I love foreign films! Whenever I am done watching a foreign movie, I always wonder how I can go back to watching those over-rated American Hollywood blockbusters....
OK, ok, fine, there are a few good American movies, but in my opinion, foreign movies are far superior: better acting, better directors, better (more realistic) storylines.... And I think I have now found my favourite foreign movie. It's called The Best of Youth (or La meglio gioventù in Italian).
The movie spans 4 decades, starting in the 1960's, and follows the lives of two brothers whose lives lead them to very different, yet inevitably intertwined paths. We get to experience their lives almost as if we were also going through their ups and downs along the years with them....we go along with them on their travels across Italy, we pass their exams with them, we attend the weddings and the funerals, we feel the political and economical unrest that plagues the country, we suffer with them when they get hurt, and we feel as if we are falling in love when they fall in love.
This movie is 6 hours long (yes, you read right....6 hours!). But it could have lasted another 6 hours and I wouldn't have minded, because it's truly a masterpiece. So, don't be deterred by the fact that it's so long because believe me, you won't even feel it! Go rent it now...you won't regret it.
5 comments:
couldn't agree more... I've posted a review on it myself..
check out Cinema Paradiso as well...
lol there was i about to cross link your post cosmic.. and u already beat me to it...
nice movie :)
Hiya! Thank you for reminding me of a favourite thing - foreign movies! Not that I ever see any anymore. I discovered foreign movies when apartment-sitting for a friend one summer. She had Japanese and Chinese films, and they featured trailers for European as well as Asian films. What a timely escape route from summer heat and summer repeats. I don't know that I agree with you on better acting/directing etc than in American movies - and of course, the US film industry regularly plunders foreign films for storylines - but for me it's the particular perspective, values - even pace - that film-makers of different cultures bring to their work. Let me recommend King of Masks (China) Shall We Dance? (Japanese original - loved and bought the Gere/Sarandon/Lopez/Turturro but the original is leaner and more poignant)and Life is Beautiful (Italian). Your Italian film sounds perfect for a self-indulgent weekend, but where do you rent foreign films from? They don't have any at my local, and I don't think I've seen any elsewhere, either.
Hey MamaDuck! Thanks for dropping by. And thanks for the recommendations...I've seen Life is Beautiful, but not the others. I rented La Meglio Gioventu from the movie place next to Choitram's in the Greens. They have a few foreign movies there actually, which is great!
Thanks for the tip. If you're feeling flush, Virgin in Emirates Mall have a World Cinema section. I shall certainly be going back once our finances have recovered from the fab holiday.
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