The World Cinema Recommendation Thread!
 

Basically, anyone can come in here and ask for recommendations based on current favourite films, or just post any films they've seen recently that they think people should definately go see.

So to start:

Gomorrah
For Fans of: Crime, gangster or anyone who likes some hard-hitting and thought provoking pics.

What is it?: As many of you are probably aware, Gomorrah details the actions and infleunce of one of the worlds biggest mafia organisations, the Camorra. They have massive control and power within Italy and have investments across the world (they even put money into the rebuilding of the Twin Towers).

What makes it so good?: The scope for one thing, the film concentrates on 5 sets of characters and charts the ways in which the Camorrah affect these people. Some are willing members, others are forced to work for them out of neccesity. It's a violent, bleak and fairly depressing flick, but its unquestionably gripping + eye-opening. Credit to the direction and acting aswell, this is a very accomplished crime epic.

When the olympics were on, I felt the need to have a massive binge on chinese cinema.

I thought Happy Together was one of the best movies about a gay couple I've ever seen. It's the movie that Brokeback Mountain was made out to be.

Pan's Labyrinth almost goes without saying, but on Blu-Ray it looks even more impressive. Bought it yesterday and it looks really incredible. The Pale Man's banquet in particular. And the use of reds.

On second thought, all of it.

recently? or since the dawn of time? :P
There are plenty of films out there which deserve worldwide recognition that would be impossible to list here (just watch out for the late film on film4-they're usually the best)

recently? - well watch the world cinema awards on BBC4 which should act as an avenue to further films...

But to start out you should start with nouvelle vague :)

Oh and Happy Together (by WKW, most of his films are superb) has possibly the best cinematography i've seen in contemporary cinema

what are your favourite non english speaking movies
 

off the top of my head, here are mine, or some of them,
A nous la liberte
monsieur hulot's holiday
jour da fete
the discreet charm of the bourgouise
french mustard

Most recently it would have to be Une Prophete, which was unlike anything I've ever seen before, as far as emotional heft goes. Thirst is a good one, a twisted Korean vampire movie. As is Chocolate - the film that should have been the sequel to Ong Bak - which features a young, slightly loopy girl on the rampage. Coincidently, Ong Bak 2 is poo. Amelie always deserves a mention, too, but everybody's seen and enjoyed that one!

Not everyone. I found it as boring as hell, and I usually like Jeunet's films. I don't mind Audrey Tautou either but just not in this film.

I too thought Amelie was hugely over-rated. Mush from start to finish.

Yea, this probably isn't the place to be making sweeping statements about film! I think it's a cute little oddity though