Movie suggestions

July 1, 2006 8:32 AM

I recently watched the Three Colours Trilogy and Lost in Translation and am looking for suggestions of other intellectually stimulating movies to watch. My interests range over all genres.
posted by jplank to media & arts (49 comments total)

Seen any Akira Kurosawa?

Ran, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai are all great movies (and he has a lot more).
posted by doctor_negative at 8:53 AM on July 1, 2006

Kieslowski's other work is good, particularly Decalogue (ten one-hour films, each dealing with one of the Ten Commandments) and The Double Life of Veronique.

Another Kurosawa film worth mentioning is Rashomon, a hugely influential film that definitely is intellectually stimulating/demanding.

I'd recommend Bergman's Persona, if you haven't seen it, and also Fellini's 8 1/2. It's kind of a broad request, though ... could you expand a bit about what specifically you're looking for, or not looking for?
posted by Tuwa at 8:57 AM on July 1, 2006

You may enjoy some Tarkovsky, Wong Kar Wai, Kubrick - all very stimulating filmmakers.
posted by MetaMonkey at 8:57 AM on July 1, 2006

I watched The Shape of Things yesterday, and I can recommend it.

Other movies I have enjoyed recently:

The Squid and the Whale
Junebug
American Splendor
Broken Flowers
The Station Agent
Loggerheads
You Can Count on Me

Four of my all time favorites that get me thinking are Annie Hall, Interiors, Another Woman, and September. The last three are straight dramas, and aren't for everybody--but I like that sort of thing.
posted by LoriFLA at 9:02 AM on July 1, 2006

"Fanny and Alexander" -- Bergman's epic tale of magic realism. Inspired by "Hamlet."

"Barry Lyndon" -- Kubrick's adaptation of Thackary's novel. I would include most other Kubrick films in this list, especially "2001" and "The Shining"

"Vertigo" -- Hitchcock's poetic masterpiece

"Country Life" -- Australian adaptation of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya"

"Age of Innocence" -- Scorsese's adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel

"Spider" -- David Cronenberg's little-known psychological thriller

"Peeping Tom" -- This movie ruined director Michael Powell's career. Powell was known for making "family"-friendly fantasies, like the wonderful "Thief of Bagdad", "Red Shoes", and "A Matter of Life and Death." All of the sudden, he came out with "Peeping Tom," a creepy film about a serial killer. It's an amazing, haunting movie.

Billy Wilder's stylized classics "Sunset Boulevard", "Double Indemnity", "The Apartment", "Ace in the Hole" (also known as "The Big Carnival"), and "The Lost Weekend." Listen to the WRITING!

"Odd Man Out" and "The Third Man" by director Carol Reed. You've never seen ANYTHING like "Odd Man Out" and you never will again. It's a tragedy (with comic elements) with the depth of "King Lear"

"The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" by Copola. You've seen these, of course, but they belong on this list, so I'm including them. They are the Grand Opera of motion pictures.

"The Conversation" by Copola. In my opinion, his best film. A smart thriller, with great depth, about a sound-expert. Gene Hackman is cast against type, and he's brilliant.

Woody Allen is so prolific and so hit-and-miss, but he's produced some masterpieces. I'd include "Annie Hall," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Interiors" (my favorite), "Manhattan," "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and the recent "Match Point"

"Amacord", "Juliet of the Spirits", "And the Ship Sails on" and "Satyricon" by Felini -- I don't know how to describe these. Magic Realism, I guess. Felini has his own universe that's completely unique to him

"Monsieur Verdoux" -- Charlie Chaplin plays a serial killer!

"Citizen Kane" -- needs to be on this list

"All That Jazz" -- the smartest musical ever made. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse

"Unbreakable" -- the quietest and smartest of M. Night Shyamalan's fantasies

"Topsy Turvey" -- Mike Leigh's improv-based historical film, about Gilbert and Sullivan. See also Leigh's "Secrets and Lies"

Harold Pinter: "Turtle Diaries", "The French Lieutenant's Woman", "The Comfort of Strangers," "The Servant"

TV-Series:

"I, Claudius" -- Ancient Rome
"Rome" -- HBO's "prequel" to "I, Claudius"
"Upstairs, Downstairs" -- England, 1900 - 1930
"To Serve Them All my Days" -- post WWI England
"Elizabeth R"
The RSC's "Nicholas Nicholby"
"Deadwood" -- the Shakespeare of modern Television!
posted by grumblebee at 9:05 AM on July 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

I'm looking for just about anything. I didn't watch any movies for the longest time because I was only exposed to the mainstram films playing at the theatres and I found that they were predictable, poorly done and not very entertaining. I've read over "Top 100 Films of All Time" lists and I wouldn't know where to start with them. I'm really just looking for suggestions of films that I can watch to expand my tastes. Sorry for the question being so broad, but I really am looking for just about anything.
posted by jplank at 9:08 AM on July 1, 2006

Tokyo Story seems boring at first, but then it sucks you in.

