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Subgenre Sampler

 
The Origin of EvilThe Origin of Evil (2022) Recommended
Dir. Sebastien Marnier
Feat. Laure Calamy
A black comedy thriller from France about riches, bitches and patriarchal pricks, because when it comes to money all bets are off and all knives come…
I'm Your ManI'm Your Man (2021) Aro Favourite
Dir. Maria Schrader
Feat. Dan Stevens
A fabulously entertaining high concept comedy from Germany about a skeptical scientist who agrees to a three week product test of a humanoid robot…
Worst Person in the World, TheWorst Person in the World, The (2021) Aro Favourite
Dir. Joachim Trier
Feat. Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum
Gloriously provocative and richly perceptive comedy drama from talented Norwegian director Joachim Trier (THELMA), which follows an unpredictable,…
A Friendly TaleA Friendly Tale (Le bonheur des uns) (2020)
Dir. Daniel Cohen
Feat. Bérénice Bejo, Vincent Cassel, François Damiens
A charming four–hander from the director of LE CHEF in which a sparkling cast play two forty–something couples whose professional and…
Another RoundAnother Round (Druk) (2020) Recommended
Dir. Thomas Vinterberg
Feat. Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang
Another cheeky yet bittersweet provocation from Dogme 95 alumni Thomas Vinterberg that won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. The…
Antoinette in the CevennesAntoinette in the Cevennes (2020)
Dir. Caroline Vignal
Feat. Laure Calamy, Benjamin Lavernhe, Olivia Cote
A warm hearted French comedy from writer director Caroline Vignal, starring Laure Calamy as a school teacher on a journey of self–discovery in…
County, TheCounty, The (2020)
Dir. Grimur Hakonarson
Feat. Arndis Hronn Egilsdottir, Sveinn Olafur Gunnarsson
A quintessentially Icelandic serio–comedy from the director of RAMS about one woman’s fight against a monopolistic co–op stifling the…
How to Be a Good WifeHow to Be a Good Wife (2020)
Dir. Martin Provost
Feat. Juliette Binoche, Yolande Moreau, Noemie Lvovsky
Feather lite French comedy set in 1968, with the predictably scene–stealing Juliette Binoche playing an immaculate and morally upright teacher…
LimboLimbo (2020) Recommended
Dir. Ben Sharrock
Feat. Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai, Ola Orebiyi
A moving cross–cultural comedy about the refugee experience, set on a remote Scottish island where a promising young Syrian musician is waiting…
Man in the Hat, TheMan in the Hat, The (2020)
Dir. Stephen Warbeck, John-Paul Davidson
Feat. Ciaran Hinds, Stephen Dillane, Maïwenn
Road–trip comedy–musical about a man who sets off from Marseilles in a small Fiat 500, with five angry men in a Citroën Dyane…
Never Gonna Snow AgainNever Gonna Snow Again (2020)
Dir. Malgorzata Szumowska
Feat. Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza
Assured Polish Oscar contender about a Ukrainian immigrant who unexpectedly develops a cult–like following while working as a masseur in a…
Rosa's WeddingRosa's Wedding (2020) Recommended
Feat. Candela Pena, Sergi Lopez, Nathalie Poza
Delightful Spanish comedy about a hard–working seamstress in her mid–40's who decides to turn her life around after spending years…
Rose Maker, TheRose Maker, The (La fine fleur) (2020)
Dir. Pierre Pinaud
Feat. Catherine Frot, Olivia Cote, Rukkmini Ghosh
Gentle French comedy with Catherine Frot (THE MIDWIFE) playing a rose maker on the verge of financial ruin, who hires three hapless misfits with no…
Wedding Speech, TheWedding Speech, The (Le discours) (2020)
Dir. Laurent Tirard
Feat. Kyan Khojandi, Sara Giraudeau, Benjamin Lavernhe
Smart and sophisticated crowd–pleaser from French director Laurent Tirard (NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY), following an anxiety–ridden man who is…
An Unexpected LoveAn Unexpected Love (El amor menos pensado) (2019)
Dir. Juan Vera
Feat. Ricardo Darín, Mercedes Morán
Argentinian romantic comedy exploring the lives of a couple who, after 25 years of marriage, decide to explore being single, with hilarious and…
Dogs Don't Wear PantsDogs Don't Wear Pants (Koirat eivät käytä housuja) (2019)
Dir. J.-P. Valkeapää
Feat. Krista Kosonen
Finnish erotic drama about a lonely dad who is traumatized by the loss of his wife in a drowning accident, and stumbles into ecstasy via a powerful…
First LoveFirst Love (Hatsukoi) (2019)
Dir. Takashi Miike
Feat. Masataka Kubota, Nao Omori, Shota Sometani
Crime thriller from prolific Japanese auteur director Takashi Miike set over a single night in Tokyo, where a down–on–his luck boxer and…
Heroic LosersHeroic Losers (2019) Recommended
Dir. Sebastian Borensztein
Feat. Ricardo Darín, Luis Brandoni, Chino Darin
Winning underdog comedy from Argentinian director Sebastian Borensztein (CHINESE TAKEAWAY) based on the novel by Eduardo Sacheri (THE SECRET IN THEIR…
I Feel GoodI Feel Good (2019)
Dir. Benoit Delepine, Gustave Kervern
Feat. Jean Dujardin, Yolande Moreau
Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (THE ARTIST) stars in this quirky French comedy about a man with a ridiculous get–rich–quick scheme involving…
It Must Be HeavenIt Must Be Heaven (2019) Recommended
Dir. Elia Suleiman
Feat. Elia Suleiman, Tarik Kopty, Kareem Ghneim
Brilliantly absurdist comedy of errors following a Palestinian filmmaker who leaves his country for the West and the promise of a new and better…
My Days of GloryMy Days of Glory (Mes jours de gloire) (2019)
Dir. Antoine de Bary
Feat. Vincent Lacoste, Emmanuelle Devos, Christopher Lambert
French comedy about a self–absorbed, unemployed twenty–something who shamelessly sponges off his parents after his promising career as a…
Mystery of Henri Pick, TheMystery of Henri Pick, The (Le mystère Henri Pick) (2019) Recommended
Dir. Rémi Bezançon
Feat. Fabrice Luchini, Camille Cottin, Alice Isaaz
Delectable literary–themed French comedy caper based on the book of the same name by David Foenkinos. The titular Henri Pick is a…
Of Love and LiesOf Love and Lies (2019)
Dir. Julien Rappeneau
Feat. François Damiens, Andre Dussollier, Maleaume Paquin
Uplifting French dramedy about a diminutive but spirited 12–year old boy who challenges his lonely disillusioned dad into embracing life again…
PerfumesPerfumes (2019)
Dir. Gregory Magne
Feat. Emmanuelle Devos, Gregory Montel
Anne (Emmanuelle Devos) was once the star of her industry – a perfumer whose ability to produce enticing new fragrances was second to none. She…
Room 212Room 212 (Chambre 212, On a Magical Night) (2019)
Dir. Christophe Honore
Feat. Chiara Mastroianni, Vincent Lacoste, Camille Cottin
Playful French rom–com from acclaimed writer–director Christophe Honore (MA MERE, DAN PARIS). Set over the course of one night, where…
Truth, TheTruth, The (2019) Aro Favourite
Dir. Kore-eda Hirokazu
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke
Dazzling modern family drama from master auteur Kore–eda Hirokazu (SHOPLIFTERS), pairing French screen icons Catherine Deneuve and Juliette…
A Man in a HurryA Man in a Hurry (Un homme pressé) (2018)
Dir. Hervé Mimran
Feat. Fabrice Luchini, Leïla Bekhti
French comic–drama based on the life of the former head of Peugeot, Christian Stieff, a high profile businessman who has let his personal life…
My Big Gay Italian WeddingMy Big Gay Italian Wedding (2018)
Dir. Alessandro Genovesi
Feat. Cristiano Caccamo, Salvatore Esposito, Monica Guerritore
Enjoyable silly comedy adaptation of the off–Broadway play about a gay couple in Berlin who decide to get married in a small village in Italy,…
Normandy NudeNormandy Nude (Normandie nue, Naked Normandy) (2018)
Dir. Phillippe Le Guay
Feat. Francois Cluzet, Toby Jones, François-Xavier Demaison
Francois Cluzet leads a sizeable cast of mostly non–actors in this warm–hearted French comedy from the dir. of THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR…
Sink or SwimSink or Swim (Le grand bain) (2018)
Dir. Gilles Lellouche
Feat. Mathieu Amalric, Guillaume Canet, Benoit Poelvoorde
A group of 40–something guys, all on the verge of a mid–life crisis, decide to form their local pool's first ever synchronized swimming…
Trouble With You, TheTrouble With You, The (En liberté!) (2018)
Dir. Pierre Salvadori
Feat. Adele Haenel, Pio Marmaï, Audrey Tautou
Sparkling, action filled rom–com from director Pierre Salvadori (PRICELESS, WILD TARGET) where a principled detective on the French Riviera is…
Woman at WarWoman at War (2018) Aro Favourite
Dir. Benedikt Erlingsson
Feat. Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir
A droll yet heroic tale of a fifty–year–old environmental activist who is secretly waging a one–woman–war on the local…
World Is Yours, TheWorld Is Yours, The (Le monde est à toi) (2018)
Dir. Romain Gavras
Feat. Karim Leklou, Isabelle Adjani, Vincent Cassel
French comedy thriller about a small time drug dealer who attempts to go straight by becoming the official distributor of Mr. Freeze ice pops in…
AuroreAurore (I Got Life!) (2017)
Dir. Blandine Lenoir
Feat. Agnes Jaoui, Thibault de Montalembert, Pascale Arbillot
Actress and co–writer Jaoui is the heart and soul of this witty if overly–familiar rom–com as the eponymous 50–year–old…
Back to BurgundyBack to Burgundy (Ce qui nous lie) (2017)
Dir. Cedric Klapisch
Feat. Pio Marmaï, Ana Girardot, François Civil
Sumptuous French family saga which will be a special treat for oenophiles, as three siblings attempt to save the family vineyard in picturesque…
C'est La VieC'est La Vie (Le sens de la fête) (2017) Recommended
Dir. Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Feat. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Gilles Lellouche, Jean-Paul Rouve
An archetypically bubbly, if not quite champagne quality, French comedy from the creators of THE INTOUCHABLES in which an irritable veteran wedding…
Dr. KnockDr. Knock (Doctor Knock) (2017)
Dir. Lorraine Levy
Feat. Omar Sy
Popular French actor Omar Sy (THE INTOUCHABLES) stars in this feelgood comedy about a former thug turned doctor who moves to a small French town and…
Just To Be SureJust To Be Sure (Otez-moi d'un doute) (2017)
Dir. Carine Tardieu
Feat. François Damiens, Cecile De France, Andre Wilms
A delightful French comedy–of–errors following a grounded 45–year old widower whose life changes abruptly when he learns that the…
Mr. Stein Goes OnlineMr. Stein Goes Online (Un profil pour deux) (2017)
Dir. Stéphane Robelin
Feat. Pierre Richard
Old–fashioned French farce where a reclusive widower enters the world of online dating, using the profile photo of his young computer tutor to…
One Cut of the DeadOne Cut of the Dead (Kamera wo tomeruna!) (2017)
Dir. Shinichiro Ueda
Feat. Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Harumi Shuhama
Ridiculously fun and gleefully inventive movie–within–a–movie where the crew of a low–budget zombie film are terrorised by…
Other Side of Hope, TheOther Side of Hope, The (2017) Recommended
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Sakari Kuosmanen, Sherwan Haji, Ville Virtanen
This Finnish take on the European migrant crisis – proclaimed to be last directed by auteur Aki Kaurismäki – is a poignant yet typically…
Pop AyePop Aye (2017) Recommended
Dir. Kirsten Tan
Feat. Thaneth Warakulnukroh
Quietly uplifting road trip dramedy following a disillusioned Bangkok architect who embarks on a trek across the idyllic Thai countryside with the…
See You Up ThereSee You Up There (Au revoir là-haut) (2017)
Dir. Albert Dupontel
Feat. Albert Dupontel, Nahuel Pérez Biscayar, Laurent Lafitte
French film adaptation of the ambitious novel set a few days before the 1918 Armistice, where, among the ruins of WWI, a genius draftsman and a…
Wajib - The Wedding InvitationWajib - The Wedding Invitation (Wajib) (2017)
Dir. Annemarie Jacir
Feat. Mohamed Bakri
Wryly comedic drama set in Nazareth in the lead–up to Christmas, where a conservative father and his estranged hipster son attempt to reconcile…
After the StormAfter the Storm (Umi yori mo mada fukaku) (2016) Recommended
Dir. Kore-eda Hirokazu
Feat. Hiroshi Abe, Kirin Kiki, Yôko Maki
After the death of his father, a morally bankrupt private detective struggles to find child support money and reconnect with his son and…
Like CrazyLike Crazy (La Pazza Gioia) (2016)
Dir. Paolo Virzi
Feat. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Micaela Ramazzotti
Gratifying comedy–drama following two women, one a troubled introvert, one an impassioned mythomaniac, who break out of a psychiatric facility…
Lost in ParisLost in Paris (Paris pieds nus) (2016) Aro Favourite
Dir. Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Feat. Emmanuelle Riva, Pierre Richard, Dominique Abel
Another gem from husband–and–wife team, Abel & Gordon, featuring a roster of typically clever sight gags that follows the trail of a…
Mermaid, TheMermaid, The (2016)
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Chao Deng, Lin Yun, Zhang Yuqi
Madcap comic fantasy that marks a return to form for director Chow tells the tale of a beautiful mermaid who falls for the property developer she was…
Olive Tree, TheOlive Tree, The (El olivo) (2016)
Dir. Iciar Bollain
Feat. Anna Castillo, Javier Gutiérrez, Pep Ambros
Spanish actor–director Iciar Bollain and Ken Loach's regular screenwriter Paul Laverty join forces for this warm and sometimes humorous road…
Penny PincherPenny Pincher (Radin!) (2016)
Dir. Fred Cavaye
Feat. Dany Boon, Laurence Arné, Noémie Schmidt
Farcical French comedy starring Dany Boon as a gifted violinist and secret "penny pincher" – obsessed with saving money at all costs, he leads…
Perfect StrangersPerfect Strangers (Perfetti sconosciuti) (2016) Aro Favourite
Dir. Paolo Genovese
Feat. Giuseppe Battiston, Anna Foglietta, Marco Giallini
A clever comedy of manners for the iphone–era, this Italian award–winner follows a dinner party debacle that unfolds after seven…
Rosalie BlumRosalie Blum (2016) Recommended
Dir. Julien Rappeneau
Feat. Noemie Lvovsky, Alice Isaaz, Kyan Khojandi
An intriguing and relatable French rom–com that tells the same story of romantic serendipity from three different points of view. Based on a…
Saint AmourSaint Amour (2016)
Dir. Benoit Delepine, Gustave Kervern
Feat. Benoit Poelvoorde, Gerard Depardieu
Warm–hearted road movie following a disheartened cattle breeder who embarks on a wine trail through France with his father (Depardieu) and a…
Slack BaySlack Bay (Ma Loute) (2016)
Dir. Bruno Dumont
Feat. Fabrice Luchini, Juliette Binoche, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
In a Northern French coastal town in 1910, a family of bourgeois eccentrics are holidaying in a picturesque cliff–top villa. But when tourists…
Teacher, TheTeacher, The (Ucitelka) (2016) Recommended
Dir. Jan Hrebejk
Feat. Zuzana Mauréry
Black comedy set in 1983 Bratislava, where a school teacher takes advantage of Communist traditions, manipulating the parents of her students into…
Toni ErdmannToni Erdmann (2016) Aro Favourite
Dir. Maren Ade
Feat. Peter Simonischek, Sandra Huller, Ingrid Bisu
Brilliant, unclassifiable German comedy where a stern, career–focused woman is followed around a series of mundane board meetings and vapid…
Two is a FamilyTwo is a Family (Demain tout commence) (2016)
Dir. Hugo Gélin
Feat. Omar Sy, Clemence Poesy
An elegantly crafted, crowd–pleasing comedy–drama in fine French tradition, following a bachelor (Omar Sy, THE INTOUCHABLES) who enjoys a…
Up For LoveUp For Love (Un homme à la hauteur) (2016)
Dir. Laurent Tirard
Feat. Jean Dujardin, Virginie Efira
Warm hearted French rom–com about a lawyer who unexpectedly falls for a man with short stature (Jean Dujardin, star of THE ARTIST and the OSS…
Where Am I Going?Where Am I Going? (Quo vado?) (2016)
Dir. Gennaro Nunziante
Feat. Checco Zalone
Currently the highest grossing film in Italian cinema history, this refreshing comedy follows the fate of a comfortable middle–aged slacker…
A Man Called OveA Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove) (2015) Recommended
Dir. Hannes Holm
Feat. Rolf Lassgard, Bahar Pars, Filip Berg
Endearing Swedish hit about a grumpy 59–year–old widower who was deposed as president of the condominium association, but still presides…
Blind DateBlind Date (2015)
Dir. Clovis Cornillac
Feat. Melanie Bernier, Clovis Cornillac, Philippe Duquesne
Frothy French comedy follows the escalating conflict between two lonely neighbours whose thin walls give them plenty of opportunity to annoy each…
Brand New Testament, TheBrand New Testament, The (2015)
Dir. Jaco Van Dormael
Feat. Benoit Poelvoorde, Catherine Deneuve, François Damiens
Fantastical comedy in which God's teenage daughter gets fed up up with her overbearing father – who never gets off the computer – and…
God WillingGod Willing (Se Dio Vuole) (2015)
Dir. Edoardo Maria Falcone
Feat. Marco Giallini, Alessandro Gassmann, Laura Morante
Hit Italian comedy about a heart surgeon whose staunch atheism is challenged when his family comes under the influence of a charismatic young priest.
Idol, TheIdol, The (Ya tayr el tayer) (2015)
Dir. Hany Abu-Assad
Feat. Tawfeek Barhom, Kais Attalah, Hiba Attalah
Comedy–drama based on the true story of an aspiring Palestinian musician who sets about overcoming the extraordinary goal of competing on the…
Klown ForeverKlown Forever (Klovn Forever) (2015)
Dir. Mikkel Nørgaard
Feat. Casper Christensen, Frank Hvam, Mia Lyhne
Sequel to the Danish bromance KLOWN which doubles down on the same schtick, with both original comedians returning to play fictionalised versions of…
MargueriteMarguerite (2015) Recommended
Dir. Xavier Giannoli
Feat. Catherine Frot, Andre Marcon, Michel Fau
Touching French version of the story inspired by the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, a socialite who believed she was in possession of a beautiful…
One Wild MomentOne Wild Moment (2015)
Dir. Jean-François Richet
Feat. Vincent Cassel, Francois Cluzet, Alice Isaaz
Exotic romantic comedy with Cassel and Cluzet as two friends who bring their daughters with them on a beach vacation and find themselves in an…
Second Mother, TheSecond Mother, The (Que Horas Ela Volta?) (2015) Recommended
Dir. Anna Muylaert
Feat. Regina Case
An intelligent, touching and funny film exploring the complexities of class structure in Brazil. Tensions arise when a wealthy family allows their…
Tehran TaxiTehran Taxi (2015)
Dir. Jafar Panahi
Ingenious documentary from Iranian director Jafar Panahi who, while banned from making movies by his government, poses as a taxi driver to reflect on…
TrumanTruman (2015) Recommended
Dir. Cesc Gay
Feat. Ricardo Darín, Javier Camara
Spanish cinema stars Ricardo Darin and Javier Camara team up for this sensitive comedy as childhood friends who reunite after many years when one of…
UmrikaUmrika (2015) Recommended
Dir. Prashant Nair
Feat. Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Prateik Babbar
Gently satisfying comedy set in a small village in 1970's India where the inhabitants hear tales of life in America ("Umrika") through letters sent…
ZoomZoom (2015)
Dir. Paulo Morelli
Feat. Gael Garcia Bernal, Alison Pill, Jason Priestley
A multi–dimensional interface between a comic book artist, a novelist, and a film director. Each lives in a separate reality but authors a…
A Chance EncounterA Chance Encounter (Quantum Love) (2014)
Dir. Lisa Azuelos
Feat. Sophie Marceau, Francois Cluzet, Lisa Azuelos
High–concept romantic comedy which blends fantasy with reality as a a married man's encounter with another woman develops into a mutual…
Belier Family, TheBelier Family, The (2014) Recommended
Dir. Eric Lartigau
Feat. François Damiens, Karin Viard, Louane Emera
Heart–warming French comedy about a hearing–impaired couple who's teenage daughter displays a remarkable flair for music.
