective
“Police, adjective a young Romanian cop...”
“This leads, not to the routine action ending of many American pictures, but to a curiously suspenseful with his captain over the dictionary definitions of the words "conscience" and "justice."
Revanche
“Alex plots am "easy" bank robbery...”
“He hides on the farm of his proud old grandfather, who lives alone, mourns his wife, feeds his friends the cows.”
Still Walking
“...the second son hates this because his father blames hi for nit beige the one who died.”
Ebert: I am aghast. The uncorrected version of the entry was obviously lurking in the copy & paste clipboard. It is a mess. Did I carefully check it online? I did not. It was late at night, but that is no excuse. Thank you for your attention. The copy editors of the Sun-Times are formidable, but the blog is entirely maintained by me, including writing, formatting, editing, adding art, and so on. There is no one to blame but me.
That said, I would forlornly defend “...using the devices of a Hitchcock...”
Here I'm glad you included "Tokyo Sonata" and "Gomorrah," (which I thought was a better film personally than "The Class," which was still very good, but really the Palme D'or should have been taken by "Waltz With Bashir" or "Synecdoche, New York). Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of the other movies. Probably I will see "Broken Embraces" and "Police, Adjective" soonest.
Both movies I noted were both unforgivably given no attention by the Oscars, even though they are great visions and should be seen by everyone.
Hi Roger- Thank you for this list! My girlfriend of ten years left yesterday for Rwanda. She'll be there for a year teaching science and setting up a lab to raise AIDS awareness. I had never heard of Munyurangabo but you can bet I'll be watching it tonight, and I'll send a copy to her as soon as I can. No doubt that movie will help me feel a bit closer to her...
Thank you for your lists...they reinforce my feelings about foreign film and docs and give me ideas to seek out. Being in Seattle and having SIFF, we get a multitude of wonderful films each Spring, with most of the films on your lists premiering here earlier this year. My favorites foreign films this year were "Necessities of Life" and "Troubled Water". They should be sought out and seen. ...and , oh how "The White Ribbon" grabbed me from the opening narration and rivetingly took me into the world of "Spring Awakening" author Frank Wedekind.
Thanks again, Roger
Of course, the reason Julia isn't on this list is because it isn't a foreign film, and because I'm an idiot.
@Robert Taylor
"Private Eye" was one of very disappointing Korean movies in this year, at least to me. It certainly has potentials. However, story and characters are too bland for me(I'm sorry for actors), and this movie is infected by shaky camera and mindless editing. It is more distracting than "Cloverfield", and I hated it.
But I have to say there are more depressingly bad Korean movies this year. My worst Korean movie of the year can be compared to "Simple Jack", with very bad performance which makes Sean Penn's "I am Sam" worthy of Oscar. I hated, hated, hated, and hated this movie. Thank god I was not drinking something while watching this. I would have thrown it to screen.
@ Robert Taylor wrote:
"Kudos on the inclusion of "Seraphine," which seems to be ignored elsewhere for some reason."
In North America or World wide..?
Thanks Roger for adding some foreign films onto my Netflix list. One observation, though I agreed in part with your review of THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX, I felt the film was astonishingly good. Great performances by the three leads, and despite some loose ends, and a lot of information, the movie hurled me into its universe; the era of left wing extremism, and the impact it has on today's world. An excellent political thriller, THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX deserves a slot in your best foreign films of the year, even though it was released last year. I recommend you see it again.
Sincerely,
Erik
Roger, Had a great time reading your lists today and have added several of the films on this one to my Netflix queue (in addition to The Class and Gomorrah, which have been sitting there).
I just wanted to ask, as Ive noticed some requests for a "Best of the 00s" list...instead of that, I have two alternative ideas:
First, a "most influential" list. That is, what movies do you think have had the biggest impact on movie making this decade, or will have an influence in the future.
Second--and this may appeal to those who strive to separate "best" and "favorite"--what films this decade have had the most profound impact on you; which movies have resonated the most with you throughout this decade, and will continue to a la Le Dolce Vita.
I know critics supposedly hate making lists, and only do so because there readers expect it, but if you have to make a list, why not have try something a little different, or personal.
Ebert said: We have the chance to see virtually every American film that's released, and many of the English language films in general. But with the crisis in U.S. distribution, the only foreign-language films are those someone paid hard cash for, and risked opening here. "You always like those foreign films," I'm told, often by someone making it sound like a failing.
So you are aware of the plight of people who like to watch movies from the other side of the globe. This is the year I was more reliant on Critics and Movie Reviewers than ever. As such, if I'm not sure I will be entertained by something, I don't buy it. But people treat it as if it's a whole other, unnecessary level of engagement to be into non-English movies; as if it's really difficult to find good movies. People would be surprised how easy it is to just like 1 movie, then find 2 or 3 more you like just by looking at what others were directed by the same person. Or what else an actor has acted in. Some movies I really enjoyed were just casually mentioned in articles I read about the state of cinema in other countries.
It has worked. I haven't bought a single movie this year that I didn't enjoy.
It's not just a problem with here though. It's bad enough the distribution of foreign movies here is rough. But when I read about the domestic films of countries like Taiwan or Thailand struggling to find an audience against American films, I wonder how much it really is stifling the creativity of other countries. I even wonder if it's really so wrong that China limits the amount of Hollywood movies that it screens.
As for liking "those foreign films" being considered some sort of failing on your part, there are all sorts of (bad) reasons for that which I have seen:
1. "You're in a poor position to judge the merits of a film if you don't understand the spoken language of it."
2. "You're holding it to lower standards because you're just attracted to the exoticism."
3. "Other countries make a lot of crap. America just filters out the crap before it gets here, so we're only getting the best. That's why foreign seems better."
And, of course...
4. "You're just Hollywood-Bashing/Anti-American/a Hipster."
I especially like #2 because it contradicts why I'm drawn to East Asian and Southeast Asian films; I like them for the feeling of familiarity that I don't get with American films.
Anyway, your list gives me some ideas for things I might like to watch. The Class, Tokyo Sonata, and especially Coco Before Chanel look like movies I will enjoy.
Ebert:
My new TwitterPage:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/i-could-watch-a-fellini-film-o.html
...inspired by a line in my review of "Nine."
I really appreciate your comment that your films listed above all revolve around people. All of the following I saw this past fall at the Toronto International Film Festival:
May I recommend, as my own best foreign film, "City of Life and Death". This film - beutifully shot in black and white - vividly portrays the Japanese rape of Nanking. It is one of the most violent films I have ever seen, unflinching and uncompromising in the heinous atrocities that are perpetrated on the Nationalist soldiers and the city's citizens.
A much more "personal" film, more in line with your list, is "A Brand New Life", a three hanky story about a young Korean girl abandoned by her father at a Catholic orphanage.
I saw "Broken Embraces", my first Almodovar film, and didn't know what to make of it. Definitely sui generis.
Honourable mention to "Same Same But Different". Certainly not a great film, and actually not really even a good one, but I appreciated the attention it brings to the wonderful people of Cambodia, and I do love the title.
I probably know the answer to this, but I want you to repeat the read the entry more closely line for a third time :) Are the foreign films on the main best of the year lists better than the foreign films on this list or are they all meant to be equally valued? I think your way in naming a lot of films has some merit; other critics should start doing the same so we get a wide range of good cinema and a surplus of choices.
Ebert: I thought by alphabetizing them I was sidestepping the "ranking" business.
Put it this way: Some films on my foreign list I probably liked more than some on films on my year list.
Se why I hate lists?
I am more and more finding that the first view of a film is to decide whether it needs a second view.
Dear friends,
due to unforeseen circumstances, it is no longer possible for me to continue commenting here. In life, I became rapidly accustomed to making good friends, however, keeping them, has for the most part, been impossible, a fact far more difficult to come to terms with. My gratitude is inexpressible and my sadness deep.