Nobody Knows is another great film about three kids who live alone in a Tokyo apartment for months after their mother abandons them.

Dead Man has Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop, and an Indian named Nobody. Jim Jarmusch films in general are pretty good.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:09 AM on July 1, 2006

I second The Squid and the Whale, Junebug, American Splendor, and You Can Count on Me. LoriFLA, sounds like we have the same taste. Please recommend movies ANY time!

I'll add:

Ang Lee's "Ride with the Devil" (my favorite), "Sense and Sensibility", and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

"A Streetcar Named Desire"

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

"The Virgin Suicides"

"Dog Day Afternoon"

"Henry V" -- watch both the Olivier and the Branaugh versions

Paddy Chayefsky's "Network" and "The Hospital"

Milos Forman's "Amadeus" and "One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest"

Bertolucci's "Last Tango in Paris" and "The Last Emperor"
posted by grumblebee at 9:12 AM on July 1, 2006

Primer - A simple, yet ingenious story about violating causality. Be prepared to concentrate; it may make your brain hurt a bit.
posted by SPrintF at 9:15 AM on July 1, 2006

If I were to read Three Colors and Lost In Translation as good contemporary narratives of existential angst I would recommend Claire Denis, Lynn Ramsey and Michael Haneke, and then specifically Francois Ozon's Sitcom, McGhee and Siegal's Suture, Robert Geudiguian's La Ville Est Tranquille, Denys Arcand's Invasion of the Barbarians, Atom Egoyan's Calendar and Next Of Kin, Jon Jost's All The Vermeers In New York, Ming-Liang Tsai's What Time Is It There, And then Wong Kar Wai is a god!
posted by anglophiliated at 9:15 AM on July 1, 2006

grumblebee, I was just thinking the same thing about your lists! I am going to print them out and rent the ones I haven't seen. I can't believe I forgot to mention Crimes and Misdemeanors--a favorite of the husband and myself, and a definite must see in my opinion. I love almost everything Woody Allen has done. I agree, Matchpoint was very good.

I watched The Glass Menagerie for the hundredth time last week on a rainy day. Great movie.

Sideways is very good also.
posted by LoriFLA at 9:23 AM on July 1, 2006

The Spanish Prisoner starring, improbably, Steve Martin.

A subscription to Netflix!
posted by LarryC at 9:23 AM on July 1, 2006

Ran (Kurosawa)
Memento
Cache
Pi
Adaptation
Gattaca
THX 1138
American Splendor
Run Lola Run
posted by The Deej at 9:23 AM on July 1, 2006

Last Year at Marienbad and Hiroshima Mon Amour.
posted by goatdog at 9:24 AM on July 1, 2006

Have you tried Chatfilter?

Sorry. You want what, smart movies? Non-mainstream movies? A random list of our favorite movies?

Pi. Get Retarded. Shoqumentia. Little Otik. Nosferatu. Evil Dead II. Westworld. Hard Rock Zombies. Eraserhead. Dodeskaden. Solaris. Floating Weeds. The Moustache. Rafifi. Tom Courtenoy. Being There. Chunking Express. Angelheart. Blue Velvet. Scanners. Crash. Yojimbo. Samurai Spy. Tokyo Drifter. Black Rain. Six String Samurai. The Leningrad Cowboys.

Maybe I'll think of more later.
posted by klangklangston at 9:25 AM on July 1, 2006

I could go on and on (somebody STOP me!)

"The Crying Game"

"Shop Girl" -- Steve Martin adapts his novel. Lowkey, subtle acting from Martin.

"Fargo"

"The Others" -- intelligent ghost story

David Mamet: "Wag the Dog", "Glengarry Glen Ross", "Heist", "The Verdict" (my favorite), "House of Games", "Homicide", "The Winslow Boy", "The Edge" (my other favorite)

Surprisingly, I think George Clooney is a director to keep an eye on: "Good Night and Good Luck" and "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"

Stephen Spielberg (I HATE most of his films, with these exceptions): "Schindler's List", "Jaws" and "Duel". I think "A.I" is an interesting failure.