Folies BergèreFolies Bergère (Paris Follies) (2014)
Dir. Marc Fitoussi
Feat. Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Michael Nyqvist
Isabelle Huppert stars in this lighty comic French tale as a as a farmer’s wife who takes off to Paris on a whim and finds romance in unexpected…
Force MajeureForce Majeure (Turist) (2014) Aro Favourite
Dir. Ruben Östlund
Feat. Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Kristofer Hivju
A barbed and incisive Swedish black comedy of gender politics, centred around a family on a skiing holiday in the French Alps who face a recognizable…
Get Well SoonGet Well Soon (2014)
Dir. Jean Becker
Feat. Gerard Lanvin, Fred Testot, Jean-Pierre Darroussin
Gentle French comedy about a middle–aged curmudgeon whose enforced stay in hospital forces him to re–evaluate his life.
Love at First FightLove at First Fight (Les Combattants) (2014) Recommended
Dir. Thomas Cailley
Feat. Adele Haenel, Kevin Azais, Antoine Laurent
An intensely physical take on the romantic comedy, with an awkward summer romance taking place at a French survivalist camp between a…
Mystery of Happiness, TheMystery of Happiness, The (2014)
Dir. Daniel Burman
Feat. Guillermo Francella, Ines Estevez, Fabián Arenillas
Light comedy that charts the shock waves that result when an outwardly content businessman abandons his wife and best friend.
Parasyte: Part OneParasyte: Part One (2014)
Dir. Takashi Yamazaki
Feat. Shota Sometani, Eri Fukatsu, Ai Hashimoto
Based on a long running Manga, this horror–comedy offers up Cronenbergian thrills in a world under attack from parasitic worm–like…
Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, APigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, A (2014)
Dir. Roy Andersson
Feat. Holger Andersson, Nils Westblom
Absurdist comedy that follows two hapless novelty salesman on a picaresque tour of the human condition.
SambaSamba (2014)
Dir. Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Feat. Omar Sy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tahar Rahim
The creative force behind THE INTOUCHABLES return with this inspirational drama centered on the redeeming relationship between a Senegalese…
Sex, Love and TherapySex, Love and Therapy (The Missionaries) (2014)
Dir. Tonie Marshall
Feat. Sophie Marceau, Patrick Bruel, Andre Wilms
Frothy sex comedy with Patrick Bruel as a marriage counsellor and recovering sex addict whose abstinence is tested by the discovery that his new…
100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, The100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, The (Hundred Year Old Man, the) (2013) Recommended
Dir. Felix Herngren
Feat. Robert Gustafsson
A spirited Swedish comedy – think a twilight FORREST GUMP – about a plucky 100–year–old man whose addiction to blowing things…
Blind DetectiveBlind Detective (2013)
Dir. Johnnie To
Feat. Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Yuanyuan Gao
Dir. Johnnie To has a bob each way with this entertaining policier, effortlessly combining action, comedy and slapstick romance. Andy Lau plays the…
Brats, TheBrats, The (Les gamins) (2013)
Dir. Anthony Marciano
Feat. Alain Chabat, Max Boublil, Sandrine Kiberlain
Something of a French take on the Judd Apatow school of middle–aged stupor, this finds a dissatisfied married man bromancing his daughter's…
Chinese PuzzleChinese Puzzle (2013)
Dir. Cedric Klapisch
Feat. Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cecile De France
Cédric Klapisch's cosmopolitan trilogy wraps up with this breezy reunion of the characters first introduced in THE SPANISH APARTMENT, now…
CupcakesCupcakes (2013)
Dir. Eytan Fox
Feat. Efrat Dor, Dana Ivgy
Six Tel Aviv friends who delight in ridiculing the Eurovision song contest video a parody of themselves performing a make–believe number, only…
French Minister, TheFrench Minister, The (Quai d'Orsay) (2013)
Dir. Bertrand Tavernier
Feat. Thierry Lhermitte, Niels Arestrup, Julie Gayet
A cutting political satire set in the world of French diplomacy, about the relationship between a young speechwriter and the Minister of Foreign…
Gilded Cage, TheGilded Cage, The (2013) Recommended
Dir. Ruben Alves
Feat. Rita Blanco, Joaquim De Almeida, Roland Giraud
A beloved migrant family who service an exclusive apartment block in Paris decide to return to Portugal, though not if the residents have a say in…
Hunting ElephantsHunting Elephants (2013)
Dir. Reshef Levi
Feat. Sasson Gabai, Moni Moshonov, Patrick Stewart
Three old timers, with the aid of a genius grandson, plot to rob a bank in this enjoyable Israeli heist comedy.
I'm So Excited!I'm So Excited! (Los amantes pasajeros) (2013)
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Javier Camara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueñas
This campy, featherweight sex comedy set almost entirely on an aeroplane is but a mere footnote in the career of living legend, Pedro Almodovar.
Journey to the WestJourney to the West (Conquering The Demons) (2013)
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao), Chi-kin Kwok
Feat. Shu Qi, Zhang Wen, Bo Huang
Stephen Chow directs this entertaining Monkey legend spoof with imagination and an eye for the ridiculous. Centred on a Buddhist's unpredictable road…
Living is Easy with Eyes ClosedLiving is Easy with Eyes Closed (2013)
Dir. David Trueba
Feat. Javier Camara, Natalia de Molina, Francesc Colomer
Award–winning Spanish comedy concerning a Beatles–obsessed school teacher on a quest to meet John Lennon, picking up two teenage runaways…
Noble Family, TheNoble Family, The (2013)
Dir. Gary Alazraki
Feat. Gonzalo Vega, Luis Gerardo Mendez, Karla Souza
The most successful Mexican film of all time is a broad comedy of familial dysfunction. Three privileged adult children must fend for themselves…
Of Horses and MenOf Horses and Men (2013)
Dir. Benedikt Erlingsson
Feat. Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Charlotte Bøving, Kristbjörg Kjeld
A series of comic vignettes of life in a rural Icelandic community, which shows the intertwined lives of humans and horses in sometimes awkward…
Rock the CasbahRock the Casbah (2013)
Dir. Laïla Marrakchi
Feat. Morjana Alaoui, Nadine Labaki, Lubna Azabal
Culturally–specific family comedy in which three women reunite in Morocco to mourn in accordance with Muslim tradition following the death of…
Say Yes!Say Yes! (2013)
Dir. Leste Chen
Feat. Godfrey Gao, Hailu Qin, Bo Huang
A Mainland spin on popular Japanese television series “101st Proposal”, about an eternally unsuccessful blind dater who finally meets the girl of…
Tour de ForceTour de Force (2013)
Dir. Laurent Tuel
Feat. Clovis Cornillac, Bouli Lanners, Elodie Bouchez
French cycling comedy tells the unlikely tale of a forlorn cycling fanatic attempting to win back his wife's affections by entering the Tour de…
Vive la FranceVive la France (2013)
Dir. Michael Youn
Feat. Michael Youn, Jose Garcia
This on–the–nose French farce centres on two naive country shepherds who have been ordered by their government to blow up the Eiffel…
Volcano, TheVolcano, The (Eyjafjallajökull) (2013)
Dir. Alexandre Coffre
Feat. Dany Boon, Valérie Bonneton
When the eruption of an Icelandic volcano diverts their flight plans to Greece, a squabbling ex–couple must hit the road together if they are…
WetlandsWetlands (2013)
Dir. David Wnendt
Feat. Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Marlen Kruse
Provocative comic tale of an eccentric girl who has strange attitudes towards hygiene and sexuality longs for the reunion of her divorced parents.
Why Don't You Play in Hell?Why Don't You Play in Hell? (Jigoku de naze warui) (2013)
Dir. Sion Sono
Feat. Kunimura Jun, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Fumi Nikaido
Described by its creator as "an action film about the love of 35mm", this frenzied fanboy fiction from Shion Sono bears his trademark excess and…
Wrestling QueensWrestling Queens (Les Reines du Ring) (2013)
Dir. Jean-Marc Rudnicki
Feat. Marilou Berry, Nathalie Baye, Andre Dussollier
Broad French sports spoof with Nathalie Baye as an under–appreciated mother who recruits her working class friends to train to be wrestling…
A Gun in Each HandA Gun in Each Hand (2012)
Dir. Cesc Gay
Feat. Javier Camara, Ricardo Darín, Jordi Molla
A talk–em–up as opposed to a shoot–em–up, this lively portmanteau follows the dissatisfied lives of eight middle–aged…
Another Woman's LifeAnother Woman's Life (2012)
Dir. Sylvie Testud
Feat. Juliette Binoche, Mathieu Kassovitz, Aure Atika
Juliette Binoche is typically radiant in this otherwise slight variation on the time–leap genre. She plays a well–to–do woman who…
Asterix and Obelix in BritainAsterix and Obelix in Britain (God Save Britannia) (2012)
Dir. Laurent Tirard
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Edouard Baer, Valérie Lemercier
Another big–budget, live action outing for the Franco comic duo, here aligning with the British to repel the Julius Caesar's invading Roman…
Camille RewindsCamille Rewinds (2012)
Dir. Noemie Lvovsky
Feat. Noemie Lvovsky, Yolande Moreau, Denis Podalydes
A jilted 40–something woman drowns her sorrows to the point of oblivion, sending herself back in time to her sixteenth birthday where she gets…
Dead SushiDead Sushi (2012)
Dir. Noboru Iguchi
Feat. Rina Takeda
An innkeeper proficient in both karate and sushi making must fend off a hoard of flesh–eating California Rolls after one of her guests injects…
Fly Me to the MoonFly Me to the Moon (Un plan parfait) (2012)
Dir. Pascal Chaumeil
Feat. Diane Kruger, Dany Boon, Alice Pol
The French churn out another dispensable yet dishy rom–com, this time centred on a woman (Diane Kruger, she of the supermodel looks) who…
Granny's FuneralGranny's Funeral (2012)
Dir. Bruno Podalydes
Feat. Denis Podalydes, Valérie Lemercier
A pharmacist's mid–life crisis is deepened when his grandmother kicks the bucket in this routine French comedy.
Happiness Never Comes AloneHappiness Never Comes Alone (2012)
Dir. James Huth
Feat. Gad Elmaleh, Sophie Marceau
French romantic fodder, with Gad Elmaleh as a commitment–phobic playboy who, against his constitution, falls head over heels for a divorced…
Haute CuisineHaute Cuisine (2012)
Dir. Christian Vincent
Feat. Catherine Frot, Hippolyte Girardot
A heavenly food biopic of the life of Danièle Delpeuch, celebrated private chef to the French president, François Mitterrand.
Hellfjord (TV Series)Hellfjord (TV Series) (2012)
Feat. Zahid Ali, Stig Frode Henriksen, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
Off–beat Scandi original from the writer of DEAD SNOW centres around the misfortunes a policeman who, after an unfortunate incident involving…
Italian Film Festival Collection, The - 2012: Volume OneItalian Film Festival Collection, The - 2012: Volume One (2012)
Comprehensive box–set collection of 16 of the best Italian films featured at the 'Italian Film Festival 2012' spread over 5 discs. Films…
Italian Film Festival Collection, The - 2012: Volume TwoItalian Film Festival Collection, The - 2012: Volume Two (2012)
Comprehensive box–set collection of 14 of the best Italian films featured at the 'Italian Film Festival 2012' spread over 5 discs. Films…
Le ChefLe Chef (Comme un chef) (2012) Recommended
Dir. Daniel Cohen
Feat. Jean Reno, Michael Youn, Santiago Segura
Tangy French comedy, with Jean Reno as a pretentious culinary master whose renowned restaurant is threatened by a young chef specializing in…
Looking for HortenseLooking for Hortense (2012)
Dir. Pascal Bonitzer
Feat. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Kristin Scott Thomas, Isabelle Carré
This bittersweet comedy of manners finds familiar May–December pleasures in the mid–life journey of an unhappily married professor who…
On AirOn Air (Parlez-moi de vous) (2012)
Dir. Pierre Pinaud
Feat. Karin Viard, Nicolas Duvauchelle
A solid character vehicle for French mainstay Karin Viard, here playing the sophisticated host of a radio talkback show, whose knack for delivering…
Paris-ManhattanParis-Manhattan (2012)
Dir. Sophie Lellouche
Feat. Alice Taglioni, Patrick Bruel
A Woody Allen–obsessed pharmacist employs the philosophies of her nebbish movie hero in life and in love. Typically, inconsequentially French,…
PopulairePopulaire (2012)
Dir. Régis Roinsard
Feat. Romain Duris, Deborah Francois, Bérénice Bejo
Full of colour and quick–witted style, this French period comedy plays up the vintage appeal of the 1950s through rose tinted glasses. Deborah…
RealityReality (2012) Recommended
Dir. Matteo Garrone
Feat. Aniello Arena, Loredana Simioli, Nando Paone
A working class scam artist tries out for 'Big Brother' in this bustling, Fellini–esque satire of unrealised dreams from dir. Matteo Garrone…
Rita (TV Series)Rita (TV Series) (2012-2015) Recommended
Feat. Mille Dinesen, Lise Baastrup, Carsten Bjørnlund
Danish comedy series following the life of a defiantly outspoken school teacher and single mother who excels in her teaching but struggles in her…
VulgariaVulgaria (2012)
Dir. Pang Ho-Cheung
Feat. Chapman To, Dada Chan, Suet Lam
Amusingly scattershot showbiz satire of a struggling film producer who turns to making pornography under the financing of a twisted triad…
What's in a Name?What's in a Name? (2012) Aro Favourite
Dir. Matthie Delaporte, Alexandre de La Patellière
Feat. Patrick Bruel, Valerie Benguigui, Charles Berling
A French "dinner party" comedy par excellence that interrogates the anxiety of impending parenthood and bourgeois politics when a liberal couple find…
A Happy EventA Happy Event (Un Heureux Evenement) (2011)
Dir. Rémi Bezançon
Feat. Louise Bourgoin, Pio Marmaï, Josiane Balasko
Keenly felt depiction of the baby blues as a young couple struggle to come to grips with parenthood.
Ages of LoveAges of Love (Manual of Love 3) (2011)
Dir. Giovanni Veronesi
Feat. Robert De Niro, Monica Bellucci, Riccardo Scamarcio
Third installment in the fluffy romantic series has benefits from the presence of De Niro as a visiting professor seduced by his neighbour's…
And If We All Lived TogetherAnd If We All Lived Together (2011)
Dir. Stéphane Robelin
Feat. Guy Bedos, Daniel Brühl, Geraldine Chaplin
Five 70–something friends resolve to move in together when faced with life in a retirement home, much to the fascination of a ethnology student…
Art of Love, TheArt of Love, The (2011)
Dir. Emmanuel Mouret
Feat. Emmanuel Mouret, Pascale Arbillot, Ariane Ascaride
The French try their hand at the ensemble romantic comedy with this episodic insight into the dramas, dilemmas, and delights of love between a cast…
Chinese TakeawayChinese Takeaway (2011) Recommended
Dir. Sebastian Borensztein
Feat. Ricardo Darín, Muriel Santa Ana, Ignacio Huang
Wry comedy of clashing cultures centres on an unlikely friendship between a curmudgeonly hardware store–owner and a young immigrant.
DelicacyDelicacy (2011)
Dir. David Foenkinos, Stéphane Foenkinos
Feat. Audrey Tautou, François Damiens
Audrey Tautou breezes through yet another whimsical French souffle, here playing a widowed gamine beauty who rediscovers love in the form of a…
Escort in LoveEscort in Love (Nessuno mi può giudicare) (2011)
Dir. Massimiliano Bruno
Riches–to–rags comedy about a superficial, wealthy Italian woman whose husband dies suddenly and leaves her unexpectedly…
Fairy, TheFairy, The (La Fée) (2011)
Dir. Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Feat. Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Third feature collaboration for husband–and–wife acting/directing team Abel & Gordon is the story of a hotel clerk searching all over the…
FootnoteFootnote (2011) Aro Favourite
Dir. Joseph Cedar
Feat. Shlomo Bar-Aba, Lior Ashkenazi, Micah Lewnsohn
A father and son's complicated relationship is tested over the award of a vaunted academic prize in their shared field of Talmudic studies in this…
Immature, TheImmature, The (2011)
Dir. Paolo Genovese
Feat. Raoul Bova, Barbora Bobulova, Ambra Angiolini
A breezy, feel–good comedy about a group of friends reunited after twenty years, after a formal error forces them to resit their…
Intouchables, TheIntouchables, The (2011) Aro Favourite
Dir. Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Feat. Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny
Exemplary feel–good French comedy that details the unlikely friendship between an aristocratic quadriplegic and a young French–African…
Italian Film Festival Collection, The - 2011Italian Film Festival Collection, The - 2011 (2011)
Comprehensive box–set collection of 11 of the best Italian films featured at the 'Italian Film Festival 2011' spread over 5 discs. Film…
Juan of the DeadJuan of the Dead (2011)
Dir. Alejandro Brugués
Feat. Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina
A direct and surprisingly inspired Hispanic take on the SHAUN OF THE DEAD zom–com model that makes nifty use of its unique Cuban locale and…
Le HavreLe Havre (2011) Recommended
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Andre Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin
An old–time shoe–shiner befriends a young African refugee in hiding from immigration authorities in this soft–centred comedy from…
MedianerasMedianeras (Sidewalls) (2011)
Dir. Gustavo Taretto
Feat. Javier Drolas, Pilar López de Ayala
Two mournful souls destined for each other conspire to never cross paths despite living directly across from one another in this inventive modern…
Monsieur LazharMonsieur Lazhar (2011) Recommended
Dir. Philippe Falardeau
Feat. Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nelisse, Emilien Neron
An asylum seeking Algerian attempts to pass himself off as teacher in a Canadian school bereft after the suicide of a popular teacher.
Salt of Life, TheSalt of Life, The (2011)
Dir. Gianni Di Gregorio
Feat. Gianni Di Gregorio
Gianni Di Gregorio's delightful follow–up to MID–AUGUST LUNCH, about a house husband at the whim of his wife, daughter, neighbour, and…
SkylabSkylab (2011)
Dir. Julie Delpy
Feat. Bernadette Lafont, Emmanuelle Riva, Eric Elmosnino
Julie Delpy directs this nostalgic crowd–pleaser, set around a rowdy family gathering in the summer of 1979, whose youngest member believes…
Source, TheSource, The (La Source des femmes) (2011)
Dir. Radu Mihaileanu
Feat. Leïla Bekhti, Hafsia Herzi, Hiam Abbass
A dashing feminist dramedy sprung from the male bias in the Middle East, about a village of women who take up a 'sex strike' after their husbands…
Spark of Life, TheSpark of Life, The (As Luck Would Have It) (2011)
Dir. Alex de la Iglesia
Feat. Jose Mota, Salma Hayek, Blanca Portillo
An aggressive media satire centred around the frenzied bidding war that erupts for a permanently and publicly immobile man's story, with the man…
This Girl is Badass!!This Girl is Badass!! (2011)
Dir. Mum Jokmok
Feat. JeeJa Yanin
Jija Yanin (CHOCOLATE) stars in this martial arts comedy about a girl whose family life is turned upside–down when she gets mixed up with…
Turn Me On, Goddamit!Turn Me On, Goddamit! (2011)
Dir. Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
Feat. Helene Bergsholm, Beate Stofring, Malin Bjorhovde
Deadpan sex comedy in a sleepy Norwegian hamlet with a hormone ravaged teen determined to lose her virginity.