Marie, I have enjoyed our tête-à-tête above all else here and am sorry that this will no longer continue.
Tom, it has been as interesting speaking with you here, as it has been fun speaking with Marie.
Roger, the best film of the decade was Spider (2002) by David Cronenberg, starring Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson and Gabriel Byrne. It is a perfect film.
It has been an honour. I'm sorry to see it end thus.
Seas ravage the island, Unferth's undone.
Farewell.
Indian Idiot (H.W.)
Ebert: Good lord! I can't believe it.
I will wait patienty for your return.
Some of the best foreign films of the classic and modern era are available on Netflix. I'm partway through Gomorrah right now, and have also caught The Baader Meinhof Complex (Uli Edel), The Hawks and the Sparrows (Pier Paolo Pasolini), Black Girl (Ousmane Sembene), Beau Travail (Claire Denis), and 8 1/2 (good ol' Fellini). They're not all great, but all better than, say, Year One.
I don't mean to ruin the profit margin of the best DVD label around, but Criterion seems to have struck a deal with Netflix recently: about 40-50 of their films have shown up on Instant within the past month, with more coming. Che even premiered there before the DVD release. Non-Criterion Directors like Herzog and Pasolini have almost their entire catalog on Instant as well.
The best foreign film you ever recommended, Mr. Ebert, sir, was Le Samourai. I bought a fedora and wear it with a black jacket regularly as a homage to Delon! When does the next installment of The Great Movies come out in book form? Seen sixty of the first one hundred so far and working on the rest. Keep it neorealist, homes.
Ebert: I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes.
I don't get it.
Ebert: Walt Whitman.
This is a list of movies from 2009, so my forthcoming recommendation for my fellow readers is about.....oh....thirty years out of date. But...
I recently rented an wonderful little British film with a nice humble story and familiar home-spun characters. It's a simple film which I found to be surprisingly moving. There was one scene which brought a lump to my throat every time I watched it. You see, the acting is so good you'll find yourself going back after the ending and rewatching these wonderfully little jewels. Why do so few modern films avoid the long uncut scene? You know the ones. Where the actors have long stretches of uncut acting. Just acting one, and the other, back and forth, acting and re-acting? Maybe it's not the quantity of cuts that I'm noticing, but the lack of quality editing? Who knows.
Anyway, the name of this film is "The Dresser" starring Albert Finney. I urge you all to give it a chance if you haven't already. I thought it was wonderful.
Broken Embraces was the worst movie I ever saw in my life!
Ebert: How I wish I could say that.
Hi Mr Ebert,
Just wondering if you've seen the Australian films 'The Boys Are Back' and 'Samson and Delilah'. They both rank among my favourites for the year.
Excellent list. I hope it helps more discover the real treasures being made in other corners of the globe! Sometimes foreign movies provide better narratives on the same topics American films try to explore. If I may, I want to recommend the Mexican film "The Other Conquest" by a director named Salvador Carrasco. It deals with the Spanish conquest of Mexico in an intelligent, profound way and is the flip side of the classic American take on the same topic, like Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" for example.
Roger Ebert's Top 50 films of 2009 is more like it.
Ebert: The only value of these lists is giving people notions about movies they might enjoy.
I think I would rank this list #1 on my "top ten list of Ebert's top ten lists of 2009", followed by the mainstream one, the indie one, and the animation one.
I suspect your "top 10 movies of 2009 that involve transforming robots" list will rank on the bottom.
I love foreign films because I'm not afraid of the fact that life is difficult, while many American movies ARE afraid to convey that fact. And you know what? When I watch foreign films (and certain American films) and see that life is difficult for everyone around the world, then all of a sudden life doesn't seem so difficult or scary after all...in a strange way this is far more comforting and uplifting than any Hollywood ending.
This is probably as obscure a Top 10 list as I've ever seen...
Just wait until Roger does his 10 worst list, everyone will be familiar with those, no doubt! Er, Mr. Ebert... you are going to make a 10 worst list, right?
Thanks for the list. The only entries I had heard of were the Almodovar movie, Gomorrah, and Sin Nombre. I'll have to tell my mom about "Paris"--she loves the city, and she loves Juliette Binoche.
When people say "you always like foreign films," you could point out that one of your most scathing reviews ever was for a foreign flick, Little Indian, Big City. In fact, not only was it made in France, it was a hit in France. It was apparently so bad, Hollywood couldn't figure out why they didn't make it first, and quickly corrected that oversight with a remake, which was also awful.
Thanks for the list. The only entries I had heard of were the Almodovar movie, Gomorrah, and Sin Nombre. I'll have to tell my mom about "Paris"--she loves the city, and she loves Juliette Binoche.
When people say "you always like foreign films," you could point out that one of your most scathing reviews ever was for a foreign flick, Little Indian, Big City. In fact, not only was it made in France, it was a hit in France. It was apparently so bad, Hollywood couldn't figure out why they didn't make it first, and quickly corrected that oversight with a remake, which was also awful.
Ebert: Binoche turns up in three of the titles, I believe.
I recently took a friend who had never seen a foreign-language film in a theatre, and had seen very few of them in general, to see BROKEN EMBRACES, and she was blown away by it. Proof that a great film transcends subtitles.
My colleague Kim Nicolini wrote a scathing review of SERAPHINE that did color my judgment in not seeing the film. I don't always see eye to eye with her, but she mounts vigorous arguments that are compelling - her positive review of the remake of THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE is the only one I've read that made me reassess the film, though I still find it terrible. I wonder if any of the issues she takes with SERAPHINE ever came to mind as you watched the film, as her first sentence indicates that your recommendation raised her hopes for the film.
This is probably as obscure a Top 10 list as I've ever seen...
Just wait until Roger does his 10 worst list, everyone will be familiar with those, no doubt! Er, Mr. Ebert... you are going to make a 10 worst list, right?
It's a foreign film list. I'm sure even the most avid film fan can't visit a film journal for every single country to keep up on what's showing.
If Mr. Ebert does post a top 10 worst films list, I predict it will have the most comments, likely from people who ostensibly don't care what critics say.
Ebert: I didn't choose them to be obscure, but I realize many of the titles are. In the nature of my viewing in a city blessed with the Music, Box, Facets and the Siskel Center, I see films many others (even sometimes in New York and Los Angeles) don't see. With the growth of VOD, it makes sense to spread the word.
"Julia" is a perfect example.
Since we're on the subject of foreign films, Roger, may I suggest checking out Bahman Ghobadi's No One Knows About Persian Cats if it is ever released in the US/made available on Netflix (it was released last week in France and, according to imdb, will also be released in Belgium and the Netherlands in the months to come)? I have no idea whether you saw it at Cannes, given that all I could find about it on your blog were a couple paragraphs announcing that it had won a Special Prize.
Ghobadi's film is a semi-documentary (based on true events, with non-professional actors) about the realities of playing music in Iran. It follows two young rock musicians, Ashkan and Negar, who, after having been released from prison for playing music, decide to try to get out of the country. They hire the help of Nader, a fast-talking bootlegger who takes them under his wing and tries to find them passports and visas.
The movie gives a picture of a culturally diverse Tehran, in spite of the censorship many of the musicians it follows have to face. Getting an authorization to rehearse usually takes about 3 years, Ashkan says, so most of them make do with what they have. Seeing a heavy metal band play in a stable, watched over by a herd of puzzled cows, is at once very funny and terribly sad. The craziness of it all is perhaps best summed up by one musician who, when asked if he fears being arrested, looks taken aback for a moment.
"Why would they do that?" he says. "We're only playing music. We're not hurting anyone."
It's definitely worth checking out. As I left the theater, I felt quite self-conscious about putting my headphones back on...