"Quiz Show"

"The Luzhin Defence"

Robert Altman's "Gosford Park"
posted by grumblebee at 9:29 AM on July 1, 2006

anglophiliated knows all: Wong Kar Wai is, in fact, a god. 2046, ChungKing Express and Happy Together are three amazing films.
posted by marxfriedrice at 9:30 AM on July 1, 2006

klangklang: I'm looking for smart movies.
posted by jplank at 9:32 AM on July 1, 2006

There is a chatfilter aspect to this question, but I understand jplank's dilemma. He hasn't watched many movies, and he wants to cut through all the crap and find the gems. If you've seen "Lost in Translation," you should get some idea of the type of person he is and what other sorts of films he'd probably like.

Selfishly, I hope this thread doesn't get deleted. I've already added several titles to my Netflix queue (which is endlessly hungry). It's helpful to find some of my films on someone else's list. I can then assume that this person shares at least some of my tastes and add films from his list.
posted by grumblebee at 9:34 AM on July 1, 2006

Ok, thanks for the clarification.

If you're not opposed to documentaries, there are some great ones out there are both engaging and thought provoking. Some particular favorites:

Ross McElwee's Time Indefinite and Six O'Clock News--both about grief, loss, and existentialism. They're heady, intense, and deeply thoughtful films, not for everybody, but I think they're McElwee's two best works (yes, better than both Sherman's March and Bright Leaves).

Errol Morris: anything, really, but some recommendations: Gates of Heaven (about pet cemeteries, pets, and their owners), The Thin Blue Line (about the murder of a policeman and a very suspicious court case that followed it, and one of the very few films that's helped release a man from prison), Mr. Death (about a man who devises tools to help execute people, and who's also a Holocaust denier), Fog of War (about the life & career of Robert S. McNamara).

Barbara Kopple has two very different films about unions in the workplace--Harlan County, U.S.A. (about coal miners attempting to form a union, and which actually catches an attempted assassination on tape) and American Dream (about contract negotiation in a meat-packing plant. Sounds horribly boring, but it's high drama, believe it or not).

The Seven series (28 Up, 35 Up, etc.) is worth seeing; it chronicles a group of people from the age seven onward, revisiting them each seven years. Some of the subjects find it too depressing and drop out; others are bothered less by it; but it's fascinating to watch how the people make plans and drop them, or achieve them, or switch to different plans altogether.

In anime, Studio Ghibli does good work. Grave of the Fireflies is a thoughtful story about two children attempting to survive in post-WWII Japan. And Hayao Miyazaki's work is solid (personal favorites are My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke, but his most thought-provoking films might be Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away).

Tarkovsky, mentioned above, is a very thought-provoking director. Solaris is one of his best-known films (remade by Steven Soderbergh), and Andrei Rublev is another good one.

Werner Herzog: Aguirre, the Wrath of God, a historical film about a quest to find the Fountain of Youth; Fitzcarraldo, a historical film about a man who decides he wants to build an opera house in the jungle, and decides that to do that he needs to harvest rubber from a previously unclaimed stretch of land, and to do that, he needs to drag a steamboat over a mountain; The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser a.k.a. Every Man for Himself and God Against All, about the curious social treatment of a man raised by animals who turns up in a German town. Actually, just Herzog in general. He doesn't shy away from big topics (or, I imagine, anything at all, including eating shoes or jumping into cacti).
posted by Tuwa at 9:36 AM on July 1, 2006

"klangklang: I'm looking for smart movies."

Smart how? Three Colors is really a different experience from Lost in Translation. You might like The Unbearable Lightness of Being or you might like Dr. Strangelove or you might like The Thin Man.

But aside from the ouvre of Tura Satana, there's not a lot that isn't fair game.

How about this, to salvage your chatfilter question— Pick one part of "smart movies" that you want to learn more about. It might be Polish films (or even all Iron Curtain flicks). Get three or four recommendations for those, watch 'em together (like a mini film fest), and think about what you like about 'em. Then ask for more movies that have that quality, or a different one (post-war Japanese existentialism or American road paeans).