What Women WantWhat Women Want (2011)
Dir. Daming Chen
Feat. Andy Lau, Gong Li, Russell Wong
Amiable Chinese remake with Andy Lau stepping into Mel Gibson's shoes as a chauvinistic executive who gains the ability to hear what women are really…
WhatsoeverlyWhatsoeverly (Qualunquemente) (2011)
Dir. Giulio Manfredonia
Feat. Antonio Albanese, Sergio Rubini
Irrepressibly Italian satirical comedy film starring comedian Antonio Albanese as his famous character Cetto La Qualunque – a corrupt…
Where Do We Go Now?Where Do We Go Now? (2011) Recommended
Dir. Nadine Labaki
Feat. Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki (CARAMEL) directs and stars in this heartfelt Lebanese tale of tensions between Christians and Muslims villagers, and the women who…
Women on the 6th Floor, TheWomen on the 6th Floor, The (2011) Recommended
Dir. Phillippe Le Guay
Feat. Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Natalia Verbeke
An immensely entertaining comedy of the classes, about an uptight Parisian couple who welcome a gaggle of Spanish maids into their lives for the…
33 (Three) (2010)
Dir. Tom Tykwer
Feat. Sophie Rois, Sebastian Schipper, Devid Striesow
Dir. Tom Tykwer energises this simple love story of a forty–something couple who fall for the same man with the frenetic visual and narrative…
A Family on the VergeA Family on the Verge (La bellezza del somaro; Love & Slaps) (2010)
Dir. Sergio Castellitto
Feat. Sergio Castellitto, Laura Morante, Barbora Bobulova
A wry updating of GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER has a successful couple nervously awaiting the arrival of their daughter's new boyfriend. Much…
A Somewhat Gentle ManA Somewhat Gentle Man (2010)
Dir. Hans Petter Moland
Feat. Stellan Skarsgard, Bjorn Floberg, Gard B. Eidsvold
A dry, deadpan delight, about a gentle but explosive ex–con (Skarsgard) whose efforts to go straight after a long stint in prison are thwarted…
AbelAbel (2010)
Dir. Diego Luna
Feat. Christopher Ruíz-Esparza, Jose Maria Yazpik
Sweet and satisfyingly unpredictable child fantasy about an imaginative young boy who returns from a psychiatric ward to declare himself the father…
Age of Reason, TheAge of Reason, The (With Love... from the Age of Reason) (2010)
Dir. Yann Samuell
Feat. Sophie Marceau, Marton Csokas, Michel Duchaussoy
A frazzled career woman at breaking point reconnects with her childhood in this soul–searching romantic comedy. More melodramatic, and less…
Another WorldAnother World (Un altro Mondo) (2010)
Dir. Silvio Muccino
Feat. Silvio Muccino, Isabella Ragonese, Michael Rainey Jr
Glossy dramedy in which a wealthy slacker who after the death of his father finds himself the legal guardian of a half–brother he never new…
Basilicata: Coast to CoastBasilicata: Coast to Coast (2010)
Dir. Rocco Papaleo
Feat. Alessandro Gassman, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Paolo Briguglia
Energetic musical about a band and a music journalist who decide to cross the region of Basilicata by foot to attend a music festival.
Beautiful LiesBeautiful Lies (2010)
Dir. Pierre Salvadori
Feat. Audrey Tautou, Nathalie Baye, Sami Bouajila
Sweet and scenic Audrey Tautou confection, about a mother and daughter competing for the same secret admirer.
CopacabanaCopacabana (2010)
Dir. Marc Fitoussi
Feat. Isabelle Huppert, Aure Atika, Lolita Chammah
Free–spirited and perpetually unemployed Isabelle Huppert must get with the program after learning her newly engaged daughter (played by her…
First Beautiful Thing, TheFirst Beautiful Thing, The (2010)
Dir. Paolo Virzi
Feat. Valerio Mastandrea, Micaela Ramazzotti, Stefania Sandrelli
Winsome melodrama with a misanthropic professor returning to his home town to assist his dying mother. Delicately performed but perhaps overly…
GallantsGallants (2010) Recommended
Dir. Chi-kin Kwok, Clement Sze-Kit Cheng
Feat. Siu-Lung Leung, Kuan Tai Chen
An exuberant homage to the Shaw Brothers films of yesteryear, this kung–fu comedy delights as an old–school actioner, replete with…
Happy FamilyHappy Family (2010)
Dir. Gabriele Salvatores
Feat. Fabrizzio Bentivoglio, Margherita Buy, Valeria Bilello
Wafer thin meta–comedy with a struggling author writing himself into the tale of two disparate families who come together when their teenagers…
Happy, HappyHappy, Happy (2010)
Dir. Anne Sewitsky
Feat. Agnes Kittelsen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Joachim Rafaelsen
Sharp comedy with a woman trapped in a loveless marriage finding her life taking an exciting turn for the better when an exciting new couple move in…
HeartbreakerHeartbreaker (L'arnacoeur) (2010) Recommended
Dir. Pascal Chaumeil
Feat. Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis
Romain Duris exploits his handsome charms as a professional heartbreaker hired to ruin relationships – that is, until he strikes upon a woman…
Human Resources Manager, TheHuman Resources Manager, The (2010)
Dir. Eran Riklis
Feat. Mark Ivanir
An absurdist odyssey from the director of LEMON TREE, about an Israeli bakery manager who must accompany the body of one of his employees back to…
Jo's BoyJo's Boy (2010)
Dir. Philippe Guillard
Feat. Gerard Lanvin, Olivier Marchal, Karina Lombard
Very undemanding French fare set amongst a family of rugby legends whose legacy is under threat by their particularly unsporty progeny.
KlownKlown (2010) Aro Favourite
Dir. Mikkel Nørgaard
Feat. Frank Hvam, Casper Christensen, Marcuz Jess Petersen
Danish comedians Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen play debauched versions of themselves on a weekend canoe trip away with their long–suffering…
Let the Bullets FlyLet the Bullets Fly (2010) Recommended
Dir. Wen Jiang
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat, Ge You, Wen Jiang
Cocksure 'noodle' western – best described as a Chinese variation on Kurosawa's YOJIMBO – pits a notorious bandit against the mob boss of…
Little Big SoldierLittle Big Soldier (2010)
Dir. Sheng Ding
Feat. Jackie Chan, Lee-Hom Wang
Charismatic anti–war comedy stars Jackie Chan as a lowly foot soldier who strikes it lucky when he captures a wanted enemy General (Wang).…
Loose CannonsLoose Cannons (2010)
Dir. Ferzan Ozpetek
Feat. Riccardo Scamarcio
An cheerfully overstuffed family comedy of a gay young man who attempts to come out to his ultra traditionalist parents in the south of Italy.
MammuthMammuth (2010)
Dir. Gustave Kervern, Benoit Delepine
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Yolande Moreau, Isabelle Adjani
Slyly subversive comic tale with Gerard Depardieu in fine fettle as a retiree battling to secure his state pension.
Marriage and Other DisastersMarriage and Other Disasters (Weddings and Other Disasters) (2010)
Dir. Nina Di Majo
Feat. Fabio Volo, Margherita Buy, Luciana Littizzetto
Likeable rom–com with romantically disillusioned woman finds herself organising her sister's wedding. Cue romantic mismatching and shenanigans.
My Afternoons With MargueritteMy Afternoons With Margueritte (2010)
Dir. Jean Becker
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus
Gerard Depardieu plays an illiterate man who forges an unlikely friendship with a elderly writer in this gentle new film from the dir. of…
My Name is KhanMy Name is Khan (2010)
Dir. Karan Johar
Feat. Shahrukh Khan, Kajol , Christopher B. Duncan
Well–meaning plea for racial tolerance with an Aspergers–afflicted Muslim detained in the U.S. as a terrorist and undertaking a journey…
Names of Love, TheNames of Love, The (2010)
Dir. Michel Leclerc
Feat. Jacques Gamblin, Sara Forestier, Zinedine Soualem
Witty cocktail of sex and politics about an extroverted left–wing activist who sleeps with her political opponents to convert them to her cause.
Nothing to DeclareNothing to Declare (2010) Recommended
Dir. Dany Boon
Feat. Dany Boon, Benoit Poelvoorde, Karin Viard
Actor–director Dany Boon follows up his hit regional comedy WELCOME TO THE STICKS with another lite French farce founded in stubborn parochial…
On TourOn Tour (Tournee) (2010)
Dir. Mathieu Amalric
Feat. Miranda Colclasure, Mathieu Amalric
A consistently funny and inventive comedy from actor–director Mathieu Amalric, here playing a washed up TV producer who leads a troupe of…
Once a GangsterOnce a Gangster (2010)
Dir. Felix Chong
Feat. Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Alex Fong
Nimble action–comedy with two jaded gangsters urged by their elders to fight for the position of Dragon Head of the Hong Kong Underworld.…
Passion, ThePassion, The (2010)
Dir. Carlo Mazzacurati
Feat. Silvio Orlando, Giuseppe Battiston, Kasia Smutniak
Routine comedy in which a film director reluctantly agrees to set up and direct the Good Friday celebrations in a small Tuscan town.
Perfect Date, ThePerfect Date, The (L'amour, c'est mieux à deux) (2010)
Dir. Dominique Farrugia, Arnaud Lemort
Feat. Clovis Cornillac, Virginie Efira, Manu Payet
A derivative French rom–com nonetheless delivered in good spirits, this focuses on the ingrained patterns of two male friends whose wildly…
PotichePotiche (2010) Recommended
Dir. Francois Ozon
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini
Bubbly satire has 60–something Catherine Deneuve transform from trophy wife to a strong–headed businesswoman after her chauvinist husband…
Rare Exports - A Christmas TaleRare Exports - A Christmas Tale (2010) Recommended
Dir. Jalmari Helander
Feat. Onni Tommita, Jorma Tommila
A wicked brew of 80s adventure movie and twisted horror comedy, centred on an archaeological discovery which may prove to be the remains of the real…
Romantics AnonymousRomantics Anonymous (2010) Recommended
Dir. Jean-Pierre Améris
Feat. Benoit Poelvoorde, Isabelle Carré
Two would–be lovers must overcome their timidness via a mutual passion for chocolate in this sweet–toothed romantic comedy.
Room in RomeRoom in Rome (Habitación en Roma) (2010)
Dir. Julio Medem
Feat. Elena Anaya, Natasha Yarovenko, Enrico Lo Verso
Erotic chronicle of a brief encounter between two women set almost entirely within the confines of a hotel room. More porno–profundity from…
Simple SimonSimple Simon (2010) Recommended
Dir. Andreas Öhman
Feat. Bill Skarsgård, Martin Wallström
Sensitive feel–good romantic–comedy of an Asperger's sufferer whose brother sets out to find him a new girlfriend. Eccentric Swedish…
Vincent Wants to SeaVincent Wants to Sea (2010)
Dir. Ralf Huettner
Feat. Florian David Fitz, Karoline Herfurth, Heino Ferch
Likeable though lightweight road comedy in which a Tourette's sufferer escapes from a clinic with two others (an obsessive and an anorexic) and…
Welcome to the SouthWelcome to the South (2010)
Dir. Luca Miniero
Feat. Claudio Bisio, Aleesandro Siani, Angela Finocchiaro
Spirited remake of the French hit 'Welcome to the Sticks' has a hapless postal employee dispatched to the Mezzogiorno.
Woman of My Dreams, TheWoman of My Dreams, The (La donna della mia vita) (2010)
Dir. Luca Lucini
Feat. Alessandro Gassman, Luca Argentero
Astute romantic comedy about the big and little lies people tell in their search for love, following the fallout of a friendship between two brothers…
1000 Euro Generation1000 Euro Generation (2009)
Dir. Massimo Venier
Feat. Alessandro Tiberi, Valentina Lodovini, Carolina Crescentini
Affable comedy about the life of a young underemployed physicist struggling with romantic entanglements and just managing to eke out a living in…
3 Idiots3 Idiots (2009)
Dir. Rajkumar Hirani
Feat. Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi
Lively college romp is a fine vehicle for Indian superstar Aamir Khan, here playing one of three larrikin engineering students on campus, whose…
A Matter of SizeA Matter of Size (2009)
Dir. Erez Tadmor, Sharon Maymon
Feat. Itzik Cohen, Dvir Benedek, Alon Dohan
Sweet comedy about four overweight men fed up with the pressure of losing weight who decide to take their girth where it's appreciated, into the…
BaariaBaaria (2009)
Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore
Feat. Raoul Bova, Margareth Made, Francesco Scianna
Giuseppe Tornatore directs an autobiographical saga covering sixty years of turmoil through the eyes of three generations of a peasant family. Those…
Cezanne Affair, TheCezanne Affair, The (2009)
Dir. Sergio Rubini
Feat. Sergio Rubini, Riccardo Scamarcio, Valeria Golino
Sentimental comedy–drama with a son returning home to his dying father who's thwarted artistic ambitions cast a dark shaodw over his childhood.
Change of PlansChange of Plans (Le code a changé) (2009)
Dir. Daniele Thompson
Feat. Dany Boon, Karin Viard, Emmanuelle Seigner
Stacked Gallic dramedy stars Karin Viard and Dany Boon as a swanky French couple who invite six equally wealthy Parisians to dinner – their evening…
CocoCoco (2009)
Dir. Gad Elmaleh
Feat. Gad Elmaleh, Gerard Depardieu
The hapless soul of many a French Farce, comedian Gad Elmaleh stars and directs in this feature–length adaptation of one of his popular…
East West EastEast West East (2009)
Dir. Gjergj Xhuvani
Feat. Ervin Bejleri, Helidon Fino, Gentiano Hazizi
An amateur cycling team from Albania heads to France to take part in a tournament only to discover on the way that revolution has broken out back…
French Kissers, TheFrench Kissers, The (Les Beaux Gosses) (2009)
Dir. Riad Sattouf
Feat. Vincent Lacoste, Anthony Sonigo, Alice Trémolière
Gallic hormonal comedy about two unkempt, sex–obsessed adolescents and their wavering exploits with the school's most popular girl. Is quite…
Hedgehog, TheHedgehog, The (Le hérisson) (2009) Recommended
Dir. Mona Achache
Feat. Josiane Balasko, Togo Igawa, Garance Le Guillermic
Charming, melancholy comedy in which a precocious, jaded 11–year–old from a well–to–do family decides to commit suicide on…
I Killed My MotherI Killed My Mother (J'ai tué ma mère) (2009) Recommended
Dir. Xavier Dolan
Feat. Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clément
An angst ridden teen grapples with growing up gay and his neurotic, overbearing mother in this feisty first feature from young French Canadian…
Kung Fu ChefsKung Fu Chefs (Gong fu chu shen) (2009)
Dir. Wing Kin Yip
Feat. Sammo Hung, Vanness Wu, Cherrie Ying
This gastronomic spin on the martial arts movie lacks the invention or absurdist comedy of GOD OF COOKERY, however still delivers plenty of chopsocky…
Life Coach, TheLife Coach, The (Le Coach) (2009)
Dir. Olivier Doran
Feat. Jean-Paul Rouve, Richard Berry, Annie Marivin
Affable comedy with a business coach, up to his eyeballs in debt, taking on a most difficult assignment help an irredeemable miquetoast close an…
Many Kisses LaterMany Kisses Later (Ex) (2009)
Dir. Fausto Brizzi
Feat. Claudia Gerini, Flavio Insinna, Silvio Orlando
Breezy rom–com –a smash hit in Italy– follows six couples from Chistmas to Valetine's Day and their various entanglements.…
Matter of Heart, AMatter of Heart, A (Questione di cuore) (2009)
Dir. Francesca Archibugi
Feat. Antonio Albanese, Kim Rossi Stuart, Micaela Ramazzotti
Two men recovering from heart attacks strike up an unlikely friendship in this enjoyably sentimental farce, with much of the humour derived from…
Me TooMe Too (Yo, Tambien) (2009)
Dir. Antonio Naharro, Alvaro Pastor
Feat. Lola Dueñas, Isabel Garcia Lorca, Antonio Naharro
Affecting tale of a bittersweet friendship between an office worker with Down syndrome and his restless, free–spirited colleague.
Me, Them & LaraMe, Them & Lara (2009)
Dir. Carlo Verdone
Feat. Carlo Verdone, Laura Chiatti, Anna Bonaiuto
Screwy comedy captures the messy familial predicaments a priest encounters upon his return from Africa, his father's new love, his brother's drug…
MicmacsMicmacs (2009) Recommended
Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Feat. Dany Boon, Andre Dussollier, Jean-Pierre Marielle
The dir. of AMELIE and CITY OF LOST CHILDREN stays true to form(ula) with his visual chutzpah lavished upon another idealised scenario that this time…
OSS 117: Lost in RioOSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009) Recommended
Dir. Michel Hazanavicius
Feat. Jean Dujardin
Bumbling intelligence officer and shameless chauvinist, Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, returns for Brazilian adventures in this bright and breezy spy…
Over the Hill Band, TheOver the Hill Band, The (Meisjes) (2009)
Dir. Geoffrey Enthoven
Feat. Marilou Mermans, Jan Van Looveren
A modest old age delight centred on recently widowed mother who resolves to kick start her middle–aged son's music career by recruiting the…
Please Please Me!Please Please Me! (Fais-moi plaisir!) (2009)
Dir. Emmanuel Mouret
Feat. Emmanuel Mouret, Judith Godreche, Deborah Francois
Boudoir laughs a–plenty in this sexy farce from the 'French Woody Allen' as a goofy inventor's date with the President's daughter descends into…
PuzzlePuzzle (Rompecabezas) (2009)
Dir. Natalia Smirnoff
Feat. María Onetto, Arturo Goetz, Gabriel Goity
Low–key charmer with a bored housewife discovering her freakish aptitude for puzzles and partnering with a rich bachelor for an international…
Soul KitchenSoul Kitchen (2009)
Dir. Fatih Akin
Feat. Adam Bousdoukos, Pheline Roggan, Moritz Bleibtreu
Light but hearty food comedy from the dir. of THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, about a soulful Greek immigrant who sets about relaunching his failed restaurant…
Tracing ShadowTracing Shadow (Zhui ying) (2009)
Dir. Marco Mak, Francis Ng
Feat. Jaycee Chan, Hao Dang, Francis Ng
This batty Ming Dynasty comedy is a worthy throwback to Hong Kong’s campy martial arts movies of the early 90s, with an extravagant blend of…
Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein GirlVampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl (2009)
Dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu
Feat. Yukie Nakama, Eri Otoguro
Another enjoyable stock effort from the makers of TOKYO GORE POLICE et. al, this combines home–brewed splatter, ropey special effects, and…
Asterix at the Olympic GamesAsterix at the Olympic Games (Astérix Aux Jeux Olympiques) (2008)
Dir. Frederic Forestier, Thomas Langmann
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, Benoit Poelvoorde
Fairly loose adaptation of the original comic follows the oddball duo as they try to win the Olympic Games in order to set their friend up with a…
Country WeddingCountry Wedding (Sveitabrúðkaup) (2008)
Dir. Valdís Óskarsdóttir
Feat. Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir
Two busloads of wedding guests get lost on their way to the church in this lively Icelandic comedy, improvised and shot on the fly. Farcical and…
Early Bird Catches the Worm, TheEarly Bird Catches the Worm, The (2008)
Dir. Francesco Patierno
Feat. Elio Germano, Laura Chiatti, Martina Stella
Leaden portrait of the rise and fall of popular Italian disc jockey Marco Baldini who's gambling addiction leads him tom make some decidedly rash…
First Day of the Rest of Your Life, TheFirst Day of the Rest of Your Life, The (Le Premier Jour du Reste de ta Vie) (2008) Recommended
Dir. Rémi Bezançon
Feat. Jacques Gamblin, Zabou Breitman, Deborah Francois
Five days in the life of an average, functional family form the basis of this universally appealing French comedy spanning the decade of the…
Good, the Bad, the Weird, TheGood, the Bad, the Weird, The (2008)
Dir. Ji-woon Kim
Feat. Kang-ho Song, Byung-hun Lee, Woo-sung Jung
The high–end stylist behind Korean box office hits A BITTERSWEET LIFE and A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, dir. Kim Ji–woon flavours this eastern…
Her Whole Life AheadHer Whole Life Ahead (Tutta La Vita Davanti) (2008)
Dir. Paolo Virzi
Feat. Isabella Ragonese, Micaela Ramazzotti, Giulia Salerno
A brilliant recent graduate struggles to find work. After falling into a babysitting job, she is introduced by the child's mother to the world of the…
LOLLOL (2008)
Dir. Lisa Azuelos
Feat. Christa Theret, Sophie Marceau
Sassy French comedy stars Sophie Marceau as the loving, long–suffering mother of a rebellious teen lass.