[ Notes: In addition to these films, on my earlier best films lists for 2009 I named "Departures," "Everlasting Moments," "Silent Light," "You, the Living" and "The White Ribbon."
Roger each of these films were outstanding and reinforces my love for cinema. I probably think about DEPARTURES every day. There are so many nuances to contemplate.
Roger,
I know you're a busy man but if you are interested, I'm soliciting submissions from various bloggers for what they consider the "best" of their own writing in the past year. It'll go up on a post on my blog (The Dancing Image) in a day or two and update as new additions are received. For what it's worth, I quite enjoyed your ruminations on God, belief, and Catholicism (as well as the discussions which ensued) but feel free to offer another post if there's another you prefer.
Thanks & happy new year,
Joel
I like your practice of including films released in the U.S. in the given year. The way the Academy Awards does things for foreign films, however, means that other films that you may have liked but not yet officially reviewed (e.g. City of Life and Death), could wind up nominated, doesn't it?
OFF TOPIC, BUT WHERE DO I REGISTER A LAUGH?,/I>
http://j.mp/55ebRK
Ebert: What a trouper! You made it to the end. Not funny unless you read your way there.
Lorna's Silence, our least attended movie of 2009! You can show the movie but you can't force them to attend.
Coco Before Chanel did much better.
Il Divo was worthy of checking out. And though it is probably a 2008 movie in your world, Let The Right One In is listworthy.
Che, both parts, was surprisingly good, though since it was an American director, maybe it doesn't count.
All in all, we played most of your list (and will be picking up a few stragglers), I only wish we could get more people to attend.
2009 was a great year for me. Three of my heroes released movies, only one of which I still have to wait for. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Chanwook Park and Gaspar Noe all released intriguing films, and while I won't be able to see Enter the Void for quite some time, I at least got to enjoy the other two. Now, I'm glad you put Tokyo Sonata on the list, but really, no Thirst?
Mr. Ebert;
There are many new ways of finding these films. I am amazed anyone would critique your multiple lists. I now have so many movies to look forward to!
Broken Embraces was the worst movie I ever saw in my life!
Ebert: How I wish I could say that.
I laughed out loud with your reply. I know you are paid to watch them but you have my condolences for all of the many dreadful films you've have to sit through! I doubt if you put them on the scale the good would outweigh the bad.
To S M Rana: I agree. It seems all the great films are better with multiple viewings. Tarrentino's film improved immensely for me with a second viewing.
But once was enough for Avatar! Only the white guy was smart enough and brave enough to fly above the red dragon and jump on it? Really! I must say I was a bit disappointed in Mr. Ebert's rave for Cameron's cliche filled script.
Happy New Year everyone!
Have to agree with you about 'Coco Avec Chanel'. It was refreshing to see Audrey Tatou (proving her range is wider that Gallic whimsy) and writer/director Anne Fontaine having the ovarian fortitude not to fall into the standard trap of the biopic genre and try to smooth away Chanel's contradictions and sometimes cold-blooded brutality.
Ebert: "Ovarian fortitude."
I'll steal that.
I'm sure that I'm not alone in thinking that Indian Idiot will be missed.
Come back soon.
I quite like how you did your 2009 Best of lists this year. It gave you a chance to get the word out on essentially ALL of the most notable films of the year within a few separate articles. I'm still surprised at the absence of Watchmen, though.
Do you have any information on Guy Maddin's Night Mayor? Or has Canada been artistically annexed? Anyway, I think the film was released in September.
The best foreign film of the year? District 9
E B E R T F E S T !!!!!!
In September the AFI theater in Silver Spring (MD) had Munyarangabo's Isaac Chung and Sam Anderson (dir/writer) for Q&A after the movie. I liked their ideas on filmmaking and the movie they made - wonderful!
The only way to improve the experience would be to have Edouard Uwayo (The Poet) also!
Wow. You've given me a lot of "notions of what to see" here.
Foreign films are now on my radar screen in a way that they were not for most of my life so far. It started with Ebertfest 2009, and blossomed at the Chicago Film Festival with the French film with subtitles.
Now, I at least venture into the Foreign aisle at my local Hollywood Video store. It's still imtimidating though.
Sidenote: my wife does Netflix. I prefer to walk down the aisle of my local chain store, and I like for my neighbors to have jobs.
2010 Resolution: make an effort to see at least three of these films.
"I prefer characters who are articulate. Foreign films tend to be about people like that." - Roger Ebert
I prefer articulate characters too. But the fact that these characters show up in foreign films may be accounted for by the fact that America doesn't get every French movie, or Italian, or Japanese, etc. We get films that are geared towards art-house audiences, because that's the only audience that will go to see a subtitled film (unless, of course, Quentin Tarantino directs it.) And art-house films tend to have articulate characters and articulate directors - at least in terms of film grammar. I'm willing to bet that the rest of the world turns out just as much junk as we do. We just happen to have enough middling films of our own - without subtitles.
At any rate, I'm happy to see this list, because foreign film distribution is pretty horrible in the U.S., and it's nice to see recommendations for future netflix choices.
MARY AND MAX will be screened at the NY Jewish Film Fest Jan. 23 and 25 in New York City.
Why is it that good foreign films are always non-fictionish fiction?
Dear Roger - I envy you for liking 17% of the movies you saw this year. My hit rate is probably around 5%. I should try and catch up more of those films you loved. One personal note of thanks for not falling into the party line of including something "Bollywood" in your lists. Indian films seem to be attracting unnecessary attention in the global market these days. It is only to do with the increasing number of NRIs (Non-resident Indians) living abroad and not because our movies have suddenly become better than they were all these years. One post on your website last month, from an Indian, had compared Director K.Viswanath's work with the masters of world cinema. I beg to differ. While Viswanath's movies were certainly good for the times they were made in, the blatant sentimentality and archaic production values really mar the viewing experience when I see them now. May be Mani Ratnam is the director whose work I would recommend to anyone who may want a taste of good Indian cinema. And, I hate the term "Bollywood".
Ebert: If you'd been lucky enough to see some of the films I saw, your rate might have climbed.
I know may people didn't but with DVD and VOD, they have a chance.
During the Oscar season, I always listen for any Filipino film buzz. Well, every year, there isn't any. I don't think we've ever been nominated for an Oscar. At least, not in my short lifetime of 20 years.
Who's to blame? Personally, I feel it's my country's fault for not making better films and picking pretentious films to enter in the foreign film category. Many of our films are aimed at one demographic and does not give insight on human nature. Most are romantic-comedies with a happy and unrealistic ending.
Sure, there's much to blame on marketing and funds for film exposure but that usually comes after making such a film worthy of exposure.
Mr. Ebert, I know you enjoyed Serbis for it's artistic value but it wasn't enough for you to recommend it. Please help me out by shining some ray of hope. Which film(s) from my country would you recommend?
Nice list Roger, I've only seen three movies on your list so I'll have to hunt the others down.
It's probably a query you've had a couple of hundred times already, but do we have a best of the decade list to look forward to?
Though it's not a good time for filmmakers trying to have their small/foreign films picked up and distributed, and mainstream cinema is increasingly tracking toward an illiterate demographic, I think the internet has created a bit of a golden age for the film fan, whether through legitimate channels or otherwise. This year I managed to see films from 29 different countries. Given that I live in a small city that has nothing beyond a film festival that plays a couple of art house movies at a single screening each throughout the year and nothing more, and one other theater that never ventures beyond the surefire mainstream hits, it's not really a limiting factor to the extent it was in the past.
There's so much good film writing available online and so much access to the films themselves that I've managed to track down everything on this list save for O'Horten. VOD services aren't quite established enough and fleshed out enough in terms of selection that I'd consider this a full blown golden age for the viewer (ok, a real golden age would mean Transformers 2 would only exist as a film within a film written by the talentless brother in Adaptation, but I digress), but I'm hoping that I'm right in that this model will cut most of the motivation for film piracy and function as a way for smaller quality films to be profitable and actually available to everyone who wants to see them.
