Foreign language films

April 25, 2012 6:31 PM

My dad speaks fluent Spanish (and English). I am third-year student of Spanish. Mom and dad know some French. My younger brother (13 years old) only knows English. We all like good plots, good music, and good cinematography. Please suggest some non-English language movies, documentaries, TV series, etc. that we would all enjoy. Bonus points if it's available through Netflix streaming or DVD.
posted by gray17 to media & arts (15 answers total)

Are you looking for titles that have all 3 languages, English, French and Spanish dialogue in them? Is everyone willing to read subtitles as needed?
posted by dgeiser13 at 6:48 PM on April 25, 2012

Would your parents be okay with your brother watching an R-rated film like Pan's Labyrinth?

In the PG range, your family might really enjoy films like Cinema Paradiso (it's in Italian, but so close to Spanish/French, and wonderful).
posted by argonauta at 6:59 PM on April 25, 2012

One of my favourite movies fits this bill perfectly - Sin Noticias de Dios.
posted by elizardbits at 7:21 PM on April 25, 2012

Sorry, trailer here.
posted by elizardbits at 7:22 PM on April 25, 2012

The Women on the 6th Floor has a bit of Spanish and French.

To strech the Spanish with loads of Mexican slang, I enjoyed Rudo y Cursi. Warning - it can be a bit blue, possibly not suitable for a 13 year old.

I also really liked Tambien la Lluvia.
posted by Admira at 7:30 PM on April 25, 2012

Amelie?
posted by Gilbert at 7:54 PM on April 25, 2012

The Agronomist

Persepolis (maybe iffy for the 13 year old, depends on the 13 year old)

Diva (technically rated R, but I went to see this with my French class at age 13, so probably OK)

Ridicule (again, rated R, but worth considering)

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - some campy fun from Pedro Almodóvar that's probably ok for age 13, but some of his other work is not.

L'Argent de Poche rated PG!


keep an eye out for Le Retour de Martin Guerre which is currently unavailable but otherwise on point.
posted by ambrosia at 8:35 PM on April 25, 2012

Nine Queens.
posted by fings at 8:54 PM on April 25, 2012

El Aura - an Argentine, French and Spanish neo-noir drama film, directed by Fabián Bielinsky, his second and final feature after Nine Queens.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 8:58 PM on April 25, 2012

Carancho
Gatica el Mono
Los Amantes del Círculo Polar
El Milagro de P. Tinto
Ne le dis à personne
Le couperet
posted by Iosephus at 3:14 AM on April 26, 2012

We watch a lot of foreign langauge movies as a family:

Almodovar's "Women on the Edge" has a pretty self-explanatory scene of a woman on a sofa coming to orgasm under the influence of drugged gazpatcho that my 14 year old boy would find excruciating watching with his parents, FWIW.

He was terrified of some of the scenes in Pan's Labyrinth
posted by Wilder at 3:35 AM on April 26, 2012

-- Currently Streaming on Netflix

La Chevre (81 Veber FRA)
C.R.A.Z.Y. (05 Vallee CAN)
Gojira (54 Honda JAP)
Microcosmos (96 Nuridsany and Perennou FRA)
My Best Friend (07 Leconte FRA)
Pocket Money (76 Truffaut FRA)
The Red Balloon (56 Lamorisse FRA)
Shall We Dance? (96 Suo JAP)
The Visitors (93 Poire FRA)
The Young Girls of Rochefort (67 Demy FRA)

-- Also Worth Seeking Out

Amélie (01 Jeunet FRA)
Chico & Rita (10 Errando, Mariscal and Trueba ESP)
The Triplets of Belleville (03 Chomet FRA)
posted by dgeiser13 at 7:12 AM on April 26, 2012

my 14 year old boy would find excruciating watching with his parents, FWIW.


heh Wilder I forgot about that scene. Still perhaps a bit tamer than some of his other work, but good catch.
posted by ambrosia at 9:18 AM on April 26, 2012

Bread and Roses is an interesting movie that's totally bilingual--the Spanish parts are subtitled in English, and vice versa. It's rated R, I think mostly for language (I haven't seen it in 12 years, I mostly just remember the subtitle thing.)
posted by Nibbly Fang at 1:27 PM on April 26, 2012

Nothing rated R; my brother isn't all that mature.
posted by gray17 at 2:36 PM on April 26, 2012