Louise - MichelLouise - Michel (2008) Aro Favourite
Dir. Benoit Delepine, Gustave Kervern
Feat. Yolande Moreau, Bouli Lanners, Benoit Poelvoorde
A black comedy treasure about a newly redundant factory worker who hires a dodgy hit man to take out her rich employers. The trouble starts when the…
Me TwoMe Two (La Personne Aux Deux Personnes) (2008)
Dir. Bruno Lavaine, Nicolas Charlet
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Alain Chabat
This French farce sets up a straight–laced, friendless accountant for possession by the spirit of an 80s one–hit–wonder, with…
Mid-August LunchMid-August Lunch (2008) Recommended
Dir. Gianni Di Gregorio
Feat. Gianni Di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Marina Cacciotti
A comedy of manners and good taste in form and content, this soulful comedy sets up a middle–aged man forced to play host to a gaggle of…
My Friends My LovesMy Friends My Loves (Mes amis, mes amours) (2008)
Dir. Lorraine Levy
Feat. Vincent Lindon, Pascal Elbé, Virginie Ledoyen
A buddy movie for middle–aged divorcees, this lightweight odd–coupling follows two Parisian single dads who decide to raise their…
Pain in the Ass, APain in the Ass, A (L'emmerdeur) (2008)
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Richard Berry, Patrick Timsit, Pascal Elbé
Fast–paced black comedy arises out of an unlikely friendship between a hitman and a depressive who find themselves sharing hotels. Based on…
Peaceful TimesPeaceful Times (Friedliche Zeiten) (2008)
Dir. Neele Leana Vollmar
Feat. Katharina M. Schubert, Oliver Stokowski, Nina Monka
A sweet, if slender trip back to 1960s West Germany, where a mother's mental health issues are remembered from the naive, but loving perspective of…
Rosario + Vampire (TV Series)Rosario + Vampire (TV Series) (Rozario To Banpaia) (2008)
Tskune accidentally gets on a bus to a school of monsters.
Rudo and CursiRudo and Cursi (Rudo y Cursi) (2008) Recommended
Dir. Carlos Cuarón
Feat. Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna
The charismatic stars and co–writer of Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN reunite in this biting satire about two brothers from rural stock who have an intense…
RumbaRumba (2008)
Dir. Fiona Gordon, Dominique Abel
Feat. Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel co–wrote, directed and star in this delightful film about a pair of rumba–loving weirdos whose lives…
Silent WeddingSilent Wedding (2008)
Dir. Horatio Malaele
Feat. Meda Andreea Victor, Alexandru Potocean, Valentin Teodosiu
Gentle comedy of a bride and groom whose wedding is interrupted by the death of Stalin, and the period of one weeks mourning effective immediately.…
Sorry If I Want to Marry YouSorry If I Want to Marry You (2008)
Dir. Federico Moccia
Feat. Raoul Bova, Michela Quattrociocche, Francesco Apolloni
Supremely frothy comedy about with a man's increasing insecurity about his relationship leads him to propose marriage setting off a comic chain of…
Speak To Me of LoveSpeak To Me of Love (Parlami d'amore ) (2008)
Dir. Silvio Muccino
Feat. Silvio Muccino, Carolina Crescentini, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
Sasha is a boy in his twenties, deeply loving the beautiful Benedetta, who doesn't seem to recognize his existence. Nicole is a French woman in her…
Tears for SaleTears for Sale (Charleston and Vendetta) (2008) Recommended
Dir. Uros Stojanovic
Feat. Katarina Radivojevic, Sonja Kolacaric
The sombre title belies what is in fact a joyously bawdy Balkan fairytale that blends fantastical folklore, striking burlesque visuals and ample…
Welcome to the SticksWelcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis) (2008)
Dir. Dany Boon
Feat. Kad Merad, Dany Boon, Zoé Félix
Actor Dany Boon, best known for MY BEST FRIEND, co–wrote and directed this similar comedy about a post–office manager who is, er, posted…
Wild GrassWild Grass (Les Herbes Folles) (2008) Recommended
Dir. Alain Resnais
Feat. Andre Dussollier, Sabine Azema, Emmanuelle Devos
A masterful light–footed comedy of the surreal from veteran French dir. Alain Resnais, centered on a missing wallet responsible for triggering…
Wushu - The Young GenerationWushu - The Young Generation (2008)
Dir. Antony Szeto
Feat. Sammo Hung, Fengchao Liu, Wenjie Wang
Under the auspices of genre legends Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan (in producing role), this standard–issue kung fu flick introduces a bevy a…
Band's Visit, The Band's Visit, The (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret) (2007) Recommended
Dir. Eran Kolirin
Sweet and sensitive Israeli comedy following an Egyptian police band who get way laid in a small Israeli town and unexpectedly break down cultural…
Chacun Son CinemaChacun Son Cinema (To Each His Own Cinema) (2007) Recommended
Dir. Theo Angelopoulos, Olivier Assayas, Bille August
35 auteurs convey the meaning of cinema in less than three minutes each, in this epic commission to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film…
Dinner Guest, The Dinner Guest, The (L'Invité) (2007)
Dir. Laurent Bouhnik
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Valérie Lemercier, Thierry Lhermitte
The side order of French fries to THE DINNER GAME’s comedic cassoulet, this overly contrived yet lightly amusing farce serves up a…
EmptiesEmpties (Vratné lahve) (2007)
Dir. Jan Sverak
Feat. Zdenek Sverak, Tatiana Vilhelmova, Daniela Kolarova
This cheeky Czech favourite comically indulges the disobedience of its retirement–aged protagonist, who, after losing his teaching position and…
Get Together Dinner, TheGet Together Dinner, The (La Ceno per Farli Conoscere) (2007)
Dir. Pupi Avati
Feat. Vanessa Incontrada, Diego Abatanthono, Violante Placido
Diverting comedy about three stepsisters playing cupid for their father, a jaded TV star whose career has seen better days. As lacerating as it is…
Kung Fu DunkKung Fu Dunk (Gong fu guan lan) (2007)
Dir. Yen-ping Chu
Feat. Charlene Choi, Jay Chou, Eric Tsang
Inane sporting comedy about a skilled martial artist recruited to play basketball at the local university in return for help in finding his birth…
Lessons in ChocolateLessons in Chocolate (Lezioni di Cioccolato) (2007)
Dir. Claudio Cupellini
Feat. Luca Argentero, Violante Placido, Neri Marcore
A building contractor on the verge of closing his biggest deal to date finds his future jeopardized when an illegally hired worker is injured on the…
Maiko Haaaan!!!Maiko Haaaan!!! (2007)
Dir. Nobuo Mizuta
Feat. Sadao Abe, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi
An oddball slice of Japanese farce following an obsessed fan of geisha who competes with a fellow fan to win the affections of the girls at a geisha…
MetroMetro (2007)
Dir. Anurag Basu
Feat. Shilpa Shetty, Irfan Khan
Talk–of–the–town Shilpa Shetty (of Big Brother and Richard Gere controversy) plays a dissatisfied housewife in this collective of…
Mind the Gap Mind the Gap (Se upp för dårarna) (2007)
Dir. Helena Bergstrom
Feelgood coming–of–age comedy drama focused on two twenty–somethings from different backgrounds who form a solid friendship when…
MoliereMoliere (2007) Recommended
Dir. Laurent Tirard
Feat. Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini, Laura Morante
Jaunty period rom–com in the spirit of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE speculates on the creative catalysts for the comic masterpieces of famed French…
Night BusNight Bus (Notturno Bus) (2007)
Dir. Davide Marengo
Feat. Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Valerio Mastandrea
Fast paced comedy/thriller follows the misadventures of a petty thief, who gets more than she bargained for when she comes into possession of a…
O'HortenO'Horten (2007) Recommended
Dir. Bent Hamer
Feat. Baard Owe, Ghita Norby
The director of KITCHEN STORIES follows up with another comic delicacy about a 67–year–old engineer and his oddly challenging quest to…
Om Shanti OmOm Shanti Om (2007)
Dir. Farah Khan
Feat. Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone
From the dir. of MAIN HOON NA, this super–lush, mega–lavish Bollywood spectacular tells the story of a love that overcomes death (through…
PersepolisPersepolis (2007) Aro Favourite
Dir. Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Exceptional black–and–white animated feature for adults based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, who grew up in…
Shall We Kiss?Shall We Kiss? (Un baiser s'il vous plaît) (2007)
Dir. Emmanuel Mouret
Feat. Virginie Ledoyen, Emmanuel Mouret, Julie Gayet
Delicate French comedy focused on two strangers who share a romantic evening but stop short of a kiss on her opinion that there is no such thing 'as…
Suso's TowerSuso's Tower (La Torre de Suso) (2007)
Dir. Tom Fernández
Feat. Javier Camara, Gonzalo de Castro, César Vea
Forced to return to his native Spain following the death of a friend, a hard–living man decides to fulfill his dead mate’s dream of…
Tonight, I'll Sleep At YoursTonight, I'll Sleep At Yours (Ce Soir, Je Dors Chez Toi) (2007)
Dir. Olivier Baroux
Feat. Jean-Paul Rouve, Mélanie Doutey, Kad Merad
Feather–light French comedy scripted around a stubborn commitment–phobe who goes to desperate extremes to retain both his freedom and…
Twice Upon a TimeTwice Upon a Time (Désaccord parfait) (2007)
Dir. Antoine de Caunes
Feat. Jean Rochefort, Charlotte Rampling, Isabelle Nanty
Agreeable Pan–Euro comedy recounting what happens when a former showbiz couple – a director and his actress muse – reunite thirty years…
Two Days in ParisTwo Days in Paris (2 Days in Paris) (2007) Recommended
Dir. Julie Delpy
Feat. Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg
Delightful, self–starring directorial debut from Julie Delpy about an angsty Franco–American couple who drop in to visit her very…
Bad FaithBad Faith (Mauvaise foi) (2006)
Dir. Roschdy Zem
Feat. Cecile De France, Roschdy Zem
Likeable cross–cultural fare contemporizes the oft–told GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER predicament by throwing Judaism and Islam into the…
Boss Of It All, TheBoss Of It All, The (Direktøren for det hele) (2006) Recommended
Dir. Lars Von Trier
Feat. Jens Albinus, Iben Hjejle, Benedikt Erlingsson
Crude, but refreshing change of pace from perennial troublemaker Lars von Trier sees the Danish renegade chance his arm at a corporate–styled…
Bothersome Man, TheBothersome Man, The (2006) Recommended
Dir. Jens Lien
Feat. Trond Fausa Aurvaag
A black comedy with a typically Scandinavian sense of absurdity and style, in which an amnesiac finds himself in an unfamiliar city with a new job,…
Caiman, TheCaiman, The (Il Camino) (2006)
Dir. Nanni Moretti
Feat. Nanni Moretti, Margherita Buy, Jasmine Trinca
Unflinching Italian film–within–a–film concerning a producer attempting to make a film about former Italian prime minister Silvio…
Conversations with My GardenerConversations with My Gardener (Dialogue avec mon jardinier) (2006) Recommended
Dir. Jean Becker
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Fanny Cottencon
Leisurely mateship comedy about a jilted artist (Auteuil) who retreats to his remote country home, forging a mid–life bond with a local…
Dynamite WarriorDynamite Warrior (2006)
Dir. Chalem Wongpim
Feat. Dan Chupong, Leo Putt
As if to accommodate an escalating reputation for martial arts outrageousness, Thailand’s stunt extraordinaires risk life and limb in their most…
Family LawFamily Law (Derecho de familia) (2006)
Dir. Daniel Burman
Feat. Daniel Hendler, Arturo Goetz, Eloy Burman
Fatherhood and career jitters converge in this wry comedy of family matters. Promising young dir. Burman displays a dry wit in looking at three…
GuchaGucha (Guca!; Distant Trumpet) (2006)
Dir. Dusan Milic
Feat. Marko Markovic, Mladen Nelevic
A catchy successor to Emir Kusturica's gypsy theatrics, this ingenious, musically–infused jive on Serbian ethnic tensions frames a…
Hey Good Looking!Hey Good Looking! (Comme t'y es belle!) (2006)
Dir. Lisa Azuelos
Feat. Aure Atika
Frank French chick flick centred around a SEX AND THE CITYish cast of four gal pals who share with each other the trials of finding (and keeping) the…
I Do: Or How to Get Married and Stay SingleI Do: Or How to Get Married and Stay Single (Prete-moi ta main) (2006) Recommended
Dir. Eric Lartigau
Feat. Alain Chabat, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Under pressure from his nearest and dearest to wed, committed bachelor Alain Chabat solicits the gorgeous Charlotte Gainsbourg to become his faux…
I Served the King of EnglandI Served the King of England (2006) Recommended
Dir. Jiri Menzel
Feat. Julia Jentsch, Oldrich Kaiser, Ivan Barnev
Whimsical yet biting Czech farce centres on the exploits of an endearingly opportunistic waiter, whose thrifty wiles propel him into all manner of…
Kiss Me BabyKiss Me Baby (Baciami Piccina) (2006)
Dir. Roberto Cimapnelli
Feat. Neri Marcore, Vincenzo Salemme, Elena Russo
Elegant blend of love–story, witty road movie and historical drama tells the story of a couple on their honeymoon at the most unlikely of times…
Land, TheLand, The (La Terra, Our Land) (2006) Recommended
Dir. Sergio Rubini
Feat. Paolo Briguglia, Emilio Solfrizzi, Sergio Rubini
Compulsive Italian dramedy depicting a man who returns to the home of his childhood to tie up the sale of the family estate, but is instead…
My Best Enemy My Best Enemy (Il Mio miglior nemico) (2006)
Dir. Carlo Verdone
Feat. Carlo Verdone, Silvio Muccino
Capricious Italian comedy concerning a bitter rivalry between a father and his daughter's new lover – who also happens to be the son of a woman…
My Best FriendMy Best Friend (2006) Recommended
Dir. Patrice Leconte
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon
Daniel Auteuil lends his lovable persona to this textbook French comedy as a frosty antique dealer who has 10 days to disprove his work colleagues'…
No Mercy For The RudeNo Mercy For The Rude (2006)
Dir. Cheol-hie Park
Feat. Ha-kyun Shin
A mute hitman limits his contract killings to ‘rude’ individuals, saving up for a voice–restoring operation in this unconventional riff on…
OffsideOffside (2006) Recommended
Dir. Jafar Panahi
Filmed using non–professionals, in and around the unfolding events of an actual World Cup qualifier, Jafar Panahi expertly weaves a…
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of SpiesOSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)
Dir. Michel Hazanavicius
Feat. Jean Dujardin
Dusting off a little–known French spy spoof from the 1960's, this remake upgrades rather than updates the franchise, combining the Bond school…
PricelessPriceless (2006) Recommended
Dir. Pierre Salvadori
Feat. Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh
Ultra–glamorous French romantic comedy, in which one can gorge on (or gawp at) Riviera culture at its most opulent – the clothes, the…
RepriseReprise (2006) Recommended
Dir. Joachim Trier
Feat. Anders Danielsen Lie, Espen Klouman-Høiner, Viktoria Winge
Touching, keenly perceptive Norwegian film fest favourite centres on two twenty–something writers whose vastly divergent personalities and…
Robin-B-HoodRobin-B-Hood (Bo bui gai wak) (2006)
Dir. Benny Chan
Feat. Jackie Chan, Louis Koo, Michael Hui
Chan hams it up in this big–budget action caper as a compulsive gambler who inadvertently ends up with a kidnapped baby as a means to pay off…
Science of Sleep, TheScience of Sleep, The (2006) Recommended
Dir. Michel Gondry
Feat. Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Emma de Caunes
A delightfully self–conscious, self–indulged fantasy for cine–wizard Michel Gondry, the director's follow–up to ETERNAL…
SheitanSheitan (2006)
Dir. Kim Chapiron
Feat. Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Roxane Mesquida
A gaggle of young hedonists on a bender expend their energies at a disco and are invited by pouting barmaid Mesquida (A MA SOUER) to her remote…
Tiger and the Snow, TheTiger and the Snow, The (2006)
Dir. Roberto Benigni
Feat. Roberto Benigni, Jean Reno, Nicoletta Braschi
Italian jester Roberto Benigni unites comedy and tragedy within the throws of the Iraq war, playing a poet who follows his true love (real life…
Valet, TheValet, The (La Doublure) (2006) Aro Favourite
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Gad Elmaleh, Daniel Auteuil, Alice Taglioni
Another inspired comic concoction from Francis Veber (dir. of most everything French and funny), that this time follows a meek parking valet who…
Adam's ApplesAdam's Apples (2005) Recommended
Dir. Anders Thomas Jensen
Feat. Mads Mikkelsen, Ulrich Thomsen, Paprika Steen
Roguishly sardonic Danish black comedy about a sanguine country vicar (CASINO ROYALE’s Mikkelsen) who encounters resistance from a neo–Nazi…
Dark HorseDark Horse (Voksne mennesker) (2005)
Dir. Dagur Kari
Feat. Jakob Cedergren, Nicolas Bro
Charmingly offbeat slacker comedy from the director of NOI THE ALBINO, following a Copenhagen graffiti artist who spends his days dodging parking…
Ferpect CrimeFerpect Crime (Crimen Ferpecto) (2005) Recommended
Dir. Alex de la Iglesia
Feat. Guillermo Toledo, Monica Cervera
A spunky Spanish black comedy set almost entirely in a department store, where an obnoxious playboy salesman is blackmailed by a…
Fever, The Fever, The (Febbre, La) (2005)
Dir. Alessandro D'Alatri
Feat. Arnoldo Foa, Fabio Volo
Multi–layered Italian comedy following a thirty–something drifter living at home with mummy dearest who is given the life–altering…
Garam MasalaGaram Masala (2005)
Dir. Priyadarshan
Feat. Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal
Frantically screwball Indian romcom juggles a plotline concerning the numerous female entanglements of a playboy photographer (Kumar) and his former…
Go For Zucker!Go For Zucker! (Alles auf Zucker!) (2005)
Dir. Dani Levy
Feat. Henry Hubchen
Oxymoronic ‘German–Jewish’ comedy that looks at the literal and metaphorical reconciliation of two estranged brothers; one an East German…
How Much Do You Love Me?How Much Do You Love Me? (Combien tu m'aimes?) (2005)
Dir. Bertrand Blier
Feat. Monica Bellucci, Gerard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Darroussin
Akin to THE VALET’s improbable live–in relationship, but offering entirely different results, this peculiar comedy–romance stars Monica…
Italian Film Festival Collection, The - 2007 Italian Film Festival Collection, The - 2007 (2005-2006) Recommended
Comprehensive box–set collection of 11 of the best Italian films featured at the 'Italian Film Festival 2007' spread over 6 discs. Films…
King and the Clown, TheKing and the Clown, The (2005) Recommended
Dir. Jun-ik Lee
Feat. Woo-seong Kam
Subversive yet broadly–appealing Korean comedy with a gay streak that turns the Chosun Dynasty on its head with its story of two bawdy court…
Koi Aap SaKoi Aap Sa (2005)
Dir. Partho Mitra
Feat. Aftab Shivdasani
Fruity Bollywood number with Aftab Shivdasani as a hunky football captain torn between his spunky girlfriend and coltish childhood sweetheart.