Siva has a point. Sure, Roger thinks this is one of the best movie years on record. He's been from arthouse to arthouse to arthouse! I'm sure any regular moviegoer with half a brain is shouting his head off withe expletives... This movie year sucked, in my opinion.
In this Entertainment Tonight world, years are judged by their summer blockbusters. Last year we had The Dark Knight, Iron Man, and Wall-E. This year, we had X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and GI:Joe: a mess that not even James Cameron could save at the end of the year. In the words of At the Movies critic Michael Phillips: "Yecccchhh."
Thought you might enjoy reading this link from NPR. Congratulations!
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/12/lets_get_personal_saluting_ten.html
Ebert: I certainly did.
Whew! Just made it in under the wire.
nathan m said: I prefer articulate characters too. But the fact that these characters show up in foreign films may be accounted for by the fact that America doesn't get every French movie, or Italian, or Japanese, etc. We get films that are geared towards art-house audiences, because that's the only audience that will go to see a subtitled film
I wondered how long it would take before somebody mentioned this. Though I'm a bit disappointed somebody did at all.
That runs contrary to what kind of films other countries like from our film industry though. The highest grossing film ever in China is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I'm sure nobody respectable would say that movie had impressive dialogue.
And just because we don't hear about them doesn't mean other countries are producing formula film after formula film; it's not as if Hong Kong only makes gangster flicks. I agree that stupid, low quality movies made in other countries do rightly remain obscure. The problem I have is that other countries also make quite a lot of very entertaining movies that also don't insult your intelligence, but nobody will ever hear about them precisely because they don't have an arthouse sensibility to them.
Somebody didn't like Did You Hear About the Morgans? Well, it just so happens I know 3 very well made romantic comedies. The only crutch is...the viewer will have to read them.
In Roger Ebert's older entry about the state of independent film distribution in America, I brought the example of anime, a product almost exclusively from Japan. And look at the state of it today. The arthouse shows critizing urban life in Japan and the lowbrow adventures serials about giant robots and plucky boy ninjas both get imported en masse. And a lot of the people who watch them love watching them in Japanese with English subtitles. My question is: Why can't the market for movies replicate that?
Siva said: One personal note of thanks for not falling into the party line of including something "Bollywood" in your lists. Indian films seem to be attracting unnecessary attention in the global market these days.
Funny you should say that. Tying with what I said, I said I had a problem with how Hollywood movies pretty much dominate any given film industry and India seems to be the only place that isn't happening. I was interested in seeing a Hindu movie to see what all the fuss is about and have one coming in the middle of January.
Why mark it down by 5.5555556% ? That would take "Nine" and make it eight and a half less 4.0x10^-9. Isn't it pretty to think that your calculator's rounding represents Fellini's horrible "City of Women"?
Many thanks for these lists! I'm still joyfully slogging my way through maybe eighty years worth of movies I've missed, so your help in narrowing down the delights of today is much appreciated!
I've seen "The Class," with my husband, who was amazed at how realistic it is (his experience is in teaching high-school-aged disenfranchised students).
The rest, not yet, but thanks to Netflix I have a chance of seeing a sampling, at least. (I live far, far away from any movie theater that shows foreign films. Or from any good-sized video store. And our tiny library has an admirable but tiny collection.)
Ebert:With the growth of VOD, it makes sense to spread the word.
"Julia" is a perfect example.
Roger,
After reading this comment I decided to check out Netflix... and its available to stream on-line! I will be watching it later today!
Cheers!
Chris
I somehow couldn't connect with coco before channel. It is like every movie about every big figures now a day have a same start-bad-end-good routine.Even though it was a great drama,it's lack of freshness in script took it down in being a great movie.
Somehow new but not original.
It would be great if you write an article about best biopic movies ever made even though I now you write mostly about movies which are fresh out of the oven.
You are doing an outstanding work and made me a quite big fan of yours.
From Green Iran . K.
http://crossroadblue.blogspot.com/2009/12/zero-to-z-annual-bloggers-movie_451.html
I was simply wondering why sin nombre was on two lists?
Ebert: You have solved for me the nagging mystery of how I ended up with 16 films on the foreign list instead of 15. I have corrected the duplication.How did it happen? Intellectual sloth.
Indian Idiot H.W.: Tom, it has been as interesting speaking with you here...
---"Interesting"?! Where is that rascal! Didn't I warn him about damning people with faint praise? I'm sorry everyone, but what H.W. meant was "riveting", "absorbing" and "soul-shattering."
Speaking of Idiots, I only the other night realized we had Netflix Streaming, even tho' Catt and I have started a little project going through Roger-recommended movies and have been using it. Oh, so THAT's what it is...
So we watched "Tulpan." I guess my judgment of a movie is on how images and scenes stay in my mind naturally; two days later so far just about the entire movie remains echoing through my mind that way. The sparsity of the scenery and their lives amplified the meaning of the plot to the extent that it was a vicarious relief and great pleasure even to see them getting to rinse their heads from of a hose out of a beat up old water truck.
And to be reminded how playful little children are, totally nonjudgmental of their environment.
Not to mention the plot. I didn't expect it, so will leave it that way for others.
Reply to: Why is it that good foreign films are always non-fictionish fiction?
Hollywood movies are filmed on sound stages. Crews spend weeks building elaborate sets. Or, for "Avatar" and the Star Wars prequels, backgrounds were created by computers.
This doesn't have anything to do with the discussion but thought you might like to check this out Roger-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I0QN-FYkpw
Your favorite person Ben Stein is in it and proves once again that he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Quote...Randy;Now, I at least venture into the Foreign aisle at my local Hollywood Video store.
I would like to suggest "The Twilight Samurai" to you.
You like martial arts I believe (minor theme) and you're a family man (major theme).
Next time you venture down the Foreign aisle, give it a try...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sEdxb3I3dk
Seibei Iguchi is a low-ranking samurai living in the fading days of the Shogun period in Japan. His wife has died of tuberculosis, and with two daughters and an elderly mother to support, he and his family must survive in austerity. But when news of his sword-fighting prowess gets out, his superiors order him on a dangerous mission: kill a renowned warrior who is on the wrong side of a clan power struggle.
I would also suggest "Nobody Knows".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgz-tE09_k
Don't let the upbeat trailer fool you, it's actually a very sad story.
@ Randy,
oh, how could I forget to recommend this to you of all people. Perhaps you've seen it already, certainly you've heard about it!
If you are a meditative person, you will enjoy it greatly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgNj2Sf_mgo
Best to watch it in total silence, at night, with a few candles burning. Bonus if there is a light snowfall happening outside the window, or if you wait until summer, rain.
Ebert: And another one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoZlMXSenTo&feature=related
Very very good list. But where is White Ribbon? A Prophet? About Elly? Maybe Ponyo if you include animation?
Sadly, I have seen none of the listed films though I've heard great things. I also have not seen A Prophet or About Elly-just going by word of mouth.
Summer Hours is a beautiful film. The final two scenes showing the house empty and desolate at once then lively and buzzing the next, were really interesting.
I also adored 35 Shots Of Rum. And Il Divo.
Reply to: Ebert: Have you noticed how many American mainstream films are about stupid people who are presented as normal? I prefer characters who are articulate. Foreign films tend to be about people like that.
There's about to be a major change in the way Americans watch movies.
Apple is going to release a new device.
I call it a "MacTablet."
Apple may call it "iSlate."
Think of an iPod Touch on growth hormones,
featuring a finger-friendly multi-touch interface and a pen for handwriting recognition.
Its 10in, 720p hi-def screen will be better for movies and web browsing,
American movies are designed for multiplex screens. Occasionally, for the new shape IMAX screens.
