BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » non-English language films

spanisherlock · May 2, 2014 1:29 am

Hi,

do you watch non-English language films? if so, what films have you watched? what's your favourite?

I do recommend the following ones:

1 ) Les petits mouchoirs (Little white lies) France.
2) Broderskab (Brotherhood) Denmark.
3) Lily 4 Ever. Russia
4) Plan B. Argentina
5) Mientras duermes (While you are sleeping) Spain
6) Contracorriente (Undertow) Peru and Venezuela

Feel free to add more titles!!!

Last edited by spanisherlock (May 2, 2014 1:30 am)

Wholocked · May 2, 2014 2:19 am

The only foreign language films I can recall having watched were Pan's Labyrinth (which is amazing and should be watched by everyone) and erm....oh Chocolat

TeeJay · May 2, 2014 8:20 am

Being German, I've watched a number of German movies. Among those I actually like are Das Experiment (The Experiment) and Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence). In the comedy area, I liked Der Schuh des Manitu (Manitou's Shoe), (T)Raumschiff Surprise (not sure what the English title is) and Keinohrhasen (Rabbit Without Ears).

In terms of non-German movies, I've seen Pan's Labyrinth, Amélie, Coco Before Chanel, and I also thought Intouchables (a French movie) was fantastic. I'm trying to think what else I've seen that's not English language. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon comes to mind, which I saw in Chinese with English subtitles. I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now.

If you want to count in TV shows, there's this Swedish sci-fi show called Äkta Människor (Real Humans) that I thought was fantastic. I watched it in Swedish with English subtiles. And apparently the Brits are going to remake their own version of it.

Last edited by TeeJay (May 2, 2014 8:24 am)

MartaSt · May 2, 2014 12:17 pm

I've watched recently "Intouchables" (French film) and it was absolutely brilliant and touching. I also recommend Swedish serial "Wallander" based on Henning Mankell books.

batchlock · May 2, 2014 9:17 pm

I recommend the Swedish movie "Fucking Åmål". Even if it's a teenage movie, it's really good, and the message is really beautiful.

TeeJay · May 2, 2014 9:26 pm

Oh, I forgot the German movie Der Untergang (Downfall) -- the story of Hitler's last ten days of reigning Germany. I'm also tempted to name Inglorious Basterds, because it was trilingual, though I know it doesn't classify as a foreign film. There's another good German movie, Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), about the scheming of the Stasi in eastern Germany.

Wait, another German movie comes to mind! Good Bye Lenin. Although I don't think you can really fully appreciate the film if you don't know some more details about the history and background of the divide between eastern and western Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

And then, of course, there's Das Boot (The Boat)...

Last edited by TeeJay (May 2, 2014 9:31 pm)

batchlock · May 2, 2014 9:47 pm

I've seen a German film which I really liked, Die Welle. Don't know if you've heard about it.

Harriet · May 2, 2014 9:52 pm

I haven't seen it, but I saw Fucking Åmål - yes, that's a great one

stoertebeker · May 2, 2014 10:32 pm

Oh yes, Fucking Åmål, I saw that one two. Beautiful coming of age and coming out film!
Another great Scandinavian (Danish) film I saw in the cinema a couple of years ago was Adam's Apples. Wonderful very dark humour and an excellent Mads Mikkelsen in the leading role .

Tinks · May 2, 2014 11:20 pm

Not a Movie, but I just discovered (late as usual!) The Bridge - Swedish/Danish crime drama - on Netflix; I'm hooked!!

batchlock · May 2, 2014 11:55 pm

I usually don't like crime dramas, but I love The Bridge! Glad you've found it!

There's a funny serie going in both Sweden and America which is called Welcome to Sweden. I love it!

spanisherlock · May 4, 2014 3:00 am

I also watch German films, it helps me to understand and learn better this complex language. The first one I saw was "Kalt ist der Abendhauch, starring August Diehl. Do you know it? does it ring any bell to you? It's is a beautiful as well as a painful love story.

TeeJay · May 4, 2014 8:47 am

spanisherlock wrote:
I also watch German films, it helps me to understand and learn better this complex language. The first one I saw was "Kalt ist der Abendhauch, starring August Diehl. Do you know it? does it ring any bell to you? It's is a beautiful as well as a painful love story.

No, I've never heard of it, to be honest. But, you know, I'm not your stereotypical German and often don't hear about what's on TV or in cinemas. I don't watch German TV or listen much to German radio, so unless it's something that's talked about at work or among friends, it will probably just slip by my radar.

SolarSystem · May 4, 2014 5:51 pm

Now I can't help myself but wonder what a "stereotypical German" is supposed to be...?

TeeJay · May 4, 2014 7:39 pm

SolarSystem wrote:
Now I can't help myself but wonder what a "stereotypical German" is supposed to be...?

LOL! Someone who more or less randomly watches German TV and who isn't a raging anglophile to the point where they refuse to watch anything that's dubbed into German. To the point where they give borrowed DVDs of American movies back unwatched with the comment of, "But there's no English audio track on this."

Harriet · May 4, 2014 7:45 pm

So this is stereotypical German?

SusiGo · May 4, 2014 7:46 pm

There are people who appreciate good German films and TV (yes, there are such things) and still are anglophile. That's me, by the way, hello.

Last edited by SusiGo (May 4, 2014 7:52 pm)

TeeJay · May 4, 2014 8:06 pm

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I have no idea what stereotypically German really is, and probably none of us on this forum is stereotypically anything. I was just trying to say: My television/movie watching habits are not like most Germans'.

I think we can agree on this: The dubbing in Germany is widely accepted, and the people who watch movies and TV shows in English (i.e. original version) are a minority -- especially when you include watching movies in the cinema. I count myself to be belonging to this minority.

I also wasn't saying there aren't any good German TV shows or movies. I agree with you that certainly there are. They just usually slip by me unless someone mentions them especially in conversation because I have so little exposure to German TV and movies.

Last edited by TeeJay (May 4, 2014 8:26 pm)

Harriet · May 4, 2014 8:13 pm

Well, I think the most typical German issue is to find it kind of embarrassing being recognised as German, and to distance oneself from it

I don't count myself to be belonging to this minority.

So what do you want to say - do you prefer dubbing?

Mattlocked · May 4, 2014 8:18 pm

TeeJay wrote:
I think we can agree on this: The dubbing in Germany is widely accepted, and the people who watch movies and TV shows in English (i.e. original version) are a minority -- especially when you include watching movies in the cinema. ....

Sadly we are not used to undubbed versions, like e.g. the Scandinavians are.
Here they just should start saving money and stop dubbing everything. And serve movies to us as original version with subtitles. Problem solved.