Linda Linda LindaLinda Linda Linda (2005) Aro Favourite
Dir. Nobuhiro Yamashita
Feat. Doona Bae, Aki Maeda, Yu Kashii
Guided by a rousing rock anthem, three high school seniors – and one gawky Korean exchange student – strive to have three Japanese punk classics…
Manual of Love, TheManual of Love, The (Manuale d'amore) (2005) Recommended
Dir. Giovanni Veronesi
Feat. Jasmine Trinca, Sergio Rubini, Silvio Muccino
Four couples experience the agony and ecstasy of modern love in this appealing romance of intertwining relationships. An agreeable, attractive…
One Stays, One LeavesOne Stays, One Leaves (L' un reste, l'autre part) (2005)
Dir. Claude Berri
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Nathalie Baye
Witty French comedy with an undercurrent of angst in which two philandering middle–aged husbands do their utmost to juggle fresh–faced…
Princess RaccoonPrincess Raccoon (Operetta tanuki goten) (2005)
Dir. Seijun Suzuki
Feat. Zhang Ziyi, Joe Odagiri
Wacky musical rumpus stars Zhang Ziyi as a 'raccoon dog' who falls in love with a prince banished to her enchanted forest. A fanciful swansong for…
Russian DollsRussian Dolls (Les Poupées russes) (2005)
Dir. Cedric Klapisch
Feat. Audrey Tautou, Romain Duris, Cecile De France
A sequel of substance to the pan–Euro comedy THE SPANISH APARTMENT, which will again strike an entertaining chord with the young globetrotting,…
Takeshis'Takeshis' (2005)
Dir. Takeshi Kitano
Feat. Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi
Returning to his comedic roots, dir. Takeshi Kitano springs layer upon layer of self–reference and in this conceptually ambitious, though…
To Die in San HilarioTo Die in San Hilario (2005)
Dir. Laura Mana
Feat. Lluís Homar
A light, whimsical tale of redemption, in which an aging gangster on the run seeks refuge in a sleepy backwater, only to be mistaken for a wealthy…
Tokyo ZombieTokyo Zombie (2005)
Dir. Sakichi Sato
Feat. Sho Aikawa, Tadanobu Asano, Arata Furuta
An enormous garbage dump in Tokyo begins to spawl hoards of the walking dead, prompting two dumb–and–dumber garage workers to unleash…
Agatha and The StormAgatha and The Storm (Agata e la tempesta) (2004)
Dir. Silvio Soldini
Feat. Licia Maglietta, Giuseppe Battiston, Emilio Solfrizzi
Loosely woven tale of a middle–aged bookshop owner, who becomes embroiled in a surreal swirl of romance and family secrets of infidelity, her…
As it is in HeavenAs it is in Heaven (Så som i himmelen) (2004)
Dir. Kay Pollak
Feat. Michael Nyqvist
A feelgood arthouse hit about a renowned classical music conductor who rediscovers his roots in the far north of Sweden. Acquiring a rundown…
BombonBombon (El Perro) (2004)
Dir. Carlos Sorin
Feat. Juan Villegas
A middle–aged man (Villegas), struggling to maintain his meager lifestyle working as a mechanic in remote Patagonia, and selling knives on the…
Bride and PrejudiceBride and Prejudice (2004)
Dir. Gurinder Chadha
Feat. Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews, Aishwarya Rai
Bollywood meets Hollywood in this rather original Jane Austen adaptation, with ex–pat Kiwi Henderson playing a blueblood American who falls…
Conversations with MotherConversations with Mother (Conversaciones con mamá) (2004)
Dir. Santiago Carlos Oves
Feat. China Zorrilla, Eduardo Blanco
Chaotic, poignant and amusing, this Argentinian drama has a newly redundant man try and persuade his 80–year old mother to sell her apartment…
Duck SeasonDuck Season (2004) Recommended
Dir. Fernando Eimbcke
Feat. Enrique Arreola, Diego Cataño, Danny Miranda
Two videogame–mad teens find their lazy Sunday hijacked by a nosey neighbour and stubborn pizza delivery man in this breezy, flavoursome…
Enter the PhoenixEnter the Phoenix (2004)
Dir. Stephen Fung
Feat. Daniel Wu, Karen Mok, Nicholas Tse
The disowned gay son of a dying triad leader must inherit control of an organised crime family in this typically scattershot Hong Kong comedy…
Familia RodanteFamilia Rodante (Rolling Family) (2004)
Dir. Pablo Trapero
Feat. Graciana Chironi, Bernardo Forteza
Argentinian comedy from the director of EL BONAERENSE, following a large family who embark on an epic road trip from Buenos Aires to a village in…
HulchulHulchul (2004)
Dir. Priyadarshan
Feat. Akshaye Khanna, Kareena Kapoor, Sunil Shetty
Snowballing tale of comic conspiracy between two families, one, mostly comprised of males who have sworn off "the women" and the other, more balanced…
Intimate StrangersIntimate Strangers (Confidences trop intimes) (2004) Recommended
Dir. Patrice Leconte
Feat. Sandrine Bonnaire, Fabrice Luchini, Anne Brochet
Another stylish excursion into suspensful romanticism for dir. Leconte (MONSIEUR HIRE), here premised on a woman's mistaken assumption that she is…
King of BollywoodKing of Bollywood (2004)
Dir. Piyush Jha
Feat. Kavita Kapoor, Sophie Dahl, Om Puri
A tongue–in–cheek satire of the Bollywood movie industry, in which a star (Puri) with notions of his own timeless importance becomes…
Kung Fu HustleKung Fu Hustle (2004) Aro Favourite
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao), Wah Yuen
Hong Kong superstar Stephen Chow trumps all previous efforts (and that's saying something) with this dynamic, bust–a–gut funny…
Life is a MiracleLife is a Miracle (Zivot je cudo) (2004) Recommended
Dir. Emir Kusturica
Feat. Slavko Stimac, Natasa Solak
Another feverish, frenetic and heartfelt vision from Balkan dir. Emir Kusturica (UNDERGOUND), attempting here to fathom and unknot the bloody Bosnian…
Look At MeLook At Me (Comme une Image) (2004) Recommended
Dir. Agnes Jaoui
Feat. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agnes Jaoui
Another diverting comedy of manners from the husband–wife creative team behind THE TASTE OF OTHERS, set among the fragile egos of the literary…
Marriages!Marriages! (2004)
Dir. Valerie Guignabodet
Feat. Mathilde Seigner, Jean Dujardin, Miou-Miou
A messy, if diverting marriage farce brings together three generations of couples at a picturesque wedding in southern France.
Matando CabosMatando Cabos (2004)
Dir. Alejandro Lozano
Feat. Tony Dalton, Ana Claudia Talancon, Pedro Jr. Armendariz
Energetic Mexican 'farce of errors' in which two teenagers kidnap a coldly ruthless businessman, not realising he is also a coveted prize for a…
Me And My SisterMe And My Sister (Les Soeurs Fachees) (2004)
Dir. Alexandra Leclere
Feat. Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Frot
A deceptively simple French comedy, which has a bubbly and gauche rural–dwelling woman (Frot) visiting her arrogant and successful sister…
Narco: Secret Adventures of Gustav KloppNarco: Secret Adventures of Gustav Klopp (2004)
Dir. Tristan Aurouet
Feat. Guillaume Canet, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Benoit Poolevarde
A narcoleptic comic–book writer finds illusion and reality blurring between his fantastical imagination, a succession of dead–end day…
PeoplePeople (2004)
Dir. Fabien Onteniente
Feat. Rupert Everett, Jose Garcia, Ornella Muti
Raucous French comedy starring one Rupert Everett as the Parisian Jet Set's party organiser, who finds himself departing to Ibiza in order to retain…
Rice RhapsodyRice Rhapsody (Hainan ji fan) (2004)
Dir. Kenneth Bi
Feat. Sylvia Chang, Mélanie Laurent, Maggie Q
Light, good–natured familial farce about a sturdy single mother who, fearing a drought of grandchildren, plots to ‘straighten’ the…
Story of My Life, TheStory of My Life, The (Mensonges et trahisons et plus si affinités) (2004)
Dir. Laurent Tirard
Feat. Edouard Baer, Marie-Josee Croze, Clovis Cornillac
A ghostwriter’s charmed life is thrown into tailspin when he’s assigned the autobiography of a notoriously egotistical soccer star. Further…
Survive Style 5+Survive Style 5+ (2004)
Dir. Gen Sekiguchi
Feat. Tadanobu Asano, Hiroshi Abe, Vinnie Jones
Hitmen, hypnotists, murdered spouses, and a trio of oddball thieves converge in this delirious, unclassifiable comedy–mystery–drama by…
UnconsciousUnconscious (Inconscientes) (2004)
Dir. Joaquin Oristrell
Boisterous 'Freudian farce' set amidst the extravagent architecture of Barcelona in 1913, where a disturbed psychiatrist suddenly adandons his…
WhiskyWhisky (2004) Recommended
Dir. Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll
Feat. Jorge Bolani, Mirella Pascual, Andres Pazos
From the vintage of Aki Kaurismaki and Jim Jarmusch, this low–key marriage charade stands as the driest comedy in years, accounting for a…
3 is a Crowd 3 is a Crowd (I'm Staying) (2003)
Dir. Diane Kurys
Feat. Sophie Marceau, Vincent Perez, Charles Berling
Farcical French romantic comedy about a wife, fed up with her stubborn husband's cycling obsession, who invites another man to move in. Unfortunately…
Bon VoyageBon Voyage (2003)
Dir. Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Feat. Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu, Virginie Ledoyen
A plushly–mounted, grander–than–life romantic farce from director of "Cyrano De Bergerac". It's June 1940, when a group of…
Chalte ChalteChalte Chalte (2003)
Dir. Aziz Mirza
Feat. Shahrukh Khan
Glossy Bollywood comic–romance that runs a typical gamut of emotions about a chalk–and–cheese yet glamourous couple, who against…
Goodbye Lenin!Goodbye Lenin! (2003) Recommended
Dir. Wolfgang Becker
Feat. Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova
This comedy of concealment set around the fall of the Berlin Wall was a justifiable success around the world, with a bittersweet mood of political…
Green Butchers, TheGreen Butchers, The (De grønne slagtere ) (2003)
Dir. Anders Thomas Jensen
Feat. Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Grim comedy focused on two down–and–out butchers who discover they can make a killing out of their customer's oblivious cannibalistic…
James' Journey to JerusalemJames' Journey to Jerusalem (Massa'ot James Be'eretz Hakodesh) (2003) Aro Favourite
Dir. Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
Feat. Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe
A witty yet significant portrait of contemporary Israel that takes the form of a deceptively straightforward fable, charting the progress of a young…
Kal Ho Naa HoKal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow May Never Come) (2003) Recommended
Dir. Nikhil Advani
Feat. Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta
Sporting a string of hit songs and featuring a troika of India's most popular stars, this giddy swirl of romantic comedy, musical, family melodrama…
Kiss Me First Kiss Me First (Prima dammi un bacio) (2003)
Dir. Ambrogio Lo Giudice
Feat. Stefania Rocca, Marco Cocci
Endearing Italian comedy following the fate of two separated lovers whose lives cannot help but intersect. The events of WW2 inevitably drive these…
Kitchen StoriesKitchen Stories (Salmer fra kjøkkenet) (2003) Recommended
Dir. Bent Hamer
Feat. Tomas Norstrom, Joachim Calmeyer, Reine Brynolfsson
A slyly humourous offering from Scandanavia, examining the efforts of the (real–life) Swedish Home Research Institute to improve lives of…
Kuch Naa KahoKuch Naa Kaho (2003)
Dir. Rohan Sippy
Feat. Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan
Effective, if predictable, this contemporary comedy of arranged marriage concerns an eligible bachelor (Bachban) who becomes the personal project of…
Love Me If You DareLove Me If You Dare (Jeux d'enfants) (2003)
Dir. Yann Samuell
Feat. Marion Cotillard, Guillaume Canet
Two French kids develop an intense relationship through escalating games of "dare" that bond and haunt them through a turbulent teenage and…
Munnabhai M.B.B.S.Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
Dir. Rajkumar Hirani
Feat. Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Dutt
An unusually comedic Bollywood musical, sees a smalltime gangster staging an elaborate deception to prove to his straight–laced father that, in…
Noi AlbinoiNoi Albinoi (Noi the Albino) (2003) Recommended
Dir. Dagur Kari
Feat. Tomas Lemarquis, Pröstur Leó Gunnarsson
Distinctive drama about a 'gifted' 17–year–old who rebels against the limits of life in a remote Icelandic town. Brimming with…
Other Side of the Bed, TheOther Side of the Bed, The (2003)
Dir. Emilio Martinez Lazaro
Feat. Paz Vega, Natalia Verbeke, Ernesto Alterio
Frisky Spanish sex comedy involving the criss–crossing love affairs across a group of "friends" and acquaintances. Cast with 'Guess Jeans'…
Schultze Gets the BluesSchultze Gets the Blues (2003)
Dir. Michael Schorr
Feat. Horst Krause, Harald Warmbrunn
A recently retired worker (Krause) in a dismal German mining town, discovers an unexpected passion for playing Zydeco rhythms on the piano accordion,…
Seducing Doctor LewisSeducing Doctor Lewis (La Grande séduction) (2003) Recommended
Dir. Jean-François Pouliot
Feat. Raymond Bouchard, David Boutin
Amiable and crafty, this Québécois comedy has a small fishing village trying to gently persuade a visiting young doctor to take up permanent…
Tais Toi!Tais Toi! (Ruby and Quentin) (2003) Recommended
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Jean Reno, Andre Dussollier
Another reliable entertainment from the writer–director of THE CLOSET and THE DINNER GAME, this screwball crime comedy boasts a central comic…
800 Balas800 Balas (800 Bullets) (2002)
Dir. Alex de la Iglesia
Feat. Carmen Maura, Sancho Gracia
Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia (DAY OF THE BEAST) brings his wild energy to this story of a stuntman in Almeria whose career is floundering in…
Asterix and Obelix - Mission CleopatraAsterix and Obelix - Mission Cleopatra (2002)
Dir. Alain Chabat
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Alain Chabat, Monica Bellucci
The core cast of 1999's disastrous ASTERIX AND OBELIX TAKE ON CAESAR return for a far more successful adaptation of one of those classic…
Bollywood HollywoodBollywood Hollywood (2002)
Dir. Deepa Mehta
Feat. Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray
The dir. of the 'elements trilogy' (FIRE, EARTH, WATER) conceived this less artful, but rather clever insider's take on the Bollywood musical…
Chinese Odyssey 2002Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002)
Dir. Jeff Lau
Feat. Tony Leung (Chiu-wai), Faye Wong, Chen Chang
Silly only in appearance, this in–joke laden spoof of Hong Kong cinema stapes – Chinese opera, gender–bending romances, and…
He Loves Me, He Loves Me NotHe Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (A la Folie pas du Tout) (2002) Recommended
Dir. Laetitia Colombani
Feat. Audrey Tautou, Samuel Le Bihan
A slyly–structured tale of adultery which uses the ambiguous qualities of actress Audrey Tautou (AMELIE) to deliver some thrilling…
Housekeeper, TheHousekeeper, The (Une Femme de Menage) (2002) Recommended
Dir. Claude Berri
Feat. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Emilie Dequenne, Catherine Breillat
Charming "French souffle" about a forlorn divorcee who hires a housekeeper to clean up his slovenly act. However, it turns out she's never done a…
Jet LagJet Lag (2002)
Dir. Daniele Thompson
Feat. Juliette Binoche, Jean Reno, Sergi Lopez
Euro–comedy with supermodel Binoche and insomniac Reno forced into each's others' company by an airline strike and soon, opposites begin to…
L'Homme du TrainL'Homme du Train (Man on the Train) (2002) Recommended
Dir. Patrice Leconte
Feat. Jean Rochefort, Johnny Hallyday
An elegantly amusing role–switching tale that's equal parts social comedy, existential drama and subtle thriller, tinged with melancholy…
Man Without a Past, TheMan Without a Past, The (2002) Recommended
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen
Another understated, double–take comedy from Finnish dir. Kaurismaki, making perhaps his most cleverly balanced work yet. An itinerant…
Monday MorningMonday Morning (Lundi Matin) (2002) Recommended
Dir. Otar Iosseliani
Feat. Jacques Bidou
A whimsical comic journey for a French factory worker, who uproots from his village and family in search of philosophical and liquid refreshment in…
Monsieur BatignoleMonsieur Batignole (2002) Recommended
Dir. Gerard Jugnot
Feat. Gerard Jugnot
An ironic comedy set in WW2 Paris, in which the titular butcher helps himself to an apartment vacated by a Jewish family who have been rounded up by…
Mostly MarthaMostly Martha (Bella Martha) (2002) Recommended
Dir. Sandra Nettelbeck
Feat. Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto
Light and satisfying dish, concerning the frissions in a Hamburg restaurant between a chef, her eight year old neice and a talented…
Ping PongPing Pong (2002) Recommended
Dir. Fumisiko Sori
Feat. Yôsuke Kubozuka, Arata
A madcap, yet gently humourous Japanese sports tale, set around two table tennis hotshots (Kubozuka and Arata) preparing for a ferocious battle at a…
RespiroRespiro (Grazia's Island) (2002)
Dir. Emanuele Crialese
Feat. Valeria Golino
Highly charged and mostly insightful depiction of a free–spirited woman whose near–psychotic episodes have a profound effect on her small…
Spanish Apartment, TheSpanish Apartment, The (L'Auberge Espagnole) (2002)
Dir. Cedric Klapisch
Feat. Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Judith Godreche
Summery comedy set in a Barcelona apartment, where six international exchange students variously mingle, cavort and fall messily in love. Although…
Summer ThingsSummer Things (Embrassez qui vous voudrez) (2002)
Dir. Michel Blanc
Feat. Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Dutronc, Carole Bouquet
Rom–com with an ensemble cast led by Charlotte Rampling as an unhappily married woman who is off to stay at a seaside resort, where she…
8 Women8 Women (8 Femmes) (2001) Recommended
Dir. Francois Ozon
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart
In the classic whodunnit mould, this whimsical French "thriller" starts with a man’s dead body in a snowbound Alpine manse in the 1950s, and eight…
AmelieAmelie (2001) Recommended
Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Feat. Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz
A charming romantic comedy stamped with the purely cinematic style of dir. Jean–Pierre Juenet, who here remixes intricate set pieces, editing…
Autumn SpringAutumn Spring (Babí léto) (2001) Recommended
Dir. Vladimír Michálek
Feat. Vlastimil Brodsky
Spry Czech comedy of elderly bad manners, concerns an aging prankster (Brodsky) who spends his retirement impersonating people in league with a…
Closet, TheCloset, The (Le Placard) (2001) Recommended
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, Thierry Lhermitte
More comic gold from the king of French farce, Francis Veber, who understands the value of a good premise, great actors, and simple, unpretentious…
Crying... Silicon TearsCrying... Silicon Tears (Klama) (2001)
Dir. Thanassis Papathanassiou
One of the biggest hits of recent Greek cinema, this is a lavish parody of 1960s Greek movie melodramas, mixing musical, comedy and suspense into a…
Drole de FelixDrole de Felix (The Adventures of Felix aka Funny Felix) (2001) Recommended
Dir. Jacques Martineau, Olivier Ducastel
Feat. Sami Bouajila
Seeking to meet his father for the first time, HIV–positive Sami Bouajila journeys across France from Dieppe to Marseille in a tour of…
Everybody FamousEverybody Famous (2001) Recommended
Dir. Dominique Deruddere
Feat. Josse De Pauw, Eva van der Gucht, Werner De Smedt
A hit in the Netherlands and at festivals, this half–sweet, half–cringe–inducingly sour satire, sees truly mediocre singer Eva Van…
Ghislain Lambert's Bicycle Ghislain Lambert's Bicycle (2001)
Dir. Philippe Harel
Feat. Benoit Poelvoorde, Jose Garcia
Less sports drama than celebration of the endearingly average, this comical biopic charts the 30–year career of big–hearted, but…
God is Great, I'm NotGod is Great, I'm Not (Dieu est grand, je suis toute petite) (2001)
Dir. Pascale Bailly
Feat. Audrey Tautou, Edouard Baer, Julie Depardieu
Slim Audrey Tautou vehicle has the AMELIE–ingénue unable to settle on a religion, eventually converting to Judaism in order to win over a…
Happy TimesHappy Times (Xingfu Shiguang) (2001)
Dir. Zhang Yimou
Feat. Dong Jie, Zhao Benshan
Putting a gentle Asian spin on the "French farce" model, dir. Zhang Yimou takes a light–hearted detour with this comedy about a retired…
Italian For BeginnersItalian For Beginners (2001)
Dir. Lone Scherfig
Feat. Anders W Berthelsen
A likeable ensemble comedy in which six vulnerable characters orbit a drab Copenhagen suburb, each seeking some form of solace, romance or…
Love On a Diet (2001)
Dir. Johnnie To
Feat. Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng
The dir. of HEROIC TRIO, takes a serious change of tack with a weight–problem comedy. Looking to re–ignite her former romance with…
Minor MishapsMinor Mishaps (2001)
Dir. Annette K. Olesen
Feat. Jorgen Kiil, Maria Wurgler Rich, Jannie Faurschou
Emerging from the lighter end of the Dogme 95 movement, this drama reunites a father and three children after the death of their mother in a car…
My Wife is an ActressMy Wife is an Actress (Ma Femme est une Actrice) (2001)
Dir. Yvan Attal
Feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Yvan Attal, Terence Stamp
Obviously modelled on his own life, first time writer/director Yvan Attal tailors a project for his real–life wife, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who…
Pauline and PaulettePauline and Paulette (Pauline et Paulette) (2001) Recommended
Dir. Lieven Debrauwer
Feat. Dora van der Groen, Ann Petersen
An amusing, poignant tale of two elderly sisters and their unique relationship, portrayed by two grand old dames of Belgian theatre. After her…
Shaolin SoccerShaolin Soccer (2001) Aro Favourite
