I am a great fan of international and world cinema and often feel that films from places other than the US or the UK have a lot more to offer in the way of culture, character and narrative power. My top 7  is as follows:

7. Lagaan

(2001) Indian/Hindi. Dir – Aamir Khan

A Bollywood musical epic that tells the story of a village in India struggling against the ravages of the British Empire, with a battle between villagers and Army officers that takes place on the cricket pitch. A film that I love purely based on the fact that it combines two things dear to my heart – big singing/dancing musical numbers and my favourite sport of cricket. The film also has some really spectacular sweeping epic shots (reminiscent of David Lean) that present the natural beauty of the subcontinent – which is then contrasted with the ugliness of empire. Just fantastic.

6. The Lives of Others

(2006) – German. Dir- Florian Henckel von Donnarsmarck

Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, The Lives of Others is set in the 1984 of East Berlin and sees an agent of the secret police listening in on the activities of a successful dramatist and his actress girlfriend. However, what starts as a regular assignment for the police officer becomes more and more captivating, turning into something of an obsession. A captivating and wonderfully tense drama, full of suspense.

5. Y tu Mamá También

(2001) Mexican/Spanish. Dir – Alfonso Cuarón

Possibly one of the sexiest films ever made, starring Gael García Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Amores Perros), Diego Luna and Maribel Verdú as three friends who embark on a journey accross Mexico to reach a fictional beach named ‘Heaven’s Mouth’. Along the way they learn dark secrets about each other, themselves and what the future holds for them. Not for the faint hearted, this is quite an explicit film – from none other than the future director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The film is also peppered with some intriguing snapshots of the history, geography and politics of Mexico in voiceover. Excellent.

4. Pan’s Labyrinth

(2007) Mexican/Spanish. Dir – Guillermo del Toro

Set in Spain during the time of the Spanish Civil War, young Ofelia discovers another  world right at her door, escaping from her unhappy life with her new stepfather (possibly one of the best screen villains of recent time) to other terrifying challenges. Pan’s Labyrinth brilliantly maintains a tension between the gothic horror fantasy of Ofelia’s tasks (set by the ambiguous figure of Pan) and the harsh reality of the resistance movement in Spain being crushed by cruel men like her stepfather. Gruesome, challenging, enthralling.

3. Let the Right One In

(2008)  Swedish. Dir – Tomas Alfredson

Possibly the best vampire movie ever made. Forget everything you saw in Twilight, this film based on a book by John Ajvide Lindqvist tells the story of 12 year old Oskar who is befriended by a young girl called Eli who over the course of the film, turns out to be a vampire. It is a tale of friendship, love and tenderness not often seen in films of the genre (excepting the blatant and garish lurve in the aforementioned Twilight). A delicate and often terrifying story that is as captivating as it is horriffic. Sadly, Cloverfield director Matt Reeves is set to direct an American remake of the film, which will undoubtedly ruin the story’s delicate and nuanced tone.

2. All About My Mother

(1999) Spanish. Dir – Pedro Almodóvar

Possibly one of the most successful foreign language films of recent years, Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother follows a woman mourning the death of her young son and her quest to find his father and tell him of the tragic news. This is a character-based drama with a wonderful script and great performances. Dedicated to Almodóvar’s own mother and great actresses of stage and screen, the film celebrates women in all their colourful incarnations and eccentricities.

1. Amélie

(2001)  French. Dir – Jean-Pierre Jeunet

This is one of my favourite films of all time. There is yet to be another film that is as heart-warming, life-affirming and utterly wonderful as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 gallic smash, Amélie. Audrey Tautou in the title role is superb, with such charm that I defy anyone not to fall a little bit in love with her when the credits roll. The story is a simple one: young Parisian Amélie embarks on a quest to do good deeds for those around her, resulting in a series of magical moments and encounters. However, though Amélie creates happiness for others, she finds it difficult to be happy herself, living alone with her cat. Can Amélie find the contentment she deserves? An engaging, thoughtful and delightful film, Amélie will melt the coldest of hearts and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

What are your top 7 International Films? List your own below.