But otherwise, it's like "I like smart music. I just listened to Bartok and Belle and Sebastian. What's like that?"
posted by klangklangston at 9:41 AM on July 1, 2006

Wim Wenders -- especially his early stuff, like Kings of the Road, The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick, Alice in the Cities, and Wrong Move.
posted by jayder at 9:45 AM on July 1, 2006

jplank, I love this thread, but I do think it has a 50% chance of being deleted. You might want to print it out while you have the chance. There are some great suggestions here (I second Errol Morris) -- plenty to get you started. And these films will lead you to others, by the same directors and writers.
posted by grumblebee at 9:45 AM on July 1, 2006

"The Insider" -- about Big Tobacco and the 60 minutes scandal

"A Beautiful Mind" -- a schizophrenic genius

"Proof" (I haven't seen the movie yet, but the play is fantastic). It would be a fun double-feature with "A Beautiful Mind." Both are about math and madness.

"Eating" -- a cross between a drama and a documentary about women and their relationship to food

"Everybody Wins" -- little-known Arthur Miller script (it was written for film -- not the stage) about corruption in a small town. Gripping performances by Debra Winger (possibly her character was based on Marilyn Monroe, who was married to Miller) and Nick Nolte

"Vanya on 42nd Street" -- Andre Gregory rehearsed Chekhov's play for five years. Louis Malle filmed one of the rehearsals. Amazing performances.

"The Village" -- M. Night Shyamalan. It's stylized and romantic. Baroque. So some people think it's hokey. I love it. I think it's very brave (in this ironic age). I only wish Shyamalan would ditch his need for Twilight-zoneish surprise endings.

"Metropolitan" -- Whit Stillman's channels Jane Austen in modern Manhattan. If you like this, you may also like Stillman's later films, "Barcelona" and "Last Days of Disco." I think "Metropolitan" is great, "Barcelona" is okay and "Disco" is only so-so.

"The Thing" (1982 version). Smart, creepy sci-fi thriller.
posted by grumblebee at 9:56 AM on July 1, 2006

It's amazing how many of these suggestions are on Ebert's Great Movies list. And since he writes a review of each movie, it's a lot more useful than the typical random and uncommented list of great movies.
posted by IvyMike at 10:34 AM on July 1, 2006

If you liked Lost in Translation, I highly recommend Shopgirl.

Also, I <3 Huckabees.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:35 AM on July 1, 2006

City of God/Cidade de Deus. Still the best movie I have seen in the last several years.
posted by teleskiving at 11:06 AM on July 1, 2006

2046, In The Mood for Love, both by Wong Kar Wai
posted by Good Brain at 11:20 AM on July 1, 2006

I think The Limey (dir: Steven Soderbergh) might be a good movie to try, and if you like that, you can work back to its influences, Point Blank and Get Carter. If you like Soderbergh, I recommend Schizopolis, which is entirely unlike the two movies you mentioned. A lot of people dislike it, but I love it, and think it's enormously smart, if chaotic.
posted by claxton6 at 11:26 AM on July 1, 2006

Solaris (Soderbergh's version is more accessible if you haven't read the book, try that one first). I thought it had a very similar vibe to Lost in Translation.
posted by Joh at 11:42 AM on July 1, 2006

"until the end of the world" by wim wenders is pretty interesting. a lot of people hate this movie, because it is ridiculously long, and it is kind of like 2 or 3 separate movies stuck togehter. also its pretty much impossible to find on DVD. there is a 3-disc italian version that is missing english subtitles, but most of the movie is in english so you don't miss too much.

seconding jim jarmusch; most recently i enjoyed "ghost dog: the way of the samurai".

i heart huckabees seems to me to be the most surreal 'mainstream' movie that i've ever seen. definitely not for everyone.

i'm surprised no one has mentioned any of charlie kaufmann's movies. "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" is great on so many different levels. also "being john malkovich" and "adaptation" are awesome as well. all of these movies will make you think.
posted by joeblough at 11:45 AM on July 1, 2006

Did anyone mention October Sky? I thought it was a great movie.
posted by cellar at 11:58 AM on July 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

Yes: The Reflecting Skin, Donnie Darko

No: American Splendor, A Beautiful Mind
posted by NortonDC at 1:14 PM on July 1, 2006

After Life
The Draughtsman's Contract
Jesus of Montreal
Caravaggio
Stalker
Diva
Notre Histoire
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
posted by Grangousier at 1:35 PM on July 1, 2006