Television shows like "CSI: Miami" and "American Idol" are clearly shot for wide-screen plasma TVs with over-saturated colors.
How will our viewing habits change when the screen is ten inches diagonally? When we can buy a movie online from an Apple store?
One idea: foreign and animated movies could become the new music videos. Why bother dubbing dialogue when the consumer would rather listen to Top 40 or jazz or soundtracks through headphones, and only occasionally glance at the screen?
A new Books section, to download novels via Wi-Fi or HSDPA. Magazines will be available as soon as they hit digital shelves
With the right promotion, the characters from "Alvin and the Chimpunks: The Squeakquel" could become the "face" of the MacTablet.
With Final Cut Pro available everywhere, it won't be long before some enterprising editor recuts movies for the 10" screen... maybe in his mother's garage.
@H.W.
Certainly look forward to view Spider 2002.
Here is a song/interview of a precocious subcontinental.
You certainly leave a sort of vacuum.
@ nathan m wrote:
"I'm willing to bet that the rest of the world turns out just as much junk as we do."
Curious, I went looking to see what the worst foreign films might be, and wound-up over at Wiki where I stumbled upon the following. And albeit an American release, the write-up for it was too delightful not to share in here.
The Giant Claw (1957)
A monster movie about a giant bird "...as big as a battleship" starring Jeff Morrow as a pilot. The Giant Claw has gone down in history as one of the worst movies ever made, with some referring it as "The Citizen Kane of bad B-movies", mainly because of its terrible special effects. The bird in particular is considered one of history's worst movie monsters, being an unconvincing marionette puppet with a very odd face.
The film is riddled with stock footage, making continuity a serious issue. Jeff Morrow, the star of the film, went to a screening of the movie; the audience laughed and sneered when they saw the ridiculous bird monster, and reportedly Morrow walked home drunk. This was the only worst b-movie to be distributed by a major motion picture studio which featured a double bill with The Night the World Exploded. - wiki
Chuckle!
That aside, I've since learned that some believe the worst German movie ever made was from 1969 and shot in the Canary Islands: "Even Dwarfs Started Small" by Werner Herzog.
"A group of dwarfs confined in an institution on a remote island rebel against the guards and director (all dwarfs as well) in a display of mayhem. The dwarfs gleefully break windows and dishes, abandon a running truck to drive itself in circles, engineer food fights and c*ck fights, set fire to pots of flowers, kill a large pig, torment some blind dwarfs, and crucify a monkey." - wiki
But wait! There's more to this story...
"While filming the scene where a van drove in circles with no one at the wheel, one of the actors was run over, but immediately stood up uninjured. During the flower burning scene, the same actor caught fire and Werner Herzog raced over and beat the fire out. The actor only had minor injuries from the fire. After these two accidents, Werner Herzog promised the actors that if they made it through the rest of filming without any more injuries he would jump into a cactus patch and allow the actors to film him doing so. The film was finished without any further injuries and the director made good his promise and dove into the cacti. Herzog has said, "Getting out was a lot more difficult than jumping in." - wiki
I guess bad is just as subjective as good; as that actually sounds kinda interesting. :)
Ebert: It will far from disappoint you.
How is Munyurangabo a foreign film since it is made by a Korean American?
Ebert: Filmed on location in Rwanda with local actors and crew. A director's passport doesn't determine a film's "nationality."
Hey Roger, what about The Secret of their eyes, from Argentina?
nice list, roger.
can somebody in this blog answer the following question
Is it true that the film "creation" couldn`t find distributors in US because of charles darwin's theory of evolution is 'too controversial'.
RE:Marie- "Even Dwarfs Started Small"
From Roger's review: "The Enigma of Kasper Hauser"(1974) Nov. 17,2007.
"...In Herzog the line between fact and fiction is a shifting one. He cares not for accuracy but for effect, for a transcendent ecstasy...
All through the work of this great director, born in 1942, you can find extraordinary individuals who embody the qualities he wants to evoke. In "Heart of Glass"(1976), challenged to depict a village deprived of its livelihood, he hypnotized the entire cast. In "Land of Silence and Darkness"(1971) and "Even Dwarfs Started Small(1970) he tried to imagine the inner lives of the blind and deaf, and dwarfs. These people are not the captives of their attributes but freed by them to enter realms that are barred from us."
* Since 1977, at least 7 Herzog films have appeared on various Ebert Top 10 lists, 3 Great Movie selections and "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" on Top 10 all time.
Pardon my error if I am wrong, but I scanned through this entire thread looking for any mention of Claire Denis' 35 Shot of Rum (35 Rhums). It is not only my favorite foreign film of the year, it may also be my favorite film of the year, period (and I try to see most noteworthy films at the theater and on DVD as I compile my own top ten list).
I live in Michigan and saw it at the great Detroit Institute of Arts. Did you see it, Roger? I think Denis is one of the best directors working today, but you often do not review her films, including her great The Intruder (L'entrus) from a few years back.
In view of the time of year I just had to write this. I had a hard time choosing on which of your blogs to drop you a comment, so I randomly chose this one. Thank you. For this, and for sharing all the thoughts that you do. I will not get teary eyed but simply pass on the message that I am sure you get a hundred times a day: you are an important part of my life and have educated, and enlightened me in countless ways, and provoked reflection which is so rare (at leastr for me) these days. I get the same satisfaction from reading your thoughts, and replies to them from your legion of fans, that I do from reading a good book or watching a great film. For this you are on my Tope Ten Most Important list of the decade.
Munyurangabo is certainly foreign enough. It gives Africa a recognisable face, just as Bahrani and Juno give for me to America.
(Reckon this is a good place to put my pal Sriram's farewell message to 2009. He's in Hyderabad. "SedPerd" stands for his column's named, "Sedition and Perdition.")
Addressing its last press conference in its dying moments, the Year 2009 gave itself high scores, ranging between satisfactory to extremely good performance (given the circumstances) to near adulatory self-assessments, justifying its failures as the best possible given the challenges, and scoffed at the unborn optimism of the Year 2010 as “silly impractical” with a characteristic old-age cynicism, Sedition and Perdition found and report live and exclusively.
In an interview which never happened, 2009 specifically told SedPerd that he should not be seen as a failure because he had tried, real hard, to please everybody, do good for everyone, and despite the enormous challenges, make a real difference to the world. “Talk economy, think of the dumps in which the world was packed into by 2008 and handed over to me…in simple words, 2008 gave the world to me in deep shit. I achieved a turnaround, a bailout, okay…criticise me for being lenient to bankers and Wall Street guys but the fact is, if you have to ask who avoided a repeat of 1929, it was me…2009. Don’t just forget that when judging me.”
“From environment to combating terrorism, from restoring democracy, conducting elections in very difficult terrain to great respect for human rights…environmental betterment and bringing the world together, somewhat, on the issue of global warming…I did them all…don’t just forget it,” 2009 screamed glimpsing the sarcastic smile on SedPerd’s face. “Which was the year a Black Man took oath as the American President…talk of making history. And I will go on to say, I was the best year of this decade… if you disagree, go to hell.”
Laughing at the optimism the year 2010 had promised a few moments earlier, the dying year
declared, “Ha, I know how it feels… with a few days still to be born. The world is at your feet, you can achieve everything…I too felt that way exactly a year ago…what a year…all about me.”
Scoffing at the promise the New Year is holding, including the billions of resolutions to be taken by millions of people, 2009 said, “Ha, I know all about it. Sounds so self-righteous and driven by will power, ability to change destiny…yet, it all somehow fades into oblivion, into dust. Years have come before me too…and as I realise now, only to die. I am sorry for all deaths this year, be it Michael Jackson or the close friend or relative of yours, be it in floods, earthquake or an air-crash, sorry, but it just had to be.”