Co-created by an ex-Police reporter David Simon, HBO’s crime series ‘The Wire’ (set on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland) boasts a multi-layered narrative framework and an excellent ensemble cast, including British actors Dominic West as Det. Jimmy McNulty and soon-to-be-huge-star Idris Elba as the charismatic Stringer Bell (who in fact was tipped to be a future choice for James Bond in the G2 section of The Guardian a few months back). Not only does the show feature standout realist performances from each and every actor, but the show is brimming with a richness and depth not seen on the small screen in a long time. This may be due to the fact that the show is based on the real-life experiences of both of the show’s co-creators, Ed Burns (a former homicide detective) and the aforementioned David Simon – however, I feel the show’s potency is more than somewhat linked with what it expects from its audience. In comparison with other high-profile television drama such as ‘ER’ which presents the audience with a short recap of footage from previous episodes (“previously on <insert drama series here>…”), not once in its 5 seasons does ‘The Wire’ offer its audience a chance to refresh their memories.

It expects us to keep up with the complex and multi-layered plot strands and character arcs, and if we can’t, well tough. As odd and demanding as this sounds (and even damn right incongruous to the way we approach serialised television), this apparent expectation is certainly to the show’s credit. ‘The Wire’ knows it is an intelligent piece of drama, and therefore expects a certain intelligence and amount of concentration from those who choose to watch it.

Another area that the show excels in is the depth of its characters. Initial viewings may prove difficult, in that the sheer number of characters is slightly overwhelming, but after a couple of episodes it becomes easier to identify character from character and to understand the complex plot. But not only are the plots and narrative strands rich and multifaceted, the character development seen in ‘The Wire’ is next to none. In comparison with various other crime television franchises employing a black-and-white moral environment where the police are the upstanding heroes and the criminals are the ruthless villains, ‘The Wire’ refuses to subscribe to this outdated and essentially preposterous view. Instead, the show deploys a striking vision of moral ambiguity in the presentation of the citizens of Baltimore. In place of valiant and noble police we have a rag-tag group of officers, each with their own approach to their work (which often seems to serve only themselves) – leading to corruption and egotism throughout the force. On the street, the drug dealers and gang members are not the evil blackguards that other media has led us to expect; they often display more integrity and decency than the cops pursuing them. It must be said however, that the show is primarily male focused, which is a definite problem. Arguably the show features Sonja Sohn as Det. Kima Greggs as a key member of the police team, but really this does not make up for a distinct lack of female characters.

As acting goes, performances featured in ‘The Wire’ are second to none. British actor Dominic West (seen recently in ‘Breaking the Mould’ for BBC4 and ‘The Devil’s Whore’ on Channel 4) is excellent as Det. Jimmy McNulty, as are Clarke Peters and Wendell Pierce as Lester Freamon and Bunk Moreland respectively. The only major detraction in terms of the actors’ performances is that the language used by those portraying characters from the ‘street’ tends to be esoteric real slang and dialect specific to the Baltimore area – as a result it is sometimes difficult to understand just what it is they are saying. Therefore it is sometimes useful to watch the show with subtitles on so you can catch every word and keep up with what is undoubtedly one of the best, most sophisticated and engaging television dramas ever made.

The remarks in the interview certainly ring true when looking at the plethora of ‘rom-coms’ that I myself have been subjected to in recent memory that I can only describe as tedious, throwaway slush that serves its purpose and no more (and can be bought in bulk in 2,3 and 4 disc box sets from many a retail outlet). These films are shamelessly formulaic and predictable, nearly all of which share the same basic premise (boy/girl meets girl/boy, they get to know each other – cue plot device that means that the two have to separate/have a fight/reason that they cannot be together/token ‘betting’ incident  – the problem is resolved and the film ends with the two miraculously and blissfully happy together). Having said this, sadly I am as guilty as the next twenty-something female for actually going in search of this drivel, seeking it out in times of woe, boredom and self-indulgent girlishness. But I have to ask myself why I watch these films, sometimes again and again (or a film that seems like every other one of the same ilk) when I know that they are plot-lite and cliche ridden with endlessly contrived scenarios and poorly scripted dialogue. As Ms Bullock pointed out in her conversation with Wossy, rom-coms are neither funny or romantic. Some of them barely pass as entertainment.

And I have to say that I don’t really know why I watch them, arguably wasting time (and sometimes good money) on films that I won’t remember in a month. The only reason I can think of is that they are wonderfully escapist and revel in projecting certain ideologies and approaches to life that simply wouldn’t be conducive to reality. But really there is a dark heart underneath all the airbrushed hope and happiness – these films in reality are MEANT to be all the same and to follow their barely-hidden formula. Rom-coms are there to part innocent and unsuspecting women from their money and the sad thing is that some ladies are more than happy to do it. What is worse however, is that these films seem to have an effect on more than just our wallets, as an article in this month’s Marie Claire magazine (“Are romcoms bad for your love life?”, August 2009) explores, there is substantial evidence that suggests that these types of films lead those who watch them to believe in predestined love – which can be damaging to relationship communication. In fact, a BBC News article published in December 2008 stated that psychologists at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh blame romantic comedy films for promoting unrealistic expectations of love and relationships.

