foreign film realization

q: do you like foreign films?

a: fuck yeah i do. i love that type of crap...with all of the subtitles and shit.

that is how i probably responded to such queries a few years ago. i think for a while i enjoyed the idea of liking foreign cinema. only uncultured idiots do not enjoy foreign movies. or so i had more or less convinced myself. as my friends know by now, i am of pretty average intelligence and not really any more cultured than anyone else. i enjoy music, tv and movies like everyone else. and also like everyone else, i don't really read. i used to consider enjoying movies from other countries as something that sophisticated and educated people did for jollies. while that may be true to some extent, i have come to terms with the fact that i am not part of this snooty club and am not a big fan of most foreign films.

first off, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a lot of foreign films. good movies are good movies, but at the same time, i am forced to read and follow dialogue as opposed to taking a brain vacation and enjoying something like teen wolf. basically, i am lazy, have a short attention span and i absolutely refuse to be part of something that is unamerican.

i do actually consider city of god, a brazilian movie, to be a contender for my favorite movie of all time. but that movie was awesome and you know it. although, if i am being honest, i have willfully and intentionally seen the film white chicks more often...and loved every minute of it.



q: what does this say about me?

a: i dunno. i don't like it when people, myself included, pretend to like stuff cause they feel like it is cool to do so. not that i think i was ever lying to myself or others about liking these movies, but just that i kind of wanted to enjoy them more than i truly did and so therefore i thought i liked them. now i am just coming to terms with it. also, i am lazy. if a movie is over 90 minutes there is a 30% chance i will fall asleep before the end credits.

q: will i ever watch a foreign film again?

a: i'm sure i will, but to have a chance at liking it, i have to be in the right mood. also, it probably can't be too dependent on dialogue.

q: you mentioned city of god. what other titles have slipped past and deemed actually good by you?

a: thanks to netflix, i do get a chance to view some movies i would not normally view. some of these have been foreign. some that i can remember liking that i have seen in the last year or so include zombie 2, tekkon kinkreet, the devil's backbone, the machine girl, angel-a, son of rambow, hot fuzz, oldboy, them, and mystics in bali. hmmm...maybe i had too strong of a reaction to what i thought was my anti-foreign film view and in actuality i really do like foreign movies. knowing that i have in fact been more or less genuine makes me feel a little better.

q: what was the point of all this?

a: you know what? i don't like your attitude. why don't you go watch some of you bruckheimer dvds with your stupid frat buddies and leave me alone with my vino and subtitled masterpieces.