"Looking for Richard" - a doc/hybrid flick made by Al Pacino regarding Shakespeare's RichardIII, also featuring some great theatre actors.
"Shadows & fog" - Woody Allen's nod to Fellini's "81/2"
A second vote for M.Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" - his best movie, and a lovely piece of work by Bruce Willis
"My dinner with Andre"
"Requiem For a Heavyweight" - stars Anthony Quinn and Jackie Gleason - has the greatest ending.
"Lolita" dir.Stanley Kubrick. My favorite of his movies.
"Resevoir Dogs" dir.Quentin Tarantino
"True Romance" - don't remember who directed it, but it's the first screenplay Tarantino sold.
"Night of the Iguana" starring Robert Mitchum & shelly winters is unbelievably good.
Too many others to list.
posted by Radio7 at 4:03 PM on July 1, 2006

Code 46 goes very well with Lost in Translation
posted by tiamat at 5:41 PM on July 1, 2006

If you can find it, the short film Waking Life is amazing, thought-provoking, and different. Animated/rotoscoped stream-of-consciousness thought-journey.

Not drama, documentary, but thought-provoking and smart even if it's a bit cheesy - What the BLEEP do We Know? gets into quantum physics and the mind-bending ideas therein. It goes one step beyond I <3 huckabees /i> in execution, only in a different subject.

My favorite Shakespeare screen rendition has to be Julie Taymore's Titus, based of course on Titus Andronicus. A 90-degree tilt from anything I'd ever envisioned as being Shakespeare, but it works surprisingly well.

Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her. A little overly-angsty, perhaps, but interesting and thought-provoking.

Also by Kurosawa, Dreams (Yume is the original Japanese title).

I suppose I shouldn't really be commenting, though, as I found Lost In Translation to be almost unbearably pretentious in its attempt to be post-modernistically cool and understated.... But that's me.
posted by po at 6:05 PM on July 1, 2006

Err, sorry, Waking Life isn't actually a short film. Was thinking of Jim Henson's short film Time Piece, which I also find lovely and cannot for the life of me find -anywhere-. Le sigh.
posted by po at 6:10 PM on July 1, 2006

Radio 7 means "Night of the Hunter," which is striking and iconic in parts.

What the fuck he/she meant by "Resevoir Dogs" I couldn't possibly tell you.
posted by NortonDC at 7:13 PM on July 1, 2006

Was thinking of Jim Henson's short film Time Piece, which I also find lovely and cannot for the life of me find -anywhere-. Le sigh.

Voila.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 7:18 PM on July 1, 2006

(oops.)

Was thinking of Jim Henson's short film Time Piece, which I also find lovely and cannot for the life of me find -anywhere-. Le sigh.

Voila.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 7:19 PM on July 1, 2006

< derail> Sorry, Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese - should've specified in a hard format, DVD or video. Thanks for the link, though! It'll be good to see it again, even if I still can't find it to own. < /derail>
posted by po at 8:53 PM on July 1, 2006

yeah. "what the bleep" is a bunch of nonsense from a new-age cult. it deeply misunderstands the science its using to forward its agenda.
posted by joeblough at 8:53 PM on July 1, 2006

Go see The Quiet American, now.

Also good:
Wah-Wah
Pi
Memento
Gattaca
The Butterfly Effect
Brazil
Blade Runner
Lantana

In fact, damn you The Deej.
posted by polyglot at 9:03 PM on July 1, 2006

Given the two movies that you mentioned I think you might like Everything Is Illuminated
posted by cjw333 at 10:02 PM on July 1, 2006

Others by Kieslowski:

La Double Vie de Veronique (the double life of Veronique)
Heaven

My favourite:
Dead Man Walking
Elizabeth
posted by Yavsy at 10:59 PM on July 1, 2006

"The City of Lost Children" rewards careful watching by a person like you.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:06 AM on July 2, 2006

Yavsy, slight nitpick: Heaven isn't really a Kieslowski film. It was made from Kieslowski's script by Tyler Tykwer, director of Run Lola Run several years after the former man's death. It's still a good recommendation though.

Also, I'm not sure what Radio7 meant with Woody Allen's Shadows & Fog, which not only doesn't have much to do with Fellini (besides being in black and white) but isn't very good.

On topic: I can't recommend Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire enough.
posted by SoftRain at 7:45 AM on July 2, 2006

Check out all of the movies in the Criterion collection.

I think you would like movies by Truffaut, Godard, Bresson. Aside from these French directors I highly recommend movies by Kar Wai Wong, (2046, and In The Mood for Love)
posted by Packy_1962 at 6:17 PM on July 2, 2006