Just kidding - im a blank slate with a lot of the movies on this list. From the suggestions here, I'm going to check them out. Hope they're on the Netflix.
I hope you do check them out. I can't speak for everybody's list, but I can speak for my lists. A couple of points:
- If you have an aversion to subtitles, I totally understand. Try these movies anyway. You will not regret it.
- Try to watch them intently. Take the viewing experience seriously.
- These are a mix of older and modern pieces. Both are deserving of your attention.
Now some notes on the films I suggest you watch now. These aren't really negotiable. If you haven't seen them, watch them. They are worth it. These have been mentioned before, several times by me, but who reads every post in a thread, let alone clicks on the links?
Please tell me which of these you've already seen, and which capture your attention. I'd be interested to know.
11 films to watch:Let Me In: This film is very underrated. The problem is further compounded by those who watched the Swedish version first, and can't accept the fact that
Let Me In is actually an astounding film. Why? It has an extraordinarily beautiful soundtrack, superb acting, beautiful lighting, metaphors within the cinematography and lyrics, and the story is simultaneously tragic and beautiful.
A clip from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F62GjsKAfNs&feature=relmfu2001: A Space Odyssey: Maybe you've seen this. But if you haven't seen it properly, then you need to watch it again. It is generally considered the greatest science fiction film ever made, is pretty much considered one of the greatest films ever made (consistently in the top ten - Sight & Sound's Directors Poll rates it at #2), and is generally one of the most discussed films ever, and will continue to be for the next 100 years. Watch every minute of this film with rapt attention. It is simultaneously very slow (sometimes boring), and yet also the most incredible trip anyone will ever go on: I defy you to watch the following clip and tell me it isn't art of the highest form. And remember this film was produced 46 years ago. Yes - 46 years ago, as production began in 1966.
A clip from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpvOUnz4T7QPale Flower (subtitled): I truly love this film. It's a beautiful example of the Japanese New Wave of the sixties. It's a noir with the deepest blacks and whites that almost seem blue. It's a morality tale (or would that be an immorality tale?). Whatever the case, you should watch it.
The original trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOr4nuWFqUHunger: This film will take you to the grave. Fassbender's performance is dedicated, to say the least, and McQueen's direction is fantastic.
The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9IiUbBV4zc&feature=relmfuThe Face of Another (subtitled): This is another film from the Japanese New Wave. However, it's also a film from Hiroshi Teshigahara. That means a lot. Please do not consider passing this one by. Tell me, how many films have you watched which belong to the category of avant-garde existentialism? I thought so. This film will stay in your mind. Trust me. The trailer just doesn't do the film justice.
The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK5Rz6txcDUYi Yi (subtitled): How can I convey what a beautiful film this is? So poignant, powerful, touching, sad, and wonderful. It's long, but worthy of several viewings.
The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F6tSorwYqwNever Let Me Go: Carey Mulligan and Izzy Meikle-Small's performance are beyond measure. The cinematography is beautiful. The story just stabs you in the heart.
The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXiRZhDEo8A2046 (subtitled): Are you prepared to watch what many consider to be one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever? Until you've watched a Wong Kar-Wai film, you're not yet complete. There are films, and then there are Wong Kar-Wai films. Words to describe his works? Dreamy. Sublime. Swooning. Meditative. Sumptuous. Beautiful. He is the master of love found and lost across the hallway corridor, and his films are a visual and auditory experience that just sings to the soul.
The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OAxS9L7esHere's an example of Wong Kar-Wai's film grammar (and Zhang Ziyi's incredible performance). In this clip from
2046 (only this scene is in black and white), Zhang's character realizes she's just fallen in love.
The clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRfPF3tLIGQMystery Train: I don't know how to describe this one. All I can say is, it provides fond memories after having watched it.
The trailer: http://www.criterion.com/films/2057-mystery-train?q=autocompleteWoman in the Dunes: This is pretty much the most famous film from Hiroshi Teshigahara. And it's actually a very famous film, period. It's another film that belongs in the category of avant-garde existentialism. It's a deep probing film about identity, freedom, and life. It will not go away when it's over.
More information and a trailer: http://mubi.com/films/woman-in-the-dunesSecret Sunshine (subtitled): This film features a devastating performance by the lead. It asks some tough questions. Midway through might put the viewer in a position to judge, but nothing is cut and dried in this film:
The trailer: http://www.criterion.com/films/27750-secret-sunshine?q=autocomplete
This may need its own thread.