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao), Richard Ng, Vicki Zhao
With an astounding mix of Eastern fantasy, CGI effects and the game of soccer, Hong Kong’s one–man comedy machine Stephen Chow kicks one out…
TanguyTanguy (2001) Recommended
Dir. Etienne Chatiliez
Feat. Sabine Azema, Andre Dussollier, Laurent Chouchan
A crowd–pleasing French comedy set around the efforts of a middle–aged couple to surreptitiously get their 28–year–old son to…
Va SavoirVa Savoir (Who Knows) (2001) Recommended
Dir. Jacques Rivette
Feat. Jeanne Balibar, Sergio Castellitto, Jacques Bonnaffe
Skilful romantic farce interweaves the lives of six characters connected to an Italian theatre troupe on tour in Paris (doing Pirandello’s ‘As…
Would I Lie to You Again?Would I Lie to You Again? (2001)
Dir. Thomas Gilou
Feat. Richard Anconina, Jose Garcia, Bruno Solo
Boys–will–be–boys comedy revisits the ‘Jewish’ entrepreneurs of WOULD I LIE TO YOU?, now in need to an all–new…
Y Tu Mama TambienY Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too!) (2001) Aro Favourite
Dir. Alfonso Cuaron
Feat. Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna
Acclaimed universally (and here in NZ beset with censorship wrangles), this Mexican joyride, taken by two teenage boys and an older woman, is indeed…
101 Reykjavik101 Reykjavik (2000) Recommended
Dir. Baltasar Kormakur
Feat. Baltasar Kormakur, Victoria Abril
An endearingly skewed yet unexpectedly poignant sex comedy moored in the 30–below temperatures of the Icelandic winter, about a…
Barking Dogs Never BiteBarking Dogs Never Bite (Flandersui gae) (2000) Recommended
Dir. Joon-ho Bong
Feat. Doona Bae
An accomplished black comedy from Korea, which follows an unemployed lecturer's annoyance with the barking of neighbourhood dogs through to its…
MalenaMalena (2000)
Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore
Feat. Monica Bellucci
The dir. of CINEMA PARADISO throws an amber–lit glow around a man’s memory of a boyhood infatuation in his hometown in WWII Sicily.…
ShowerShower (Xizhao) (2000) Recommended
Dir. Zhang Yang
Feat. Pu Cunxin, Zhu Xu
A popular success with international audiences, this Chinese comedy is centred around a modern–day bathhouse in Beijing without a…
Taste of Others, TheTaste of Others, The (Le Gout des Autres) (2000) Recommended
Dir. Agnes Jaoui
Feat. Anne Alvaro, Alain Chabat, Jean-Pierre Bacri
A subtle French comedy of manners, that strews an array of matched, mismatched and all quite droll characters into a satisfying treat for the comic…
Tears of the Black TigerTears of the Black Tiger (Fah Talai Jone) (2000) Aro Favourite
Dir. Wisit Sasanatieng
A blast of wild inspiration from the New Thai Cinema, this restages a Hollywood Western within a luridly kitschy setting using back–projection,…
The Best Man's WeddingThe Best Man's Wedding (Jalla! Jalla!) (2000) Recommended
Dir. Josef Fares
A racy comic swirl through the family, romantic, sexual and general personal dilemmas of two Swedish best friends. While one must suffer the…
Attack the Gas StationAttack the Gas Station (1999) Recommended
Dir. Sang-Jin Kim
Feat. Sung-jae Lee, Oh-seong Yu, Seong-jin Kang
Four disaffected youths take hostage an entire gas station in this subversive, blackly–comic masterpiece from Korea. Gleefully tearing apart…
Carriers Are Waiting, TheCarriers Are Waiting, The (Les Convoyeurs Attendent) (1999)
Dir. Benoit Maraige
Feat. Benoit Poelvoorde, Morgane Simon, Bouli Laners
When journalist Benoit Poelvoorde decides his family MUST win top prize in local competition (which involves training his reluctant son to break the…
Cup, TheCup, The (1999) Recommended
Dir. Khyentse Norbu
Feat. Orgyen Tobgyal, Neten Chokling, Jamyang Lodro
This charming, slyly comic tale of soccer–mad young monks obsessed with viewing the World Cup has found broad worldwide appreciation with its…
Human ResourcesHuman Resources (1999)
Dir. Laurent Cantet
Feat. Jalil Lespert
Astute French drama from director Laurent Cantet (THE CLASS) set in a white collar human resources department in Normandy, about the conflicts that…
KikujiroKikujiro (Kikujiro no Natsu) (1999)
Dir. Takeshi Kitano
Feat. Takeshi Kitano
An uncharacteristically easy–going, episodic road movie from one–man movie machine, Beat Takeshi, whose impassive screen persona snugly…
King of ComedyKing of Comedy (Choi kek ji wong) (1999)
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao), Karen Mok
Hong Kong’s king–of–parody Stephen Chow ironically casts himself as a luckless movie extra who fumbles his way to leading man status…
MifuneMifune (1999)
Dir. Soren Kragh-Jacobson
Feat. Iben Hjejle, Anders W Berthelsen, Jesper Asholt
The third Dogma 95 film is in many ways as traditional a European romantic comedy as you could come across, a breezy and smart take on a yuppie…
Venus Beauty InstituteVenus Beauty Institute (Venus Beauty) (1999)
Dir. Tonie Marshall
Feat. Nathalie Baye, Audrey Tautou
A modest beauty salon is the setting for this wry ensemble piece about the vagaries of womanhood, with an engagingly eccentric collection of clients…
An Autumn TaleAn Autumn Tale (1998) Recommended
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Marie Riviere, Beatrice Romand, Alain Libolt
Completing his suite of films based on the four seasons, dir. Rohmer provides another mellow, seemingly unplotted comedy, in which Rhone valley…
Dinner Game, TheDinner Game, The (1998) Recommended
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret
Gourmet–grade French farce from the maestro of the genre – well–packaged, delivered without haste, indeed delicious, if a slightly…
Late August, Early SeptemberLate August, Early September (Fin août, début septembre) (1998)
Dir. Olivier Assayas
Feat. Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Ledoyen, Francois Cluzet
Overlooked French drama from prolific and distinctive auteur Olivier Assayas (IRMA VEP, PERSONAL SHOPPER) following a group of friends and lovers as…
Life Is BeautifulLife Is Beautiful (La vita e bella) (1998)
Dir. Roberto Benigni
Feat. Roberto Benigni
Winner of both Best Foreign Film and Best Actor Oscars (a first for an actor speaking a foreign tongue) as well as the top prize at Cannes, Roberto…
For RoseannaFor Roseanna (Roseanna's Grave) (1997) Recommended
Dir. Paul Weiland
Feat. Mercedes Ruehl, Jean Reno
Terminally–ill Mercedes Ruehl's dying wish is to be buried in the local cemetary, but the plots are filling up fast, thus sending off her…
Junk MailJunk Mail (1997)
Dir. Pal Sletaune
Feat. Robert Skjaerstad, Andrine Saether, Per Egil Aske
A sex–obsessed, surly postman tampers with the mail, stalks pretty girls and steals erotic letters from his delivery sack, one of which leads…
Le Bonheur Est Dans Le PreLe Bonheur Est Dans Le Pre (Happiness Is in the Field) (1997)
Dir. Etienne Chatiliez
Feat. Michel Serrault, Carmen Maura
The director of TATIE DANIELLE puts a sly new twist on that most reliable of French film conceits – the 'imposter' genre. Grouchy…
Ma Vie En RoseMa Vie En Rose (1997) Recommended
Dir. Alain Berliner
Feat. George Du Fresne, Michele Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey
Confusion envelops an idyllic French suburban household when their youngest son starts believing he is a little girl. Solemn regard for themes of…
On Connait la ChansonOn Connait la Chanson (Same Old Song) (1997) Recommended
Dir. Alain Resnais
Feat. Pierre Arditi, Sabine Azema, Jean-Pierre Bacri
A winner of seven Cesar awards, this light–hearted homage to Dennis Potter applies his musical–cinematic ideas to the…
Shall We Dance?Shall We Dance? (Shall We Dansu?) (1997)
Dir. Masayuki Suo
Feat. Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari
Happiness eludes a successful Japanese salaryman, so he plucks up the courage to attend dance lessons. Hugely popular home and international hit got…
Three Men and a LegThree Men and a Leg (1997) Recommended
Dir. Aldo , Giovanni , Giacomo
Feat. Aldo , Giovanni , Giacomo
Slapstick magic from favourite Italian comic trio, Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo, this frantic yet first rate farce was naturally a box–office…
WesternWestern (1997)
Dir. Manuel Poirier
Feat. Sergi Lopez, Sacha Bourdo
Soulfully transposing the conventions of the Western to the forlorn landscapes of modern–day Brittany, this road movie owes equal allegiance to…
Would I Lie to You? (1997)
Dir. Thomas Gilou
Feat. Richard Anconina, Vincent Elbaz, Bruno Solo
In a Jewish rag–trade district of Paris, an affable street kid maintains the ruse of being Jewish to financial, social and romantic advantage.…
Autumn SunAutumn Sun (Sol de otoño) (1996)
Dir. Eduardo Mignogna
Feat. Frederico Luppi, Norma Aleandro
Argentine drama following a Jewish woman who pretends to be in a relationship with a Jewish man from Uruguay (Frederico Luppi, CRONOS) to appease her…
BeaumarchaisBeaumarchais (1996)
Dir. Edouard Molinaro
Feat. Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain
Wigs and quippery at the ready, this is 18th century French history conceived in vivacious strokes of social satire and perfumed with a savoury wit,…
Celestial ClockworkCelestial Clockwork (1996)
Dir. Fina Torres
Feat. Ariadna Gil, Arielle Dombasle
Cinderella–type comedy that has a gifted Venezualan opera singer vaulting for stardom in an eccentric Parisian setting. Consistently sunny in…
Forbidden City CopForbidden City Cop (1996)
Dir. Vincent Tak-Chiu
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Hysterical and kinda crazy semi–sequel to the smash hit comedy FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE, splices James Bond with A CHINESE GHOST STORY, following…
French TwistFrench Twist (Gazon Maudit) (1996) Recommended
Dir. Josiane Balasko
Feat. Victoria Abril, Josiane Balasko
Radiant Spanish star Victoria Abril plays a betrayed wife teased into an affair with a butch lesbian (director Balasko). Many permutations of a very…
God of Cookery, TheGod of Cookery, The (1996) Recommended
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Stephen Chow cooks up a comic storm as a mercilessly ego–centric chef who, in great narrative tradition, is forced to truly earn his title…
GuantanameraGuantanamera (1996)
Dir. Tomas Gutierrez Alea, Juan Carlos Tabio
Feat. Carlos Cruz, Mirta Ibarra, Jorge Perugorria
A quirky mix of low–speed road movie and romantic comedy following the unsteady progress of a funeral procession across the length of Cuba…
Il CicloneIl Ciclone (1996)
Dir. Leonardo Pieraccioni
Feat. Leonardo Pieraccioni, Lorena Forteza, Barbara Enrichi
Ribald comedy that holds the local box–office record in Italy, posits a bored accountant in Tuscany whose life hits the fan when a bus filled…
Pretty Village, Pretty FlamePretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996) Aro Favourite
Dir. Sadjan Dragojevic
Feat. Dragan Bjelorgrlic, Nikola Kojo
Seen in flashback from a ward in triage, the Bosnian war is portrayed in a riveting counter–play of nihilism and theatre, as a band of Serbian…
RidiculeRidicule (1996) Recommended
Dir. Patrice Leconte
Feat. Charles Berling, Jean Rochefort, Fanny Ardant
Delightful Cesar–winning comedy set in the Court of Louis XVI in 1700s France where the King grants favours to those endowed with only the…
Summer in La GouletteSummer in La Goulette (1996)
Dir. Ferid Boughedir
Feat. Sonia Mankai, Ava Cohen-Jonathan, Sarah Pariente
Three families of disparate cultures enjoy harmony in Tunisian paradise, until three of their beautiful daughters flirt with losing their virginity,…
Chinese Torture Chamber StoryChinese Torture Chamber Story (1995)
Dir. Bosco Lam
Salacious sex farce in the mould of SEX AND ZEN and EROTIC GHOST STORY, that wilfully pushes the boundaries of good taste, with a measure of…
High RiskHigh Risk (1995) Aro Favourite
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Jet Li, Jacky Cheung
A Hong Kong actioner worth singling out from the glut, Jet Li is charisma–on–legs as an unflappable stunt double/bodyguard who is forced…
Kamikaze TaxiKamikaze Taxi (1995)
Dir. Masato Harada
Feat. Koji Yakusho, Kazuya Takahashi, Reiko Kataoka
An apprentice gangster fouls up his first major assignment and flees Tokyo in a taxi, the driver of which turns out to be a unlikely confident with a…
Rendezvous in ParisRendezvous in Paris (1995)
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Clara Bellar, Mathias Mégard, Antoine Basler
A delicately poised triptych framed around three lighthearted tales of philandering men and women. Minor, though quintessential Rohmer dalliance…
Sixty Million Dollar ManSixty Million Dollar Man (1995)
Dir. Yip Wai-Man
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Spoiled brat 'accident' victim Stephen Chow becomes a not–so–super hero when he is pieced back together Steve Austin–style for a…
Belle EpoqueBelle Epoque (1994) Recommended
Dir. Fernando Trueba
Feat. Penelope Cruz, Jorge Sanz
Oscar–winning comedy set in thirties Spain will have you grinning from ear to ear as its young army deserter finds the ultimate sanctuary at…
Bodyguard from BeijingBodyguard from Beijing (1994) Recommended
Dir. Yuen Kwai
Feat. Jet Li
Jet Li is "The Bodyguard" in this delightful parody of the Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston smash. A gourmet chop suey of action, humour and simmering…
City HunterCity Hunter (1994)
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Jackie Chan, Chingmy Yau, Joey Wong
Jackie Chan is the popular Japanese comic book character Ryu Saeba: part detective, part mercenary, all womanizer – is contracted to return the…
Cold FeverCold Fever (1994) Recommended
Dir. Fridrik Thor Fridriksson
Feat. Masatoshi Nagase, Lili Taylor, Fisher Stevens
Stylish one–off depicts a Japanese businessman's pilgrimage to Iceland, to where his holidaying parents died. Taking its cues from the…
Drunken Master IIDrunken Master II (Legend of Drunken Master) (1994)
Dir. Lau Kar Leung
Feat. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan gets comic mileage with the dubious idea that he can only tap into his martial art prowess while pissed as a newt. Jackie continues to…
Eat Drink Man WomanEat Drink Man Woman (1994) Recommended
Dir. Ang Lee
Feat. Sihung Lung, Yu-Wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu
Those that attended Ang Lee's WEDDING BANQUET will want to sample his tasty and sensual comedy about the perennial delights of life – sex and…
From Beijing with LoveFrom Beijing with Love (1994) Aro Favourite
Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao), Anita Yuen
Exceedingly funny James Bond spoof, perhaps the finest Hong Kong export since Jackie Chan. Assigned to retrieve a national treasure from corrupt…
Future CopsFuture Cops (1994) Recommended
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok
Good dumb fun is the pure agenda of this kitsch, kinetic fantasy–comedy based on the popular ‘Streetfighter’ arcade game. On the trail…
God of Gamblers ReturnGod of Gamblers Return (1994)
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun–Fat returns as a charming poker player who enjoys the quiet life until a challenger kills his wife and begins to target his friends. …
Grosse FatigueGrosse Fatigue (1994) Recommended
Dir. Michel Blanc
Feat. Michel Blanc, Carole Bouquet, Philippe Noiret
Popular comedian Michel Blanc gently bites the hand that feeds him in this irreverent farce in which the entire cast, including himself and the…
Treasure HuntTreasure Hunt (1994)
Dir. Ricky Lau
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
CIA operative Chow Yun–Fat falls in love while on secret assignment at mainland Shaolin monastery. Bubble–headed romance with some action…
Jamon JamonJamon Jamon (1993)
Dir. Bigas Luna
Feat. Stefania Sandrelli, Anna Galiena, Juan Diego
Brazen mix of absurd humour, outrageous melodrama and body fluid, though with all the excitement to be had during the puffing and panting, the climax…
KikaKika (1993)
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Veronica Forque, Peter Coyote, Victoria Abril
A make–up artist juggles the dubious attentions of a porn stud, a philandering crime writer, and a trash TV journo. The perils of media…
Les VisiteursLes Visiteurs (Visitors, The) (1993) Recommended
Dir. Jean-Marie Poire
Feat. Jean Reno, Christian Clavier
Beleaguered, not to mention slobbish, medieval knights Jean Reno and Christian Clavier are plonked down is present–day Paris to duel over…
SonatineSonatine (1993)
Dir. Takeshi Kitano
Feat. Takeshi Kitano, Ayo Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe
Those familiar with 'Beat' Takeshi's films will know what to expect from this latest elegy to gangster violence. His personal demons manifest in…
Sumo Do, Sumo Don'tSumo Do, Sumo Don't (1993)
Dir. Masayuki Suo
Feat. Masahiro Motoki, Misa Shimizu, Naoto Takenaka
Unabashed low–brow comedy about a gang of misfits who tussle it out in a Tokyo University wrestling ring, which also serves as the circle in…
TangoTango (1993)
Dir. Patrice Leconte
Feat. Thierry Lhermitte, Philippe Noiret, Richard Bohringer
Left by his wife, Thierry Lhermitte hits the road to track her down with the help of his misogynist uncle, Phillippe Noiret. Hitman Richard Bohringer…
Untold Story, TheUntold Story, The (1993)
Dir. Herman Yau
Feat. Danny Lee, Anthony Wong
Outrageous gross–out thriller that may put you off Chinese food for life – based on the "Eight Immortals Restaurant murders" that took…
Wedding Banquet, TheWedding Banquet, The (1993) Recommended
Dir. Ang Lee
Feat. Dion Birney, Jeanne Kuo Chang, Winston Chao
A simple white lie gets way out of hand for a gay Chinese–New Yorker when his excited parents fly in from Taiwan to celebrate his 'straight'…
Window to ParisWindow to Paris (1993) Aro Favourite
Dir. Yuri Mamin
Feat. Agnes Soral
A constantly inventive comic fantasy about a group of luckless Russkies who find they can enter gay Paris from a window in their appalling St.…
Accidental Golfer, TheAccidental Golfer, The (1992)
Dir. Lasse Aberg
Feat. Lasse Aberg, Jon Skolmen, Mats Bergman
A redundant factory worker becomes the object of an expensive golfing wager between a millionaire and his mistress. Big Scandanavian hit comes dubbed…
Dear DiaryDear Diary (Caro Diario) (1992) Recommended
Dir. Nanni Moretti
Feat. Nanni Moretti
Often hilarious and inspiring film travelogue follows the endearing Nanni Moretti's personal experiences over 18 months. Over three chapters, he…
DelicatessenDelicatessen (1992) Aro Favourite
Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Feat. Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon, Karin Viard
Two former Ad–men splash down with an audacious, darkly comic masterpiece set in a vegetarianist, post–apocalyptic future. Consumed with…
Discrete, LaDiscrete, La (1992) Recommended
Dir. Christian Vincent
Feat. Fabrice Luchini, Judith Henry, Maurice Garrel
Things don't go to plan for a philandering writer who refuses to commit emotionally. A literary yet accessible essay on sexual game–playing,…
House of AngelsHouse of Angels (1992) Recommended
Dir. Colin Nutley
Feat. Helena Bergstrom, Rikard Wolff, Sven Wollter
Two Harley–riding city slickers descend on a country village and obliviously stir up a hornet's nest among the townfolk. Old–fashioned,…
Johnny StecchinoJohnny Stecchino (1992) Recommended
Dir. Roberto Benigni
Feat. Roberto Benigni
Celebrated comedian Roberto Benigni, also co–writes and directs this tale of a meek bus–driver mistaken for a notorious gangster. The…
La CriseLa Crise (1992) Recommended
Dir. Coline Serreau
Feat. Vincent Lindon, Patrick Timsit, Zabou
Another smart comedy of crises from the comedienne director of THREE MEN AND A CRADLE and ROMUALD ET JULIETTE. A high–powered corporate…
La Vie De BohemeLa Vie De Boheme (1992) Recommended
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Matti Pellonpaa, Evelyne Didi, Andre Wilms
An achingly deadpan treatment of the book that served as the basis for Puccini's opera. Ironically romantic portrait of deadbeat, impoverished…
Police Story 3Police Story 3 (Supercop) (1992)
Dir. Stanley Tong
Feat. Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh
Jackie Chan returns as death–defying maverick cop Ka Kui, while Michelle Yeoh offers some savvy sidekick. From the director of Jackie's first…
Schtonk!Schtonk! (1992)
Dir. Helmut Dietl
Following the broad outlines of the 1983 'Hitler diaries' case, in which a forgery of the Fuhrer's scatological jottings was 'discovered', this…
Vita Cane (Life's a Bitch aka Vita da Cane) (1992)
Dir. Carlo Liconti
An Italian hairdresser plays loverboy with a bevy of clients, but things snowhall hilariously when, to everyone's dismay, he falls in strictly…
Wild TargetWild Target (1992)
Dir. Pierre Salvadori
Feat. Jean Rochefort, Guillaume Depardieu
Jean Rochefort is a fastidious hitman whose mania for control, both at home and on assignment, is dangerously weakened when he apprentices Gerard…
Great Day On the BeachGreat Day On the Beach (1991)
Dir. Stellan Olssen
Feat. Erik Clausen, Nina Gunke, Benjamin Rothenborg
A family day at a seaside resort enlightens a six–year–old boy with grand illusions of his extrovert father. A comic, perceptive view of…
Hairdresser's Husband, TheHairdresser's Husband, The (1991)
Dir. Patrice Leconte
Feat. Jean Rochefort, Anna Galiena
Everything you may love or loathe about French movies is taken to an (intentional?) extreme in this whimsical venture into the one–track mind…
High HeelsHigh Heels (1991) Recommended
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Victoria Abril
Victoria Abril finds herself accused of murder while trying to fill the 'high heels' of her glamourous celebrity mum. At once ludicrous and enjoyable.
