I grew up in an ignorant and lazy country where subtitles were considered lame and distracting. When I was a kid, if a movie wasn’t dubbed, we didn’t watch it. The education of English was so bad that I hated the language for more than 10 years before I’ve moved to the UK.
Although, once I realized how much better and authentic to watch anything with its original language, I quickly switched to view everything with subs. Whether it was in English, Spanish, Korean, or Italian, as long as I could find the relevant subtitle provided, I was extremely excited to watch the movie.
Even though I’ve become fluent in English, I still watch everything with English subtitles. It helps me to memorize and learn new words, and I couldn’t stand to see anything that’s not in its own language. I can’t do it anymore. Although, the German language freaks me out.
Thank you for your recommendations, I will check out Dear Ex, and The Farewell was praised by so many, as a film enthusiast, I kinda feel embarrassed that I haven’t seen it yet.
In return, I’d like to recommend 5 movies as well that you’ll hopefully find interesting enough to watch. And trust me, they are GOOD.
If The Skin I live in was your first foreign film, you kinda obligated to watch Almodovar’s latest that reflects on his career. It’s about an aging film director (played brilliantly by Antonio Banderas) who has a chronic illness (rooted in mental problems), living on his own, and suffers from writer block. He remembers and reflects on his life, by recalling his childhood memories, experiences, and heartbreaks. Rumour has it that it’s a self-inspired movie by Almodovar. If there was no Parasite, I think this would’ve taken the Oscar for the best foreign film.
Bong Joon Ho is a great director, probably even one of the best from South Korea, but if you want fucked-up thrillers, then Jee Woon Kim is your guy. I didn’t particularly like Korean films until I was introduced to his compelling cinema. I Saw the Devil is a cat and mouse fight between an obsessive secret agent and his wife’s serial killer. Mesmerizing, deeply disturbing stuff about revenge with a painfully wonderful soundtrack.
Italian cinema is beautiful and raw, especially if it involves the Mafia. The director of Gomorra directed and written this piece that takes place in an ancient, small Italian city. Its protagonist is a decent guy, who offers pet service for the locals, but gets involved with a savage criminal who has ties with the Mafia. The movie paints a portrait of loyalty, pain, and suffering through this little innocent man’s eyes.
You might have heard of this french diamond, already. Omar Sy was the discovery of the year as an unbelievably talented actor, but he got lost along the way to worldwide success. Anyway, Intouchables is a celebration of life, even when you have no reason to do so. A beautiful movie about an unlikely friendship. It’s also funny as hell.
I don’t think I have to introduce you to Alejandro Inarritu after the success of The Revenant. This movie was made way before that, and it’s kind of a surreal, quiet, and sad film about the ordinariness of life in such a unique and extraordinary way. Was that confusing? Good, because the movie is not an easy ride, either.
I hope you’ll find these interesting to check them out.
Thank you for sharing, Gregory!
P.S. : Where are you from originally, by the way?
