2011 Foreign Movies

Emily Bronte's classic romance is given an austere, naturalistic interpretation in this adaptation from filmmaker Andrea Arnold, which strips the story of much of its dialogue and adds a racial component to the tale of forbidden love. Yorkshire landowner Mr. Earnshaw (Paul Hilton) brings a West Indian boy (Solomon Glave) to live on his property and earn his keep working on Earnshaw's farm, naming the youth Heathcliff. While Heathcliff is regarded with deep suspicion by Earnshaw's son Hindley (Lee Shaw), he strikes up a friendship with Earnshaw's daughter Catherine (Shannon Beer) that grows stronger with time. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley takes control of the farm, and Heathcliff chafes under Hindley's vicious treatment, running off to make his own way. In time, Catherine (now played by Kaya Scodelario) grows into a beautiful woman, and Edgar Linton (James Northcote), the son of a wealthy man, asks for her hand in marriage. Hindley approves of the match, but Catherine is torn when Heathcliff returns (now played by James Howson) as a self-made man. The affection Catherine and Heathcliff knew in their youth has grown into something deeper, but she isn't sure if she can defy her family in the name of love. Wuthering Heights received its world premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the wake of a heated murder trial, a young monk seeks refuge from a storm in a deserted burial tunnel, where a conversation with a poor man and a beggar reveals three distinctly different versions of the events leading up to the killing. A warlord has been murdered, and as the trial gets underway the testimonies of his wife, the bandit Singh Khan and a shaman with the power to call on the victim's spirit only serve to obscure the truth, rather than clarifying it. Deeply perplexed after hearing all of the testimonies, a young monk embarks on a journey to seek his father's counsel as a storm blows in. Fortunately for him, a nearby burial tunnel provides a place to rest until the storm has passed. In the process of seeking shelter, the monk crosses paths with a common man who also testified at the trial. Later, the two men are joined by an elderly beggar who engages them both in a heated discussion about the trial. Over the course of their conversation, the stories of the wife, the bandit, and the shaman are all recounted in great detail, revealing the personal agendas of all three. Later, as the stories draw to a close and the clouds begin to clear, the troubled young monk grows increasingly perplexed by the nature of the truth not only as it applies to the trial, but the very core of his belief system as well. Adapted from the classic Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon, At the Gate of the Ghost stars Mario Maurer, Ananda Everingham, Chermarn Boonyasak, and Phongpat Wachirabanjhor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

When an herbalist falls for a 1000-year-old white snake masquerading as a woman and finds his life turned upside down, a sorcerer (Jet Li) must face treachery and deception in order to save his crumbling kingdom and the young man's soul. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A family of tae kwon do experts come under attack by a gang of ruthless international thieves in this martial arts action thriller from director Prachya Pinkaew (Ong Bak, Chocolate). Moon is a gym owner who has transformed his entire family into tae kwon do masters. When Moon's son prevents thieves from stealing a treasured Thai artifact, the entire family is celebrated for their heroics. The situation turns critical when the mastermind of the operation kidnaps the young hero's family, prompting him on a treacherous rescue mission that will test his true abilities. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 