How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the AttemptHow to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt (1991)
Dir. Ana Belen
Feat. Carmen Maura, Antonio Resines
Carmen Maura, the morning–star of many an early Almodovar film, enlivens this slight–ish, breezy comedy of domestic meltdown, having to…
Ripoux Contre RipouxRipoux Contre Ripoux (1991)
Dir. Claude Zidi
Feat. Philippe Noiret, Thierry Lhermitte, Guy Marchand
Sequel to LES RIPOUX reunites the odd couple of petty corrupt cops for another comic round of mischevious errors.
Tatie DanielleTatie Danielle (1991) Recommended
Dir. Etienne Chatiliez
Feat. Tsilla Chelton, Catherine Jacob, Isabelle Nanty
Brilliantly absurd black comedy about an elderly widow who does her best to make life miserable for her relatives. Tsilla Chelton is irresistible as…
Volere VolareVolere Volare (1991)
Dir. Maurizio Nichetti
Feat. Maurizio Nichetti
From the director of THE ICICLE THIEF comes another enjoyable comic fantasy inter–relating real and fictional worlds. Nichetti himself plays a…
Chinese Ghost Story 2Chinese Ghost Story 2 (1990) Recommended
Dir. Ching Siu Tung
Feat. Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, Jacky Cheung
The original cast return for another surreal, big–budget fantasy that delivers as much as the first one, with more of a comedic slant. This…
Elementary School, TheElementary School, The (1990) Recommended
Dir. Jan Sverak
Feat. Jan Triska, Zdenek Sverak, Libuse Safrankova
Sly comedy in which a class of badly behaved Czech schoolboys drive away their timid teacher and learn to love her uniformed, baton–weilding…
Everybody's Fine (Stanno Tutti Bene) (1990)
Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore
Feat. Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Mastroianni plays a fiercely proud but distanced father who embarks unwittingly on a voyage of discovery when he sets out on a surprise…
God of Gamblers (1990)
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun–Fat plays a gambling king who is de–throned by amnesia, then embraced by a petty hustler who discovers he can trigger his memory…
Match Factory Girl, TheMatch Factory Girl, The (1990)
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Kati Outinen, Elina Salo
Aki Kaurismaki concludes his "Proletariat Trilogy" with this bleakly ironic fable following the drab fortunes of a factory–worker (Kati…
Nasty Girl, TheNasty Girl, The (1990)
Dir. Michael Verhoeven
Feat. Lena Stolze, Hans-Reinhard Muller, Monika Baumgartner
Poignant comedy about an essay prize–winning scholar who creates community havoc when she decides to write about her home town during the Third…
Skinny Tiger Fatty DragonSkinny Tiger Fatty Dragon (Shou hu fei long) (1990)
Dir. Liu Chia Liang
Feat. Sammo Hung, Liu Chia Liang, Carrie Ng
Amusing action spoof starring the incomparable Samo Hung as one of a pair of bumbling cops who go on the hunt for drug traffickers in Hong Kong, but…
A World Without PityA World Without Pity (Un Monde Sans Pitie) (1989)
Dir. Eric Rochant
Feat. Hippolyte Girardot, Mireille Perrier, Yvan Attal
A young Parisian slacker falls in love with an ambitious, bright student but finds the tables turning on his egocentric existence. Rochant's debut…
I Want To Go HomeI Want To Go Home (1989)
Dir. Alain Resnais
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Linda Lavin, Laura Benson
Satirical French comedy focused on a washed–up American comic artist who reluctantly visits France for an exhibition, only to run into his…
Icicle Thief, TheIcicle Thief, The (1989) Recommended
Dir. Maurizio Nichetti
Feat. Maurizio Nichetti
Italy's answer to Woody Allen directs and stars in this zany love story–cum–media satire using the film–within–a–film…
Leningrad Cowboys Go AmericaLeningrad Cowboys Go America (Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses, Total Balalaika Show) (1989) Recommended
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Jim Jarmusch
Laconic, often funny road movie follows an awful Soviet rock group with outlandish hairstyles across backwater USA. Director is Europe's answer to…
Romuald et JulietteRomuald et Juliette (1989) Aro Favourite
Dir. Coline Serreau
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Firmine Richard, Pierre Vernier
French comedy at its very best contrasts the lives of a yoghurt company director and a black mother–of–five cleaning lady who through…
Tie Me Up, Tie Me DownTie Me Up, Tie Me Down (Atame!) (1989) Aro Favourite
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril
A mental patient kidnaps his sexy B–movie idol in the hope that she will fall in love with him. Teasingly politically unsound, Almodovar…
Trop Belle Pour ToiTrop Belle Pour Toi (Too Beautiful For You) (1989)
Dir. Bertrand Blier
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Josiane Balasko, Carole Bouquet
Car salesman Gerard Depardieu has a beautiful wife, but becomes infatuated with his plain yet passionate receptionist. Insightful, melancholy comedy.
ArielAriel (1988)
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Turo Pajala, Susanna Haavisto, Matti Pellonpaa
A redundant miner takes his newly acquired Thunderbird to Helsinki in search of financial and emotional security, but is hampered with rotten luck. A…
As Thick As Thieves (1988)
Dir. Claude Zidi
Feat. Christophe Malavoy, Claire Nebout, Francois Cluzet
A practical joke goes awry for a group of successful business men who mislead an aspiring friend into thinking he's struck it rich. Hilarious…
Dragons ForeverDragons Forever (1988)
Dir. Sammo Hung, Corey Yuen
Feat. Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen
Final martial–arts rumble for the 'three brothers' team of Chan, Hung and Biao (see PROJECT–A), here playing three spokes in a nefarious…
La LectriceLa Lectrice (1988)
Dir. Michel Deville
Feat. Miou-Miou, Christian Ruche, Maria Casares
Miou–Miou plays a hired 'reader' who leads us through a series of exchanges with various disabled personalities. A sensual treat for those…
Police Story 2Police Story 2 (1988)
Dir. Jackie Chan
Feat. Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung
Jackie Chan directs this follow–up to his landmark hit, playing a demoted detective who must use his wiles to track down bomb–scare…
Women On the Verge of a Nervous BreakdownWomen On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) Recommended
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Carmen Maura
Speedy sparkling slapstick from Almodovar, in which pregnant Carmen Maura is dumped by her boyfriend, harassed by his suicidal ex–wife and…
A Taxing WomanA Taxing Woman (1987)
Dir. Juzo Itami
Feat. Nobuko Miyamoto
A nicely offbeat look at the potentially boring subject of tax evasion. Nobuko Miyamoto plays our star tax collector who meets her match in a hotshot…
Boyfriends and GirlfriendsBoyfriends and Girlfriends (My Girlfriend's Boyfriend) (1987)
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Emmanuelle Chaulet, Sophie Renoir
Through a series of deceptions and misunderstandings, four Parisians come to discover their true feelings for each other. Entrancing tale of…
IntervistaIntervista (1987)
Dir. Federico Fellini
Feat. Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Sergio Rubini
An easy–going ode to dir. Fellini's early career at Cinecitta Studios, this takes the form of a mock interview–flashback, with the…
Life Is a Long Quiet RiverLife Is a Long Quiet River (1987) Recommended
Dir. Etienne Chatiliez
Feat. Benoit Magimel, Helene Vincent, Andre Wilms
Wry, off–beat comedy with a resonant message about two families of different classes who discover that their twelve–year–old…
Law of DesireLaw of Desire (1986) Recommended
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Antonio Banderas, Carmen Maura
Sexual acrobatics and absurd humour abound as it explores the increasingly complex sex–life of a gay film director. Fun screwball romp.
Les Fugitifs Les Fugitifs (1986) Recommended
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Pierre Richard, Gerard Depardieu
The inept Pierre Richard teams up with the innocent Gerard Depardieu in a madcap criminal escape after a botched bank–job. The situation…
MatadorMatador (1986)
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Assumpta Serna, Antonio Banderas, Nacho Martinez
Almodovar breaks a few more screen taboos with this erotic black comedy about a bull–fighter and a smart female lawyer who share a morbid…
Max Mon AmourMax Mon Amour (1986)
Dir. Nagisa Oshima
Feat. Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling does her stuff... with a chimpanzee called Max? A very dry comedy with some decidedly dicey morality about Man and his closest…
Millionaire's ExpressMillionaire's Express (Foo gwai lit che) (1986)
Dir. Sammo Hung
Feat. Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen, Rosamund Kwan
Camp and hysterical genre mash–up, has Samo Hung as a bumbling brothel–owner who entraps a group of millionaire's in his hometown (by…
Peking Opera BluesPeking Opera Blues (1986) Recommended
Dir. Tsui Hark
Feat. Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh
One of prolific Hong Kong director/producer Tsui Hark's most celebrated films is a genre–blending romp set around the Peking Opera in 1913. A…
Shadows in ParadiseShadows in Paradise (Varjoja paratiisissa) (1986) Recommended
Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Matti Pellonpaa, Kati Outinen, Sakari Kuosmanen
The first film in Kaurismäki's Proletariat Trilogy follows a lonely garbage collector who finds romance with a check–out clerk (Kaurismäki…
TampopoTampopo (1986) Recommended
Dir. Juzo Itami
Feat. Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Ken Watanabe
A crazy, satirical comedy in which heroine Tampopo and her cronies strive to create the perfect noodle. A wonderful movie full of hilarious madness…
Mr. VampireMr. Vampire (1985)
Dir. Ricky Lau
Feat. Ching-Ying Lam, Siu-hou Chin, Ricky Hui
Influential kung–fu ghostbusting flick is a distinctively Eastern slant on the 'vampire' genre – less like caped Counts, more like…
My Sweet Little VillageMy Sweet Little Village (1985)
Dir. Jiri Menzel
Feat. Janos Ban, Marian Labuda, Rudolf Hrusinsky
This good–natured charmer examines the comic, sad, quirky and downright ordinary affairs of village life, highlighted by the exploits of a pair…
One Woman or Two (1985)
Dir. Daniel Vigne
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Sigourney Weaver
Screwball comedy has Gerard Depardieu as an archeologist who must choose between the two women in his life – Sigourney Weaver and a…
Police StoryPolice Story (1985) Aro Favourite
Dir. Jackie Chan
Feat. Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung
The incomparable Jackie Chan – a mix of Bruce Lee and Buster Keaton – is in prime form here, weaving his brand of sly Asian humour into a series…
Three Men and a CradleThree Men and a Cradle (1985)
Dir. Coline Serreau
Feat. Roland Giraud, Michel Boujenah, Andre Dussollier
Hugely successful comedy that spawned the U.S. remake about three domesticated bachelors who grapple with the needs of an infant and an unsolicited…
Voyeur (Abel) (1985)
Dir. Alex Van Warmerdam
Feat. Alex Van Warmerdam, Henri Garcin, Olga Zuiderhoek
So many windows, so little time! An oddball sex farce in which the director himself plays a binocular–happy mummy's boy who falls in love with…
When Father Was Away on BusinessWhen Father Was Away on Business (1985) Recommended
Dir. Emir Kusturica
Feat. Moreno de Bartolli, Miki Manojlovic, Mira Furlan
A delightful dramedy of social upheaval, set during Yugoslavia’s Tito–Stalin conflict of the 1950s. Kusturica filters the tribulations of…
Comperes, LesComperes, Les (1984)
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Pierre Richard, Gerard Depardieu
Pierre Richard and Gerard Depardieu star in this screwball film as two strangers enlisted to help a mutual ex–lover, both thinking they are the…
Funeral, TheFuneral, The (1984)
Dir. Juzo Itami
Feat. Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto
A Buddhist funeral service for a brothel owner makes an ideal vehicle for both fiendish black comedy and social satire. An assured debut from the…
Ladies On the Rocks (1984)
Dir. Christian Thomsen
Feat. Gotha Anderson, Bruno Bjorn, Peter Boesen
Two women cabaret performers win the hearts of provincial audiences with their raucous brand of feminist humour. Ironically, their increasing…
My New PartnerMy New Partner (Les Ripoux) (1984) Recommended
Dir. Claude Zidi
Feat. Philippe Noiret, Thierry Lhermitte
The genial Phillipe Noiret plays a slobbish corrupt cop saddled with a straight–laced partner in this hilarious caper comedy. It's a delight…
What Have I Done to Deserve This?What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984) Recommended
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Carmen Maura
Carmen Maura plays a delirious feminist housewife in this early black–comic farce from Almodovar, here working at his freshest and most…
Wheels on MealsWheels on Meals (1984)
Dir. Sammo Hung
Feat. Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen
The kung–fu trio of Chan, Hung and Biao travel, to Spain for this rambunctious minor classic, in a tale about food–vendors helping out a…
Dark HabitsDark Habits (1983)
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Cristina Pascual
Red–light denizen on the run, Cristina Pascual holes up in a bizarre, wildly improbable Convent of the Humble Redeemers, frequented by…
Finally SundayFinally Sunday (Vivement Dimanche!) (1983)
Dir. Francois Truffaut
Feat. Fanny Ardant, Jean-Louis Trintignant
A businessman in trouble with the police over the murder of his wife's lover finds solace in his secretary who decides to investigate the case…
A Good MarriageA Good Marriage (Le Beau Marriage) (1982)
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Beatrice Romand, Andre Dussollier, Féodor Atkine
An art history student is growing tired of being the mistress of a married painter, then meets a handsome and wealthy younger man whom she vows to…
Impossible Kid, TheImpossible Kid, The (1982)
Dir. Eddie Nicart
Feat. Weng Weng, Romy Diaz, Nina Sara
Chop–socky sequel with world's smallest spy again coming up another baddie intent to destroy the world. Comical dialogue, and more ball busting…
Labyrinth of PassionLabyrinth of Passion (1982)
Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Antonio Banderas, Cecilia Roth, Luis Ciges
A nympho pop singer and her bisexual buddy cruise the decadent nightlife of Madrid, encountering Almodovar's usual slate of deviants –…
Aviator's Wife, TheAviator's Wife, The (La femme de l'aviateur) (1981)
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Philippe Marlaud, Marie Riviere
A young student is devastated when he finds that his girlfriend is cheating on him. In order to find out why she did it, he decides to spy on her and…
For Your Height OnlyFor Your Height Only (1981)
Dir. Eddie Nicart
Feat. Weng Weng, Yehlen Catral, Carmi Martin
Schlocky riff on the 007 franchise with pint sized ass–kicker Weng Weng as the world's smallest super spy, Agent 00, doing battle with mad…
La ChevreLa Chevre (1981)
Dir. Francis Veber
Feat. Pierre Richard, Gerard Depardieu
Irrepressible comic duo Richard and Depardieu are paired for the first time; here, the chronically unlucky daughter of a businessman goes missing in…
MontenegroMontenegro (1981)
Dir. Dusan Makavejev
Feat. Susan Anspach, Erland Josephson, Marianna Jacobi
A bored housewife gets caught up in Slavic sex and violence and discovers that she quite likes it. Unpredictable and weird, things become wickedly…
Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians, TheMysterious Castle in the Carpathians, The (Tajemstvi hradu v Karpatech) (1981)
Dir. Oldrich Lipsky
Feat. Michal Docolomansky, Rudolf Hrusinsky, Vlastimil Brodsky
Cult oddity based on the Jules Verne novel The Carpathian Castle, a sci–fi horror story about a campy count who haunts a house overlooking a…
La Cage Aux Folles 2La Cage Aux Folles 2 (1980)
Dir. Edouard Molinaro
Feat. Michel Serrault, Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Galabru
Cast and crew reunite for this enjoyable sequel to one of the most successful French comedies of all time. This time our two heroes find themselves…
Amour en fuite, L'Amour en fuite, L' (Love on the Run) (1979)
Dir. Francois Truffaut
Feat. Jean-Pierre Leaud, Marie-France Pisier
The fifth and final entry in dir. Truffaut's loosely autobiographical 'Anoine Doinel' series. Here, the footloose hero reaches his 30s and a new…
Buffet Froid (Cold Cuts)Buffet Froid (Cold Cuts) (1979)
Dir. Bertrand Blier
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Bernard Blier, Jean Carmet
When his lost switchblade turns up as a murder weapon, petty crim Gerard Depardieu goes on the lam in a nightmarish Paris, several disreputable…
La Cage Aux FollesLa Cage Aux Folles (1979)
Dir. Edouard Molinaro
Feat. Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault, Michel Galabru
A gay couple masquerade as husband and wife for the sake of their son's marriage prospects. Screwball drag comedy was a phenomenal hit worldwide.
