Foreign films: The Valet and The Band’s Visit

I love foreign films! In fact you could probably call me a foreign film snob. I love watching movies that have no familiar faces in them; where people don’t act, look, talk, walk, etc. like I do. Anything unfamiliar is good. One reason I love movies is to get out of my own life, to broaden my horizons, to see the world, to pretend for a couple of hours and foreign films are generally better at providing all of this than are American films.

Two good foreign films I’ve watched lately are The Valet (French) and The Band’s Visit (Egyptian/Israeli).

The Valet is from the master of French farce, Francis Veber. It is a comedy of errors where the rich guy, in trouble with his wife, gets a valet to live with his supermodel mistress to prove that he’s been faithful. Very funny!



The Band’s Visit
I had been looking forward to this one & it was well worth the wait. An Egyptian police orchestra ends up in a desolate Israeli village & has to depend on the locals for help. It is a quiet film & doesn’t have as much music as I expected (what music it had was fabulous) but the people from the 2 countries came together: they touched each other in ways beneficial to both. It was indeed “a global charmer!” (Lisa Schwarzbaum—Entertainment Weekly) I loved it!

Shall We Dance? (1996)

Ok. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the 2004 American version (with Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon), but it was just a good movie. Shall We Dance?, the Japanese version from 1996 (available upon request at Bethlehem library), is a great film. The story is about a man who is bored with his life. As he rides the train home from work every night he sees a woman looking out the window of a dance studio. Her face looks as sad as he feels. So in a spur-of-the-moment decision he decides to hop off the train and do whatever it takes to meet this woman. What it takes is that he has to take dancing lessons. But more than that, he has to care more about dancing than he does about this mysterious woman. Meanwhile, back at home, his wife is beginning to worry that her husband has a mistress so she hires a private detective. The detectives and some of the other dancers provide most of the humor in the film, of which there is plenty. The man and his mysterious dance partner provide the drama, the interest, the humanity. The story is wonderful; all of the characters are appealing and sympathetic; and it’s set in Japan where although its culture is different than ours, maybe their lives are more similar to ours than we might have thought. I think that’s why it translated so well and easily to an American audience leading to an American version. The dancing is fantastic as are the costumes. This is a beautiful film and I truly hope you’ll check it out if you haven’t seen it already.

This week on the new book truck

Our vender has been very slow with deliveries lately so all the other libraries have received the newest movies and we haven’t. Well, much to my delight, at least some of them came this week so I have a nice crop to report on in the blog.

Caramel is a Lebanese film. I saw it in the theatres, and in fact reported on it earlier in my blog (June 17). I wasn’t crazy about the film but the reason I went to see it was because it was Lebanese and I’ve never seen a Lebanese film before. In that respect, it didn’t disappoint. There was little story but being able to look at the city (Beirut), the people, and to see what their lives are like is always interesting.

Drillbit Taylor. This is a comedy with the ever-lovable Owen Wilson playing a bodyguard to some bullied high school kids.





Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I also saw this one in the theatre and it was terrific! Frances McDormand in the title role, is a down-on-her-luck nanny who wanders into a job as social secretary to a young starlet. She sets about putting the young ladies’ life in order and finds a new life for herself at the same time. A total winner!

One Missed Call. This horror film starring Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon is a remake of a Japanese film. The plot as described by imdb.com is: People mysteriously start receiving voicemail messages from their future selves, in the form of the sound of them reacting to their own violent deaths. Sounds pretty grim. Not for the faint at heart.

Project Runway, the Complete Second Season. Ok, I admit it, I’m a huge fan of Project Runway. I love watching these creative people making clothing. The win-lose ordeal is rather nerve-wracking but the fashions they come up with are amazing! This is the second season which I heard someone say was the best. I’ll let you know after I watch it.

Sleepwalking. This is a family drama starring Nick Stahl as a young man who is stuck with his 11 year old niece when she is deserted by her mother. Can he stop “sleepwalking” through life and do the right thing? Watch it and find out.


Smart People is a dysfunctional family comedy. When a widowed professor falls in love with a former student his life is turned upside down. That’s only the beginning though. Much wackiness ensues when his freeloading brother and his smart-mouthed daughter arrive. This is a lighthearted comedy which is smart and enjoyable.

Stop-Loss. Decorated Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. He tries to resume the life he left behind. Then, against Brandon's will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq, which upends his world. The conflict tests everything he believes in: the bond of family, the loyalty of friendship, the limits of love and the value of honor. (Written by Paramount Pictures). The film stars Ryan Phillippe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.


Street Kings. This film is “a full-throttle thrill ride” says someone. That’s exactly what you expect in a Keanu Reeves film. This is a crime thriller in which “a veteran cop finds himself ensnared in a deadly web of conspiracy and betrayal.” Also starring are Forest Whitaker and Hugh Laurie (Dr. House? In a cop film? I’ve got to see that!)

Put your requests in now. Everyone wants to see the latest films and the sooner you request it, the sooner you’ll be able to see it.

Toronto Film Festival

The Toronto Film Festival (TIFF--http://www.tiff08.ca/default.aspx) is quickly approaching. It will run from September 4th to the 13th. There are so many films showing there that it is mind-boggling. I looked through the list of all the titles and recognized some names of directors. Those of us who won’t be attending the festival will have to wait to see their new films in the theatres, but in the meantime, we can stay home and watch some of their older films.

The Coen brothers will be showing their new film Burn After Reading which is scheduled for theatrical release in September. While waiting for that one, why not try:
Fargo, Ladykillers, or No Country For Old Men.

Jonathan Demme who directed The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Who Am I This time?, and Neil Young : Heart of Gold has a new one entitled Rachel Getting Married.

Spike Lee’s new movie is Miracle at St. Anna but now you can watch 25th Hour, Inside Man and When the Levees Broke.

Mike Leigh, one of my favorite British directors, is showing his new film Happy-Go-Lucky. Here at the library you can check out All or Nothing or Vera Drake.

Richard Linklater, a very productive young director, has made School of Rock, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Bad News Bears and A Scanner Darkly and will be showing at TIFF his new one Me and Orson Welles.

Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles of The Constant Gardener fame will be showing his new one, Blindness.

Paul Schrader who just came out with The Walker will be showing Adam Resurrected at TIFF.

Kevin Smith, one of my favorites, director of Jersey Girl and Clerks II has a new one: Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Stephen Soderbergh who made a splash at Cannes with his film Che will try again at TIFF. In the meantime, you can watch his films Ocean’s eleven, Ocean’s Thirteen, Bubble, Traffic and The Good German.

And finally, Michael Winterbottom of The Road to Guantanamo, Code 46, Tristram Shandy and A Mighty Heart is showing his new one, Genova.

Make yourself some popcorn, pull up a comfy chair and think of all the gas money you're saving by staying at home, checking out some DVDs from the library and enjoying some oldies but goodies.

Brideshead Revisited

A review from our magnificent webmistress, Judie Harren:

Having loved the book, I was determined to see this movie at the theater where the dark room and large screen would allow me to get lost in the story and the rich settings. I was not disappointed. Like Charles, the main character, I was in awe of the huge estate of his Oxford friend Sebastian and intrigued by the family and their complex agendas. Lady Marchmain, the strong-willed ruler of the family was beautifully played by Emma Thompson surrounded by a great cast throughout. It was a powerful and moving drama and a beautiful film to watch. Recommended for fans of historical literature.