Asking people to consider judging it kindly, 2009 told SedPerd, “I hope your readers at least consider me to be better than 2008, the silly year when the world economy collapsed and terrorism reared its dirty head. Now, talk of being a pathetic failure…there is one hell of an example.”
Wishing 2010 all the very best, 2009 said the yet to start year should be guarded against excessive optimism. “Go out there and perform to the best of your might…but do consider you might just get humbled by some unknown factor larger than your efforts.”
Asked what it considered its best and worst moments, it said, “difficult to say, the best…maybe Tiger Woods, or maybe Obama, or maybe Avatar, or well, just maybe, and let me see…the worst…maybe Tiger Woods, or maybe Obama, or well, just about maybe Avatar. Who can ever say these cheesy things with any surety?”
Asked its dying wish, he said, “Guess the best would be just not to die out…to be replaced by 2010, but that can’t be. Well, maybe in your enthusiasm to celebrate its birth, if you can be a little more solemn about my death, instead of marking it with drunken revelry, but of course you will drink…at least don’t join me by driving, I guess…or is it asking too much?”
So saying, 2009 disappeared, right before SedPerd’s eyes, in a fleeting moment, or so the year felt, marked with little save 52 silly breaks, writing this, the most stupid column in India. Happy New Year.
Australia's Academy Award nominee 'Samson and Delilah' is even better than 'Broken Embraces' which is vintage Almodovar but not unique like S&D. It's an aboriginal love story that pulls no punches.
http://cinematakes.blogspot.com/2009/05/samson-and-delilah-good-fight.html
In regards to Summer Hours, I'm intrigued to see that Edith Scob, who played the disfigured daugher in Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux Sans Visage), also plays the mother in this film. I planned to see the film sometime or other, but now it will be sooner rather than later.
I adore that you quoted, "Song of Myself". Perhaps one day you will review one of my films. Ciao.
Mr. Ebert,
I seriously urge you to consider Johnnie To's "Election" and "Election 2" (they should be seen together) as one (or two) of the best foreign films of the decade. Separately they are great and together they are even better as "one" film, in the same fashion as the Kill Bill Volumes were. I don't know if you've seen them yet, but the Election films are two modern-day crime classics, obviously in my opinion, by one of the great Chinese directors currently in the business. If it means anything to you, know that Quentin Tarantino hailed "Election" as the best movie of 2005.
Nice list by the way, and thanks. Happy New Year.
Ted
You know what? Completely disregard my last comment. I somehow mistook this piece to be the best foreign films of THIS DECADE, not this year (2009). Wow. Sorry about that. Carry on, Mr. Ebert, carry on.
Hi Roger thanks for this great list and I always enjoy your readers comments and their response back to you. I have had long interest in foreign film and began tracking when foreign films became available on dvd and especially Neflix. I have always like your reviews and websites because you often review many foreign movies more so than other sites etc. I was tracking when the films nominated for Best Foreign Film 82nd oscars were discoverable in the Netflix Database. At that time I also began to find many many many new unreleased foreign films. I started tracking them also. I have made a small page about this have a look. Also the Palm Springs Film Festival is showing 41 of the 65 or so films nominated for Best foreign film 82nd Oscars. Wish I could go and see all of them. a long time admirer
LDP DFWFOREIGNBUFF (also friend of Bill W)
Thank you for this list. You put lots of work into. It's like an extra Christmas present for me. Lately I have been wandering aimlessly around the video store. This list will help to get me back on track. Unlike many of your lists, I have not been privileged to see many of these films (only "The Class" which was excellent- It had a one-of-kind feel).
Dear Roger,
Love your foreign list, but instead of the best foreign films of the past year I'm submitting my own list for best foreign films of the decade. Here they are.
1.EL AURA(The Aura)
2.MEMORY OF A KILLER
3.READ MY LIPS
4.DAYS OF GLORY(Indigene,French title I believe)
5.THE LIVES OF OTHERS
6.THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE
7.SIN NOMBRE(Unsure if it qualifies since it's by an American director)
8.TELL NO ONE
9.MY BEST FRIEND
10.BROTHERS(Denmark)
Just want to point out that EL AURA is like no thriller I've ever seen, completely unpredictable with countless twists and turns. It's by the late Argentine director Fabian Bielinsky(Nine Queens). The protagonist is played by the great Argentine actor Ricardo Darin, who plays an epileptic taxidermist with visions of the perfect bank heist. Well, he winds up getting what he wishes for. If you haven't seen it I recommend it highly.
On another note, thank you for endorsing JULIA with Tilda Swinton. Just viewed it on Netflix and thought it was riveting all the way through. Because of you, I saw several great films this year:THE HURT LOCKER, GOODBYE SOLO, SIN NOMBRE, and now JULIA. Will Tilda Swinton be recognized by the academy for her phenomenal performance? It' the best performance I've seen all year.
Thanks Roger, Erik
Mr Ebert,
Amazing comments about foreign vs american films.
I have that attitude of nationalism, being American, but your points are so valid that I've queued up my Netflix accordingly.
Has anybody considered giving you an honorary doctorate?
I simply must ask: does O'Horton O'Hear am O'Who?
I am curious as to why you didn't pick indigenously popular (if that's the right term to use) films like Lagaan, or maybe Hero ... or Infernal Affairs. Is the list meant to be foreign films seen through the eyes/ framework of an American critic?
What? No "Kinatay"?! Kidding.
Excellent list, many thanks.
@Marie Haws, Werner Herzog's “Even Dwarfs Started Small” is the first film of his I ever saw. My husband Nick, who watched with me, despises Herzog (as a director) because of it. I got mad at Herzog for it, too, but I was also smitten and intrigued by his very unusual eye. I mean his photographic eye, but also his psychological eye.
I think Herzog's a brilliant director. He messes not only with the viewer's mind, but with her/his viscera as well. I love the way supposed opposites such as beauty and ugliness, funniness and misery, rub up against one another in his films. His choices of actors, images, and music, and the ways they all go together, are always fascinating to me. But I hate his films a little, too,and “Even Dwarfs” I hate the most. The animal cruelty is over the top. If someone knows that it was faked, please let me know. I also hate the way Herzog portrays his dwarfs. On one level, I thought I understood him to be using the dwarfs as a weird mirror to illustrate the evils of anarchy, absolute freedom,etc., but on another level, by the end, the mad vileness seems to boomerang back upon them and their dwarfism. That laugh, for example. (When you see the film, you'll know what I mean, whether or not you agree.) I have friends and relatives who are disabled and/or disfigured, and I just can't stand this aspect of the film.
And behind all this, I get the impression of a powerful creative spirit who is very, very curious about the human condition and who explores these aspects of what-it-is-to-be-human largely from the point of view of a scientist from outer space. Or Descarte doing vivisection on animals. I guess he strikes me as rather cold and distant, even as he's probing deeper and deeper and madder and madder. I don't know how to reconcile that idea with the almost opposite impression I get that he tends to explore his own phobias in his films (such as the chickens). Except, that regardless of what he's exploring, he appears to use all the artistic ingredients at his disposal – animals, natural landscapes, people – as just that: ingredients at his disposal.
But, I could be wrong. And did I mention he's brilliant, quirky, wacky, and imo totally worth watching? But MH, maybe you've seen lots of Herzog already - I shouldn't assume you haven't just because you haven't seen "Even Dwarfs."
I almost forgot: thank you for the HOT Catanic video. :) I'd forgotten about that scene! My fluffball cat enjoyed it immensely.
Sorry if I went on too long -- I was actually practicing what for me is great restraint.
Yikes, I hit "submit" when I thought I hit "preview." That's what I get for dithering. I hope it wasn't too much of a rant. I get a little passionate about Herzog.
And the "Catanic" comment is meant for Marie Haws, who seems to have all sorts of interesting and amusing links at her fingertips. :)
What about sin nombre? I can't believe it's not here!
