I don't mind subtitles and I watch a lot of movies that have them.  There is one thing that annoys me about subtitles on some movies--especially one with good cinematography.  Reading the subtitles distract from seeing the whole image and fully appreciating the composition and acting, etc.  
The opposite is sometimes true as well.  I'll get to looking at a beautiful scene and forget to read a line.  

The only thing I don't like about sub titles is that I can't multi task and use the movie as passive entertainment in the back ground. I tend to either ignore it or stop every thing and watch it while reading the titles.

The good thing is that many of the non English speaking movies that do get distribution here are worth making some time to watch intently.


Some of the best movies I seen in the past year were Chinese and Korean epics. I didn't understand a word of dialog but the movies had such great structure, form, and craftsmanship that they seemed to be possible examples of a new era of contemporary classical cinema. 


best regards,
mike

ProjectM


Hey Kalle - this film is from Finland, right? One of my all time favorite movies from our part of the world. ] 

"Rare exports" is a nice example of how you don't need loads of money if you have a vision. I wish more Finnish movie makers find the vision!


One of the best Finnish films ever, I think, is starting its tour at the moment. Very likely it will be our nominee for Academy Awards contest.
Its called "The Purge". It tells about the Sovjet rule times of our southern neighbour Estonia. Finland was then to estonians something like what USA is to Mexico, a land of wealth and freedom just a short boat trip away. It also reaches to present time.


It's based on the novel by Estonian born author Sofi Oksanen. The novel has won prizes here and there as fast it's gotten translated to new languages. It's basically a true story.


It's very good, but honestly, I've never been as painfully on the limits of my tolerance in a movie theater. The fates and cruelty described is just so
terrible, that it took me a week to recover. The same goes with anyone I've talked to. I believe the events in the film are so stomach twistingly terrible that it will prevent the films success. Too much is too much. 


The athmosphere in any funeral I've participated has been more joyfull than in the theater when the credit texts started rolling.

Jo nesbo is cool, he writes great crime books. a couple of German films worth checking out are Goodbye Lenin and Stalingrad.

The only thing I don't like about sub titles is that I can't multi task and use the movie as passive entertainment in the back ground.

I can't imagine doing that..I either watch a movie or I don't.

'Multi-tasking'..that's just stopping doing one thing and then doing another, isn't it?

+1 for "Rare Exports". I consider subtitles a small price to pay for enjoying films that aren't as predictable as most formulaic US-made movies. I'll always watch a DVD in its original language even when an English overdub has been provided. 

I'm also a fan of Chinese and Korean films. Here are a few more subtitle-worthy titles of the top of my head:

The Good, the Bad, the Weird (China)
A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (China)
Battle Royale (Japan)
City of Lost Children (France)
La Femme Nikita (France - NOT the American remake!)
Death Note (Japan)
Kinamand (Holland)
Timecrimes (Spain)
Das Boot (Germany)
The Eye (Hong Kong - NOT the American remake!)
Tale of Two Sisters (Korea)

"The athmosphere in any funeral I've participated has been more joyfull than in the theater when the credit texts started rolling."


We watched Detachment last night. 

It was fairly straight forward, relying on acting and editing rather than special efx or exciting visuals. 

My wife thought the story just got more and more miserable and heart breaking... I thought it was some of the most powerfully honest story telling I had seen in a while.

It seemed refreshing to see such awkward and uncomfortable subjects presented frankly and without a perfunctory sanitization.


best regards,
mike

bitflipper

City of Lost Children (France)

+1.  Incredibly engaging imagery.
 
Add to the list The Best of Youth.  This is an epic length (6 hours or so) Italian production.  It may have been made for TV originally, but that doesn't matter.  It's totally involving.

HI,

I have, for 20 years, been very clear about these things and the movie reviews I have done (over 500 -- 220 at the IMDB) since then ... when you go to a Foreign Film Festival, NEVER catch the English or the American film, because they will be on video soon ... always catch the odd ball ... that no one ever heard ... and no one will ever see.

There are some gems I have seen over the years:

The Island on Bird Street (still a favorite!)
Journey of Hope (awesome use of music!)
The Ox (Sven Nykvist directs and films!) (visual and then some!)
A Woman's Tale (unbelievable! totally awesome!)
An Angel At My Table (about a writer - Jane Campion directs)
Angels and Insects
Bitter Sugar (Cuban film -- yeah!)
Bandit Queen (Indian film)
Basquiat (NY scene around Warhol - a bit sukky around the edges)
Before the Rain (Oscar Winner)
Hearts of Darkness (Coppola's Ex's film about Apocalypse)
Henry and June (about Henry Miller and Anais Nin)
Knockin' on Heaven's Door (German awesome! Check out Zelig's version fo the song!)
Band of Four  (Rivette - a bit wordy for ch'rs)
Nadja (Different vampire film)
Orlando (insane Virginia Wolff stuff)
The Fencing Master (best fencing film EVER done!)
Kika (Crazy! Almodovar!)
My 20th Century (Hungarian)
Burnt by the Sun (Oscar Winner) (Yeah!)
Numerous Chinese/Japanese films as well. And I had a hard time getting the proper translation for the name of many other scandinavian films ... that IMDB index'd in their foreign name.
   
One of these days I will be able to afford the IMDB membership so I can finish updating/cleaning up those reviews ... they are too expensive for me at this time, and I still ahve to pay for the movies I see ... although at the Film Festival I trade it out for translations and working the door some.
See you all later!

Trollhunter

another good one