So not only are these films poor and predictable, they can be damaging to our emotional and psychological well-being too.
The best advice it would seem would be to stay away from the genre, and to explore new avenues of cinematic delight.

Or, if you are glutton for punishment and in the mood for some frothy entertainment with at least a little bit of brain, seek out one of the following (which are actually decent romantic comedy titles):

Definitely, Maybe (2008)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Knocked Up (2007)
Hitch (2003)
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Notting Hill (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Clueless (1995)
Manhattan (1979)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)

If you want a realistic depiction of the highs and lows of relationships, try:

Annie Hall (1977)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Sex and the City (TV series)
High Fidelity (2000)

But stay well away from:

Maid in Manhattan
13 Going On 30
The Holiday
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
27 Dresses
Made of Honour
Failure to Launch
The Lake House
Two Weeks Notice
A Cinderella Story
Simply Irresistible

- the last two are absolutely AWFUL, you have been warned.

Entertainment Weekly has posted a list of “24 Rom-Com Cliches” – check it out to see how many you could live without.

Seeing as I am off to Glastonbury tomorrow morning, I thought I would share the cinema tent listings for the festival and a few thoughts about them. Here’s hoping that in between music, partying and chilling out there will be time enough for me to catch a couple of the screenings.

Thursday
11:00  Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
14:00  Adventureland (preview screening)
16:00  The Boat that Rocked
18:30  Yes Man
20:30  Mamma Mia!
22:30  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
00:30  Anvil! The Story of Anvil
02:00  Spinal Tap 25th Anniversary

- of all these I am most likely to see The Boat That Rocked, which would seem appropriate for the event, being the story of pirate radio in the UK. The atmosphere for either cult classics Ferris Bueller or Spinal Tap would arguably be feel-good and fun. Also if we’re all in a happy-go-lucky sing-song mood (and unashamedly camp and silly) then Mamma Mia! would also be worth a watch.

Friday
11:00  Bolt 3D
12:30  A time comes
13:00  Future shorts presents “Adventure”
14:00  Marley and Me
16:00  Batman Begins
18:20  The Dark Knight
21:00  Moon & Sledgehammer
22:30  Vicky Cristina Barcelona
00:30  Slumdog Millionaire
02:30  Soul Power

- With the exception of the underwhelming Bolt and the mediocre Marley and Me, Friday’s listings are impressive, with the back-to-back Batman films proving very tempting (and also a great idea on the part of the festival organisers). Both the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire and Woody Allen’s latest effort Vicky Cristina Barcelona should attract a fair few viewers, although one shouldn’t believe ridiculous amount of media hype surrounding both films.

Saturday
11:00  Coraline 3D
13:00  Monsters v Aliens 3D
15:00  Woodstock 40th Anniversary Director’s Cut
19:30  In The Loop
21:30  Moonwalk One NASA 40th
22:40  Rockanrolla
00:30  Star Trek
02:30  Grindhouse – Double bill

- highlights of the films scheduled for Saturday include the wonderful Coraline and very good Monsters v Aliens, both charming animated fare for younger festival-goers (although be warned for Coraline – see review). Armando Ianucci’s In the Loop is also tempting, being a witty biting satire of the world of Anglo-American international relations and policy that seems a neat companion piece to Moonwalk One NASA 40th. MMM’s pick of the Saturday films has to be Star Trek, one of the most enjoyable and entertaining films of 2009, delighting both trekkies and non-converts alike – MUST SEE.

Sunday
11:00  3D film (to be announced – allegedly Up, the latest from Disney-Pixar)
13:00  Doubt
15:00  The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
18:00  The Age Of Stupid
20:00  Soul Power
21:30  Future shorts presents “Best of 2009″
22:30  Waltz with Bashir
00:30  Watchmen
03:00  Let The Right One In

- Sunday’s films sees a screening of the film adaptation of what is arguably The Greatest Comicbook Of All Time, Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, a very faithful (if somewhat troubled) envisioning of Alan Moore’s legendary novel. Late evening brings two films that audiences will be (I am at least) itching to see, Israeli art-house Waltz With Bashir and Swedish vampire romantic horror Let The Right One In. Of all the films on over the weekend it is this piece of Scandinavian noir that I am most looking forward to catching.

Have a great Glastonbury if you’re going, hopefully reviews of some of the above to follow next week!

M xx