My Picks for 2010 Oscar Nods
Best Picture
Up
Inglorious Bastards
Up in the Air**
The Hurt Locker
Brothers
Invictus
Precious
An Education
Avatar
Julie & Julia
Best Director
Clint Eastwood – Invictus
James Cameron – Avatar
Katherine Bigalow – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglorious Bastards
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air**
Best Actor
George Clooney – Up in the Air
Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart**
Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
Morgan Freeman – Invictus
Tobey Maguire – Brothers
Best Actress
Gaborey Sibide – Precious
Carey Mulligan – An Education**
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia
Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon – Invictus
Christoph Waltz – Inglorious Bastards**
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Jake Gllyenhall – Brothers
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique – Precious
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air**
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Melaine Laurent – Inglorious Bastards
Marion Cotillard – Nine
Best Original Screenplay
Up
Inglorious Bastards**
The Hurt Locker
(500) Days of Summer** (I love them both)
An Education
Best Adapted Screenplay
A Serious Man
Up in the Air**
Precious
Invictus
Julie & Julia
Best Score
Up
Where the Wild Things Are**
Invictus
Avatar
Nine
Best Visual Effects
Avatar************@!!!!!!!!
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2012
Angels and Demons
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
Art Direction
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sherlock Holmes**
Nine
Inglorious Bastards
Film Editing
The Hurt Locker**
Inglorious Bastards
District 9
Avatar
Where the Wild Things Are
Best Sound Editing
Monsters vs. Aliens
2012
Avatar**
District 9
Sherlock Holmes
Best Sound Mixing
2012
The Hurt Locker
Avatar
District 9**
Inglorious Bastards
Best Costume Design
A Serious Man
Nine**
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Avatar
Best Animated Film
Up**
Coraline
The Princess and the Frog
Monsters vs. Aliens
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Best Foreign Film
No “foreign” films were playing anywhere where I lived, so as a result
I am not as familiar with those titles. The only one I’ve heard of was
“Broken Embraces” and I heard that was pretty good.
Good Luck to all. I look forward to the awards this year, I think its gonna be great. Do you happen to know who the host will be? I'm still pulling for Jim Carrey all these years.
What about "Un Prophète"?
Hello again, and thanks for this list.
What can we as film-lovers do to actually see these films in a theater, where they are meant to be seen, instead of passively waiting for the chance to see a pale shadow of the filmmaker's intent on the tiny, tinny screen?
(Which is to ask of there is any way we can collectively encourage the country's few remaining independent moviehouses, such as the valiant Starz cinema in Denver, to work around the distribution problems that keep them from us.)
Even if you draw a blank on this one, perhaps your readers can share ideas on this. Who knows? Maybe we can instigate a movement to bring each year's Best Foriegn Films to each house that buys in. What do we call it" The "Approved by Roger Ebert Series" has a kinda ring to it.
Thanks for the interesting list, Mr. Ebert, and I will check out the films I missed. I would also add to your list the very creative, fascinating and most entertaining "Un conte de Noël," directed by Arnaud Desplechin, and released here in New York City as "A Christmas Tale."
Happy New Year, Mr. Ebert, and salute! It's always a pleasure reading your work.
Hi Roger,
I really can't begin to thank you for all you've taught me about films- when I first saw Fitzcarraldo at 16 I was so moved I decided I wanted to see every great film ever made. Eventually on this quest, one inevitably comes across the opus of Roger Ebert and now at 24 I have seen the majority of your Great Films and many if not most of your 3.5 & 4 star reviews. I would just like to sum it up by saying I was literally moved to tears at the end of "Encounter at the End of the World" when that most moving final scene segued into a dedication to you (and I felt) for all you had done for us.
Anyway, what really brings me to make my first posting ever on your message board is that since you often bring up how you are drawn to foreign films- I wonder (since I cannot find a review by you) if you have seen the 1974 Italian film "Bread and Chocolate", directed by Franco Brusati, starring Nino Manfredi?
It won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival that Year as well as several other awards and in my humble opinion is one of the best films ever made.
If you have seen it, PLEASE enrich us with your review!
Many Thanks, and greetings from another American living in Cape Town!
Anthony
interesting list.
I wonder if you have seen "About Eli" from Iran?
I recommend you watching it. if it's not available, I can send you a copy.
Akshay Anand said: I am curious as to why you didn't pick indigenously popular (if that's the right term to use) films like Lagaan, or maybe Hero ... or Infernal Affairs. Is the list meant to be foreign films seen through the eyes/ framework of an American critic?
Mr. Ebert is an American critic. I don't think the list can really be from any other framework. Not only that, but his position is that lists are propaganda that promote movies that the thinks people really should see. Personally, I got some ideas for when I want to watch more. But I saw Hero and, personally, I really don't think it's all that great; it's just pretty to look at.
The viewpoint is everything. An American sees a beautifully rendered movie full of mysticism and artistry. A Chinese person sees political propaganda calling for surrounding countries to be become integrated into China...and silly scenes like calligraphers continuing their art in the face of raining arrows.
...Oh, and the list is "The best foreign films of 2009". Lagaan was all the way back in 2001. Infernal Affairs was 2002, as was Hero.
Lists are more trouble than they're worth Sir Ebert. Good job though. Have a terrific year of foreign and not so foreign movies. Maybe for 2011 you could do a list of your top 13 favourite lists of all time. (No sequels allowed!)
Marvelous list but I'm surprised that you would leave out Jacques Audiard's A prophet, which was one of the most remarkable films I saw last year and which paints a more compelling and complex portrait of the making of a organized crime boss than any of the classic, canonized Coppola, Scorsese, Leone, and de Palma films.
Thanks for championing all these great non-American films. Hopefully they'll find a greater audience thanks to you.
Thanks, Roger. I have only seen "The Class" It is without a doubt the best "school" film I've ever seen. I've never been to France, but I've spent many years in American high schools and this film captures perfectly the feeling and ambience. I was astonished at the similarities between schools in our two counties.
Hhhhhwahhhat? No KINATAY? :)Hi Roger.
All the Japanese films you list are great (I'd bump "Tokyo Sonata" in favor of "Ponyo"), but I caught my favorite film of the year at the Chicago Film Fest: "Dear Doctor" by Miwa Nishikawa (a former protege of Kore-eda who has now surpassed him). Amazing film. Hopefully it will find wider distribution.
"Lorna's Silence" and "Tokyo Sonata" are in my list, too. They are different movies, but both end memorably with beautiful moment.
"Broken Embrace" is released in South Korea last month and received mostly favorable reviews in here, too. Although I do
adidas outlet not include in my list, but I like the colors in the movie a lot. Who can forget them tomatoes and Penelope Cruz? I was delighted to know that it is not coincidental that the movie reminded me of "The Magnificent Ambersons".
"Still Walking", "Seraphine", and "Summer Hours" has already been available on DVD and download market, too. In case of "Seraphine" DVD, screen ratio and image quality is so unsatisfying that it made me cringe throughout the movie but I managed to enjoy it. "Still Walking" are in many local critics' lists, and I absolutely agree with them.
"The Class", "Gomorrah" and "Revanche" are not released yet despite positive response at local film festivals, but I introduced these to visitors with my reviews this spring. Too bad "Muyurangabo" did not get much attention in here despite being shown in certain film festival two years ago. I am glad that this hidden gem will be invited to Ebertfest. My prediction was correct.
I watched "Sin Nombre", “The White Ribbon", and "Everlasting Moments" last week, and thanks again for your strong recommendation. These made my time worth a lot. "The White Ribbon" is especially quite chilling for what it implies. Many South Korean movie lovers are waiting to watch this in theater after great buzz at Pusan International Film Festival in this October.
