Category: Foreign Films

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Classic Films and their Modern Remake Counterparts

I am passionate about classic film and introducing it to a new generation of viewers. Many people are under the mistaken impression that classic films are boring or dated. That may be true for some films, as culture and mores change and grow. But there are still many classics which are enjoyable and still relevant. This may be why Hollywood occasionally dips into its’ archives to retell a story that has already been told.

In order to pique your curiosity and interest, I am sharing this list of enjoyable classic films and their more modern counterparts…

To see the list, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

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Foreign Film Friday -Romantics Anonymous (2010)

When the opening credits began with a French version of the song I Have Confidence from the Sound of Music, it set the tone and immediately convinced me that I would love this film.

A French-Belgian film originally titled, Les Emotifs Anonymes, Romantics Anonymous introduces us to Angelique, a woman crippled by shyness. We see her faint in her group meeting, for which the film is named, but she works up enough courage to attend her interview with the owner of The Chocolate Mill.

When we first meet Jean-Rene, he is introduced to us and to Angelique as a mean man, but it turns out he is also socially challenged and unable to deal with many simple human interactions. Although the interview between these extreme introverts is awkward, Angelique manages to impress him with her knowledge of chocolate and he offers her the job. The only problem is that she thinks that she will be making chocolate and he just hired her as a sales representative to help boost the shop’s faltering sales enough to keep it out of bankruptcy.

On her sales rounds, Angelique discovers that although their buyers think the chocolate is good, it is not exceptional and neither does it live up to current trends in the market. But she has a secret. Angelique is a gifted chocolatier who has had extreme success in the past with her chocolate recipes. The trouble is that she sold her chocolates anonymously. But with the shop in jeopardy, Angelique is convinced that she can help.

In the midst of the chocolate shop story line is a concurrent one about the relationship that develops between Jean-Rene and Angelique. As you can imagine, with their personality challenges it is a very awkward and bumpy path they travel. They are immediately stricken by one another, but their own insecurities keep cropping up as obstacles. Continue reading “Foreign Film Friday -Romantics Anonymous (2010)”

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Foreign Film Friday -Sadece Sen (2014)

I have recently discovered the world of foreign films. The joy of watching a foreign film is that it exposes the viewer to countries and cultures much different than our own without ever needing to leave home. I have found many of these films to be of equal, sometimes better caliber than American films. One such example is the Turkish romantic drama Sadece Sen (English translation: Only You)  a remake of the Korean film Always.

SUMMARY

Ali is a lonely, former boxer with a tragic, violent past he would like to forget. When he meets Hazal, a beautiful, blind woman, he rejects her overtures of friendship. But he can only resist her for so long. Hazal’s unconditional acceptance of Ali and her cheerful optimism begin to break through the walls he has built to protect himself. As their relationship develops, it changes and enriches both of their lives. But a shocking revelation and subsequent sacrifice will challenge everything they have known.

For the full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

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Foreign Film Friday – The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Based on a novel of the same name, The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is a Swedish comedy film.

SUMMARY

Allan Karlsson is the 100 year old man of the title, who has lived a fascinating life as an explosives expert. His work has taken him all over the world and introduced him to many important people. It has also put him right in the center of many historical events. This all happens despite the fact that he lacks a true awareness of the gravity of his actions and choices. He is not stupid, but retains a certain innocence which shelters him from fear, doubt and disappointment. Allan lives by his mother’s advice to take life as it is.

On the day of his 100th birthday, Allan climbs out of his window and takes off with no plan or destination in mind. He stops at the local train station to buy a ticket for as far as his money will take him. While waiting for the train, a young, dangerous man rushes in to use the bathroom and asks Allan to hold his suitcase. Allan then boards the train with the mysterious suitcase still in hand to head off on his last adventure. Continue reading “Foreign Film Friday – The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared”

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Foreign Film Friday -The African Doctor (2016)

A French film originally titled Bienvenue a Marly-Gomont, The African Doctor tells the true story of Seyolo Zantoko, a Congolese native and his struggles to serve as a doctor in a small French village in order to obtain French nationality and to expose his family to wider world.

SUMMARY

The tale begins as Seyolo graduates from a French medical school. He is offered a prestigious job in his homeland of Zaire/Congo working for a corrupt government official. Despite the money and the perks attached to this position, he has heard instead of a small French village which has been seeking a doctor for its citizens for many years with no success. He decides to take this job in the hopes that it will allow him to become a French citizen. When phoning home with the good news to his wife and children, the family is thrilled due to the mistaken impression that his job is in Paris. Needless to say, they are all in for a shock when they arrive in France and find themselves feeling like fish out of water, in a very rural community which is not happy that their new doctor and his family are black foreigners. Continue reading “Foreign Film Friday -The African Doctor (2016)”