Drunken MasterDrunken Master (1978)
Dir. Yuen Woo Ping
Feat. Jackie Chan
The martial arts comedy that put Jackie Chan on the map tells the tale of a disobedient son learning the art of Drunken Fist Kung Fu in order to stop…
Get Out Your HandkerchiefsGet Out Your Handkerchiefs (Preparez Vos Mouchoirs) (1978)
Dir. Bertrand Blier
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Carole Laure, Patrick Dewaere
Naive, frustrated husband Gerard Depardieu embarks on an unconventional quest to find his listless wife some happiness, firstly by 'lending' her to a…
DespairDespair (1977)
Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Feat. Dirk Bogarde
Fassbinder's blackly comic adaptation of Nabakov's novel about delusion, depression and decline of the human spirit. Dirk Bogarde plays a Russian…
Man Who Loved Women, TheMan Who Loved Women, The (1977)
Dir. Francois Truffaut
Feat. Charles Denner, Leslie Caron, Brigitte Fossey
Charles Denner plays a dedicated skirt–chaser, who falls in love with women so constantly he is brought to the point of…
StroszekStroszek (1976)
Dir. Werner Herzog
Feat. Bruno S., Eva Mattes
Powerful tragi–comedy follows a simple–minded Bruno S to America with a prostitute trying to escape her unsavoury past. The film's…
Cousin CousineCousin Cousine (1975)
Dir. Jean-Charles Tacchella
Feat. Marie-Christine Barrault, Victor Lanoux, Marie-France Pisier
Warm, witty and immensely successful comedy in which cousins by marriage take their relationship way beyond the…
Seven BeautiesSeven Beauties (1975) Recommended
Dir. Lina Wertmuller
Feat. Giancarlo Giannini, Shirley Stoler
Wimpish Casanova Giancarlo Giannini is cast wherever the winds of WWII fling him: eventually into a German concentration camp run by Shirley Stoler…
Celine & Julie Go BoatingCeline & Julie Go Boating (Celine et Julie vont en bateau) (1974)
Dir. Jacques Rivette
Feat. Juliet Berto, Dominique Labourier, Bulle Ogier
Rivette assaults the narrative form for his epic–lengthed, dream–like, near indescribable tale of two girls whose lives and imaginations…
MarthaMartha (1974)
Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Feat. Margit Carstensen, Karlheinz Bohm
Addressing his favourite subject, emotional cruelty, Dir. Fassbinder skillfully works a vein of pitch–black comedy in depicting Margit…
Phantom of Liberty, ThePhantom of Liberty, The (1974)
Dir. Luis Bunuel
Feat. Jean-Claude Brialy, Monica Vitti
The great surrealist's penultimate film uses a Chinese–box structure to weave a dream–like tableau of set pieces that waver from to the…
Love and Anarchy (1973)
Dir. Lina Wertmuller
Feat. Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Eros Pagni
Cult director Lina Wertmuller's political parable about the would–be assassin of Mussolini who falls in love with a prostitute at his…
Slightly Pregnant Man, ASlightly Pregnant Man, A (1973)
Dir. Jacques Demy
Feat. Marcello Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve
Minor, though broadly enjoyable Demy farce partners Mastroianni and Deneuve as expecting husband and wife. The twist? He's pregnant! Gender politics…
Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe / Return of the Tall Blond ManTall Blond Man with One Black Shoe / Return of the Tall Blond Man (1973)
Dir. Yves Robert
Feat. Pierre Richard, Bernard Blier, Jean Rochefort
A secret service chief arranges for his assistant to investigate an innocent person chosen at random in order to prove him inept. A little dated…
A Gorgeous Girl Like MeA Gorgeous Girl Like Me (Une Belle Fille Comme Moi) (1972)
Dir. Francois Truffaut
Feat. Bernadette Lafont, Andre Dussollier
Twisted French black comedy of a licentious, manipulative murderess recounting her sordid past to a green criminology student. Dripping in silly…
Cesar & RosalieCesar & Rosalie (1972)
Dir. Claude Sautet
Feat. Yves Montand, Romy Schneider, Sami Frey
French romantic drama with Yves Montand and Sami Frey playing contrasting romantic rivals to divorced single mum Romy Schneider. Montand is a coarse…
Discreet Charm of the BourgeiosieDiscreet Charm of the Bourgeiosie (1972) Recommended
Dir. Luis Bunuel
Feat. Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Stephane Audran
Best Foreign Film Oscar–winner in which six guests convene for a meal they never actually get to eat! Bunuel veers between reality and illusion…
Lo Scopone ScientificoLo Scopone Scientifico (1972)
Dir. Luigi Comencini
Feat. Bette Davis, Alberto Sordi, Silvana Mangano
Little–known Italian comedy stars Bette Davis as a wealthy, Nora Desmond–esque countess who entices those less fortunate to gamble with…
Seduction of Mimi, TheSeduction of Mimi, The (1972)
Dir. Lina Wertmuller
Feat. Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato
Satirical comedy taking plenty of shots at Italianisms, about a poor labourer who is forced to leave his family in Sicily to take an illegal factory…
Alfredo Alfredo (1971)
Dir. Peitro Germi
Feat. Dustin Hoffman
Even Dustin Hoffman is dubbed in this low–rent sex farce that only the Italians seem to find funny. Time has procured it novelty value.
Beware Of A Holy WhoreBeware Of A Holy Whore (Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte, The Little Chaos, The City Tramp) (1971)
Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Feat. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Hanna Schygulla
Dubbed Fassbinder's most autobiographical work, this ambiguous comedy investigates relations between a clan of artists attempting to make a film in…
TraficTrafic (Traffic) (1971)
Dir. Jacques Tati
Feat. Jacques Tati
Mr. Hulot's final clownish outing sees him invent a revolutionary motor car which proves to be problematic en route to Amsterdam.
Borsalino (1970)
Dir. Jacques Deray
Feat. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Michel Bouquet
Delightful seriocomic film of two likeable hoods who become gangland chieftains in 1930s Marseilles. Music by Claude Bolling.
Claire's KneeClaire's Knee (1970) Recommended
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Jean-Claude Brialy
The director's fifth moral tale gained him major international recognition. A curiously droll tale of a middle–aged man's obsession with the…
Domicile ConjugalDomicile Conjugal (Bed and Board) (1970)
Dir. Francois Truffaut
Feat. Jean-Pierre Leaud
Serio–comic misadventures of Truffaut's alter–ego, Antoine Doinel, an immature father–to–be who is unsettled in matrimonial…
Things of Life, The Things of Life, The (Les Choses De La Vie) (1970)
Dir. Claude Sautet
Feat. Romy Schneider, Michel Piccoli, Jean Bouise
Golden Palm nominated French comedy focusing on the life of a fatally injured man who upon seeing his life flash before his eyes realizes he must…
Ma Nuit Chez MaudMa Nuit Chez Maud (My Night at Maud's / My Night with Maud) (1969)
Dir. Eric Rohmer
Feat. Jean-Louis Trintignant, Francoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault
Rohmer's fourth moral tale again presents the idea of a man's romantic dilemma with more than one woman in his life. The wordy philosophising is…
Red LionRed Lion (Akage) (1969)
Dir. Kihachi Okamoto
Feat. Toshiro Mifune, Shiwa Iwashita
A fine samurai comedy from dir. Okamoto (KILL!), has a luckless soldier (Toshiro Mifune) don a brilliant red hairpiece (thus impersonating a…
SloganSlogan (1969) Recommended
Dir. Pierre Grimblat
Feat. Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg
Vivacious French romance about a reckless advertising director who throws caution to the wind and abandons his preggers wife to embark on a worldwide…
Bouncing Beauty, TheBouncing Beauty, The (The Little Bather) (1968)
Dir. Robert Dhéry
Feat. Louis de Funès, Franco Fabrizi
A zany and plotless comic gem from France's top comedian, Louis de Funès, distinctive for its hilarious visual gags. Funès plays a maniacal CEO of…
Kill!Kill! (Kiru) (1968)
Dir. Kihachi Okamoto
Feat. Tatsuya Nakadai
A sharp and blackly comic tale set in 1830s Japan around two bedraggled swordsman – one a former samurai (Nakadai), the other a farmer aspiring…
Firemen's Ball, TheFiremen's Ball, The (1967)
Dir. Milos Forman
Feat. Jan Vostrcil, Josef Sebanek, Josef Valnoha
Early film from the director of AMADEUS and CUCKOO'S NEST is an engaging, off–beat collection of comic vignettes, including a clumsy beauty…
Ladies of the NightLadies of the Night (Plus vieux métier du monde, Le) (1967)
Dir. Jean-Luc Godard, Philippe de Broca, Claude Autant-Lara
Feat. Anna Karina, Elsa Martinelli, Jeanne Moreau
A six–segment portmanteau comedy which traces the history of prostitution from its Stone Age version (being the 'oldest profession') through to…
Les Grandes VacancesLes Grandes Vacances (The Big Vacation) (1967)
Dir. Jean Girault
Feat. Louis de Funès, Ferdy Mayne
French comedy great Louis de Funès plays dictatorial headmaster to his two wayward sons, who rock the boat when sent to England as exchange students.
PlaytimePlaytime (1967) Recommended
Dir. Jacques Tati
Feat. Jacques Tati
Tati's satirical vision of modern city life and brutalist architecture is his magnum opus. His alter–ego Mr. Hulot goes about his third…
Thief of Paris, TheThief of Paris, The (Le Voleur) (1967)
Dir. Louis Malle
Feat. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Genevieve Bujold, Marie Dubois
Enjoyable comedy with Belmondo as a young man cheated of his inheritance who in turn develops a taste for thieving. Set in Paris at the turn of the…
Don't Look Now We're Being Shot AtDon't Look Now We're Being Shot At (La Grande Vadrouille) (1966) Recommended
Dir. Gerard Oury
Feat. Andre Bourvil, Gerard Oury, Louis de Funès
Side–splitting war caper turns a downed British bomber over Paris into a hilarious escape from German clutches. One of France’s highest…
Fists in the PocketFists in the Pocket (1965)
Dir. Marco Bellochio
Feat. Lou Castel, Paola Pitagora, Marino Mase
A ferocious intensity pervades this bitter yet utterly startling tale of a family afflicted with epilepsy, blindness and frustration, unafforded the…
Paris vu parParis vu par (Six in Paris) (1965)
Dir. Eric Rohmer, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol
Passionate, parochial anthology of New Wave shorts from six of France's best: Godard, Chabrol and Rohmer headline a concoction of Parisian sketches…
Shop on High Street, TheShop on High Street, The (The Shop on Main Street) (1965) Recommended
Dir. Jan Kadar
A key film of the Czech film renaissance of the 1960s, that explores 'everyday fascism' through the story of a Jewish shopkeeper who mistakes her…
Sucker, TheSucker, The (Le Corniaud) (1965) Recommended
Dir. Gerard Oury
Feat. Andre Bourvil, Gerard Oury, Louis de Funès
Quintessential French farce finds the affable Bourvil tricked into driving a Cadillac to Bordeaux containing thousands of dollars of jewelry and…
Marriage Italian StyleMarriage Italian Style (Matrimonio All'italiana) (1964)
Dir. Vittorio De Sica
Feat. Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren
This hilarious marriage farce features Sophia Loren as a long–suffering unwedded woman: on her deathbed, she convinces the commitment–shy…
Yesterday, Today and TomorrowYesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963)
Dir. Vittorio De Sica
Feat. Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni
A compendium of three stories starring Sophia Loren in her luscious prime in three very different roles. Together with Marcello Mastroianni, it…
Boccaccio '70Boccaccio '70 (1962)
Dir. Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini
Feat. Anita Ekberg, Romy Schneider, Marisa Solinas
Naughty for the time, this all–star portmanteau film is loosely based on updated versions of the bawdy stories of 14th century writer Giovanni…
Divorce Italian StyleDivorce Italian Style (1962) Recommended
Dir. Pietro Germi
Feat. Marcello Mastroianni, Stefania Sandrelli
Italy’s archaic marital laws – where divorce was still illegal in the sixties – are the star in this devious satire of an unhappy…
Pierre Etaix: Restored Complete Film WorksPierre Etaix: Restored Complete Film Works (1961-1971)
Feat. Pierre Étaix
A long–overdue collection of film works from French comedy master Pierre Etaix, the delightfully witty clown, comedian and filmmaker whose…
Shoot the PianistShoot the Pianist (Shoot the Piano Player) (1960)
Dir. Francois Truffaut
Feat. Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger
Part homage to Hollywood film noir, part love story and part and parcel of the new wave, a down–on–his–luck pianist is drawn into…
Zazie Dans Le MetroZazie Dans Le Metro (Zazie in the Underground) (1960)
Dir. Louis Malle
Feat. Catherine Demongeot, Philippe Noiret
Anarchistic comedy drops the impudent 11yr old Zazie into the care of Uncle Phillipe Noiret and the whirlygig chaos of modern Paris. Adapted from…
Good MorningGood Morning (Ohayo) (1959)
Dir. Yasujiro Ozu
Feat. Shimazu Masahiko, Koji Shidara, Chishu Ryu
Ozu’s most accessible and scathing film amuses with its deceptively light–hearted tale of two boys’ vow of silence after being refused a…
Mon OncleMon Oncle (1958)
Dir. Jacques Tati
Feat. Jacques Tati
Monsieur Hulot returns in another gag–laden adventure. His whimsical ways endear him to his nephew, but leave the boy's trendy parents cold.…
Elena and Her MenElena and Her Men (Paris Does Strange Things) (1956)
Dir. Jean Renoir
Feat. Ingrid Bergman, Jean Marais, Mel Ferrer
Ingrid Bergman plays a Polish princess torn between marrying for love, or wealth, in this slinky, sweet–natured comic romance. Mel Ferrer, Jean…
Her Bridal NightHer Bridal Night (Mariée est trop belle, La) (1956)
Dir. Pierre Gaspard-Huit
Feat. Brigitte Bardot, Micheline Presle, Louis Jourdan
Light comedy dating from Brigette Bardot's early years in which she plays a country girl who gets 'discovered' by the Parisian fashion industry and…
Naughty GirlNaughty Girl (Cette Sacree Gamine) (1956)
Dir. Michel Boisrond
Feat. Brigitte Bardot, Francoise Fabian
A con–artist father leaves his devious minx of a daughter in the hands of a performer who discovers the girl is bent on disrupting his life the…
Plucking the DaisyPlucking the Daisy (Mademoiselle Striptease) (1956)
Dir. Roger Vadim
Feat. Brigitte Bardot, Roger Vadim
One of the Brigitte Bardot/Roger Vadim light comedies that relies on Bardot's charms rather more than the simple story of a smalltown woman who is…
French Can CanFrench Can Can (French Cancan, Only the French Can) (1955) Recommended
Dir. Jean Renoir
Feat. Jean Gabin, Michel Piccoli, Dora Doll
Jean Renoir returned to France after 15 years absence to make this vibrant tribute to the Parisian world of his father, the Impressionist painter…
Grandes Manoeuvres, LesGrandes Manoeuvres, Les (1955)
Dir. Rene Clair
Feat. Michele Morgan, Gerard Philipe, Brigitte Bardot
Sophisticated French fare is a battle of the sexes between a notorious womanizer, and the divorcee he’s convinced he’ll be able to seduce and…
Smiles of a Summer NightSmiles of a Summer Night (Sommarnattens Leende) (1955) Recommended
Dir. Ingmar Bergman
Feat. Ulla Jacobsson, Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson
An enjoyable, ultimately serious comedy of deception set among the Swedish gentry of the early 20th century who are engaged in a poetic dance of…
Dov'e La Liberta...?Dov'e La Liberta...? (Where Is Freedom?) (1954)
Dir. Roberto Rossellini
Feat. Toto, Vera Molnar, Nita Dover
Legendary Italian comic Toto plays a barber who cannot abide the hypocritical society he is thrust into after spending two decades in prison, and…
Peek-a-BooPeek-a-Boo (Ah! Les belles bacchantes) (1954)
Dir. Jean Loubignac
Feat. Louis de Funès, Robert Dhéry
Peppy parody of musical revues, with Louis de Funès's small–town copper finding himself inadvertently cast in an all–singing,…
Mr. Hulot's HolidayMr. Hulot's Holiday (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot) (1953) Recommended
Dir. Jacques Tati
Feat. Jacques Tati, Nathalie Pascaud
Jacques Tati fine–tunes the virtues of JOUR DE FETE to create his most eponymous character. The first of four Hulot features follows the…
Flavour Of Green Tea Over Rice, TheFlavour Of Green Tea Over Rice, The (Ochazuke no aji) (1952) Recommended
Dir. Yasujiro Ozu
Feat. Shin Saburi, Michiyo Kogure, Kōji Tsuruta
Dir. Ozu once again explores the subtleties of Japanese family life, this time drawing our attention to the struggles of those in arranged marriages…
French Comedy Greats: Louis De FunèsFrench Comedy Greats: Louis De Funès ( Monsieur Leguignon, Lampistel; Peek-a-Boo; The Bouncing Beauty; The Big Vacation.) (1952-1968)
Feat. Louis de Funès
Four films starring legendary French funnyman Louis de Funès.
Golden CoachGolden Coach (Le Carrosse d'or) (1952) Recommended
Dir. Jean Renoir
Feat. Anna Magnani, Odoardo Spadaro, Nada Fiorelli
Dir. Renoir's classic comedy focuses on a group of commedia dell'arte actors in the eighteenth Century and the much–desired central figure of…
Monsieur Leguignon, lampistelMonsieur Leguignon, lampistel (1952)
Dir. Maurice Labro
Feat. Yves Deniaud, Louis de Funès
Spirited and screwball–esque, this 'workers' comedy concerns a down–on–his–luck railway labourer who discovers treasure…
White Sheik, TheWhite Sheik, The (Sceicco bianco, Lo) (1952)
Dir. Federico Fellini
Feat. Alberto Sordi, Leopoldo Trieste, Giulietta Masina
Fellini’s against–the–grain feature debut coaxes the marital problems of a newlywed couple into a light, playful comedy that wasn’t…
Jour De FeteJour De Fete (1947)
Dir. Jacques Tati
Feat. Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati established himself as a major new comic as a postman who attempts to modernise his mail service. Such precise visual humour had not…
Jacques Tati ShortsJacques Tati Shorts (1936)
Dir. Jacques Tati
Three rare short comedies for those that can't get enough of the French funnyman. Watch your Left! (1936), School for Postmen (1947), and Evening…
Le Crime De Monsieur LangeLe Crime De Monsieur Lange (1935) Recommended
Dir. Jean Renoir
Feat. Rene Lefevre, Florelle , Jules Berry
One of the dir.’s early classics. Rene Leferve rises to newsprint fame as the author of the serial “Arizona Jim” after his boss, a…
Boudu Saved from DrowningBoudu Saved from Drowning (1932) Recommended
Dir. Jean Renoir
Feat. Michel Simon, Charles Granval, Marcelle Hania
Renoir's joyfully anarchic attack on the bourgeoisie in which vagrant Michel Simon wreaks emotional havoc in the orderly household that have offered…
Le MillionLe Million (1931) Aro Favourite
Dir. Rene Clair
Feat. Annabella, Rene Lefevre, Louis Allibert
An early French musical, so delightful it was to inspire the likes of the Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin and even the American Musical as a…
MariusMarius (1931)
Dir. Alexander Korda
Feat. Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis
Based on the play by revered French writer Marcel Pagnol, this is the first film in the Marseille Trilogy featuring the characters of Marius (Pierre…

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