Thank you Roger for mentioning TOKYO SONATA which made my Top ten list for the year. I thought I was the only person to see it! Well, I proabably was the only person to see it in Central, PA....
I especially love the scene when the wife is laying on her back and reaching upward, the soft couch under her while her hard husband hovers nearby, and she pleads that she is drwoning and needs someone to pick her up. But he is oblivious to her prayer: it was such a touching (without touching) moment I teared up.
The Dardenne Brothers also made my list, but I only get to see foreign films when they're released on BD/DVD, usually before an American release...thanks to the ability to purchase and play other region/code discs.
I considered putting Munyurangabo on my list of best films of 2009 but could not justify it. The film has an IMdb date of 2007 and was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and other festivals during 2007 and 2008. What reasoning do you use to place it on a best of 2009 list?
Roger said: “Good lord! I can't believe it.
I will wait patiently for your return.”
Roger, my upbringing bred into me a deference to the wisdom and experience of elders.
Thank you for your patience I'm back, having for the moment succeeded to hold at bay, a small group of frenzied matrimonial birds of prey.
Your concern and interest in me is both touching and humbling.
Tom, YES! All of the above! And MORE! Yes, I got it. Thank you. Also, I'm considering changing my alias to Jolene Lucas Buttercup so that you stop referring to me as “he” despite my many efforts at continuing my little experiment of trying to remain gender neutral, wags long manicured varnished nail bearing finger menacingly .. Happy New Year by the way xOxO :)
S.M., you're far too kind and on this thread it has been conslusively proven that I am unworthy of the praise many have graciously seen fit to bestow upon me, for various reasons, some of which I know well, seeing as my absence has not made the slightest bit of difference to the blog (eyes twinkle), being a person of no accomplishment, this did not affect me too much until our generous host expressed concern, upon which my return barring some extraordinarily mitigating circumstances, became an inevitable eventuality. Thank you for that link. Shiv Kumar has few parallels.
Indian Idiot (H.W.)
P.S. Got directed to Armond White's review of "Inglourious Basterds" yesterday, if he's trying to be funny, it is most excellent, if he's serious, I'd like some of what he's been smoking..
Ebert: Welcome home, Buttercup!
Please, take some time to watch the amazing argentinian movie "the secret in their eyes", it's one of the finest pieces of film making that you'll see in a long time.
Fantastic!
I sat here reading and simultaneously going to Netflix to add each film to my queue. I love movies but have lost touch with what is brewing in modern cinema. Most of my time is spent viewing and reading about older films. I got a late start to the cinema and didn't begin to really appreciate it until the late-90s. The ninety years prior to that contain a seemingly bottomless well of treasures that I'm scrambling to enjoy. So I thank you, Mr. Ebert, knowing full-well how you feel about compiling lists. I only wish you listed more films.
No offense but I couldn't care less where exactly you would rank these. I'm sure I'll enjoy some more than you did and vice versa. The important thing is that they're viewed for all of us to make up our own minds about.
Roger said: "Welcome home, Buttercup!"
Awwwwww, Roger, you're a gentleman, a scholar and one of the finest human beings I have ever had the good fortune of having encountered. It is my great privilege to be back. The world needs many more people like you.
I am trying to focus my energy on the decent people and away from the attention whores of the world, for they seem to multiply exponentially each year and I find myself thinking that by expressing opinions on them, even if they take the form of sharp ostracism, we are in a manner giving them a leg up in their journey to attain whatever cretinous ends they've chosen to make their life's ambition.
I am so saddened to hear of the earthquake in Haiti and am fearful to a point of certitude that natural disasters in this century, will cause untold misery all over the earth, for the simple reason that there are so many more of us now.
My condolences to the world for having lost so many of its members to one act of nature, which for some reason we appear to have convinced ourselves we can tame.
My best wishes to the people of Haiti, I hope that the world helps them avert the preventable suffering which so often follows such disasters.
Levity appears to get harder by the day, but, I'm still trying..
Sincerely,
Buttercup.
Just got back from seeing Broken Embraces, which I'll let sit in but seems to really be challenging All About My Mother as my favorite Almodovar. What do think? Might his have been his best work?
Nandita Das' Firaaq ( to warn you, the essay is mine )is a sensitive gore free film about unfortunate events in this country's recent history
Although I haven't seen all of these films, I loved, "You, the Living". It has a great message, that you shouldn't focus on the trivial problems we all have in life, because life is short. That you should just push trough them. It's done in quite a unique way, by having the audience view the sorrows of the subjects of the film, and it's done with great humor.
Aside from the message, there is a scene that might have the funniest "table cloth trick" bit in any film. Although this is such a cliche, and you know what is going to happen. It was orchestrated with the timing and genius worthy of Peter Sellers that I couldn't stop laughing for 3 minutes. I had to put the movie on pause.
Also, this film is available on Netflix streaming.
I caved. After being encouraged, over and over, from all ends- friends, family, Roger Ebert's Journal- to subscribe to Netflix, I finally started my 2 week free trial today.
Some non-English films are in my queue now, including Coco Before Chanel, Yi Yi: A One and a Two, and Departures.
On your site though, I noticed there is no review of Syndromes and a Century. It is the very first film in my list because the source I go to for Thai films consistently praises it, as well as other critics. Perhaps you'd like to watch that one.
I don't understand why some movies are listed on Netflix and some aren't. A recent Taiwanese movie I viewed is Winds of September and it is listed in Netflix (not available to watch, but it's there). In contrast, another movie I liked, God Man Dog, has no such listing even though it was released in the UK.
"You always like those foreign films," I'm told, often by someone making it sound like a failing. Not always, but often. They tend to involve characters of intelligence and complexity.
My sentiments exactly! I fell in love with foreign films as a freshman undergraduate while studying under the tutelage of a good friend of yours, Nathaniel Kohn. Before then, like most of my friends, I had never given anything with subtitles a chance. I figured who goes to the movies to read? But as a sophomore, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival and it completely changed my perception of foreign films. I understand and enjoy foreign films a lot more now because the characters actually seem like real people...Along those same lines, I think "Up in the Air" is the best movie of the year. The characters, like the movie itself, are intelligent and complex!
I found the movie, "The Class" is simply superb which states the perception in view between teacher and students. Just like every teacher want their students to be a notable person in the society. But, the students disagree to accept the teacher's thought.
The Secret in their Eyes?
Good list Roger. Still need to see a lot of those unfortunately.
One I would've liked to have seen get more notice at the end of the year was John Woo's "Red Cliff," which topped my own 10 best list for last year. Is there any way we might see a review of that in the future from you Roger? Especially since they released the original two-part Chinese version on DVD this past week (I loved the U.S. theatrical, and bought both this past week- the shorter to show friends, the two part for my own viewing/reviewing).
Love Exposure by Sion Sono from Japan.
I consider myself a dedicated lover of foreign movies and my objective
here is to present my list of top 100 foreign films that I think every
living human should make some attempt to watch at least once in life.
Watch these best foreign films!
http://www.youtube.com/user/BestForeignMovies
The very best foreign language films - hallmarks of cinematic art!
Writing a lens on top 100 foreign films is a very personal experience
for me because I just don't watch foreign movies, I spend hours
thinking about every detail of a scene that moved me. And I honestly
think that many of our greatest films, the very best movies in
cinematic history - actually are these foreign language films that
have originated outside Hollywood. Thoughts and debates welcome, but I
learned to appreciate that language in our regular sense is a pretty
imperfect medium of communication. These top foreign films have taught
me to transcend the flimsy barriers of these "localized" mediums that
I was so very much "used to". Wherever there are humans, there are
stories...and music...and emotions...and talent to create wonders on
celluloid! And us, the fortunate beholders! So here goes my list of
top 100 foreign films...enjoy!
~ Cheers!
http://www.squidoo.com/Top100ForeignFilms