Thrust into a prestigious private boys' school against his will, self-professed anarchist Julian Mitchell incurs the wrath of the institution's most powerful social group as police investigate a mean-spirited prank gone horribly awry. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A typical stag weekend turns into a struggle for survival for a group of friends who find themselves pitted against an angry army of the living dead. Dean is about to get married, and his buddies are determined to send him out of the single life with a bang. Their plan: Take Dean to play Zomball - the latest craze in a post-zombie apocalypse society. Though mankind has won the war against the armies of the undead, dispatching with the walking corpses that remain above ground has proven quite a task. As a result, private companies have been forced to get creative with their clean-up methods. In Zomball, players are invited to dispatch zombies in a safe environment. When Dean and his pals break the game's number one rule, however, the zombies strike back with a vengeance. Now surrounded by flesh eaters with his best friends and a fierce stripper, Dean must aim for the head if he ever hopes to reach the altar on time. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In the heart of one of Buenos Aires' most exclusive neighborhoods, you will find La Recoleta Cemetery, arguably the most prestigious graveyard in Argentina. La Recoleta is the final home for many of the country's most important historical figures -- founders of the nation, high-ranking politicians, artists, authors and the wealthy and influential. However, a handful of noted rebels and dissidents are also interned there, and one can trace much of the nation's history by noting the names of the headstones. Filmmaker Nicolas Prividera presents an impressionistic look into Argentina's past and present in the film Tierra de los Padres (aka Fatherland), in which actors stroll through La Recoleta Cemetery, observing the graves of some of the nation's heroes and villains, and reading aloud from their writings. Taken together, the speeches form a story of political turmoil and strife, as the film also offers a glimpse into the work of the men who maintain this historic site. Fatherland received its North American premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the wake of his 98-year-old Jewish grandmother's passing, filmmaker Arnon Goldfinger commences the arduous process of cleaning out the Tel Aviv flat she lived in for 70 years, and makes a shocking discovery that sends him on a revealing journey into his complex family history. When the Nazis seized power in Germany, Goldfinger's grandparents Gerda and Kurt Tuchler fled to Tel Aviv. There, the couple led a rich life, and continued to grow a family. Decades later, after they've both passed away, Goldfinger and his family are cleaning out the flat when they find Nazi propaganda that seems to link his grandparents to a mysterious SS officer. Subsequently determined to learn the truth behind his family's connection to the enemy, Goldfinger begins an incredible journey into the past that reveals how the most profound truths can sometimes be swept under the rug for the sake of sheltering the ones we love most. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The troubled life of one of Brazil's most legendary sports heroes is brought to the screen in this drama based on the true story of Heleno de Freitas. As a young man, Heleno (Rodrigo Santoro) displayed a remarkable talent for football (known as soccer in North America), and his intense, powerfully physical playing style soon made him a star, despite his arrogant attitude and failings as a team player. In the early 1940s, Heleno seems poised to lead his team to the World Cup championship, and he earns a reputation as a notorious ladies' man, despite the fact he's married and has children. While World War II was little felt in Brazil, the war in Europe kept World Cup tournaments from being held in 1942 and 1946, preventing Heleno from achieving his greatest dream, and his unwillingness to cooperate with coaches and teammates (as well as a growing dependence on drugs) ends with him being traded to a team in Argentina. Heleno's reckless love life begins catching up with him as his long-standing relationship with a sexy nightclub entertainer, Diamantina (Angie Cepeda), drives a final stake through the heart of his marriage, and Heleno contracts a venereal disease which he refuses to have properly treated. Heleno was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A man must care for a woman who has devoted her life to looking after him in this drama from filmmaker Ann Hui. Roger (Andy Lau) is a successful movie producer with a housekeeper, Ah Tao (Deanie Ip), who has worked for his family over the course of four generations. Ah Tao has been a nanny and maid for Roger's family for nearly all her adult life, and he looks upon her as a member of the family rather than an employee. When Roger comes home one day to discover Ah Tao has suffered a severe stroke, its' clear she's no longer up to the demands of her job, and he agrees to help her relocate to a nursing home. Roger, the only member of his family still living in Hong Kong, is eager to help, but he's unsure of just how much he's supposed to do for her and is afraid to seem neglectful; Ah Tao, on the other hand, doesn't want to be a burden to Roger, and their relationship goes through an awkward period as their roles reverse and he becomes her caregiver. Set against the backdrop of the Hong Kong film industry, Tao Jie (aka A Simple Life) features cameos appearances from such luminaries as Sammo Hung and Tsui Hark. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

An innocent waitress becomes a terrified captive in her own home after a shady bar owner hires an enigmatic Croatian to murder a man over an unpaid debt, and the job doesn't go as planned. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

One man's violent Mafioso past returns with a vengeance in this crime drama featuring Danny Glover and Michael Madsen. David is living in New York City and working for the volatile Don Fredrico when hazy visions of his violent early years in Sicily begin bubbling to the surface of his memory. There, he was a member of the notorious Sicilian Cortello family. But he incurred the wrath of the powerful Don Michele in an act of bitter betrayal. Now David is desperate to embrace his Italian roots. Fleeing the city by train, David sets out on a tragic collision course with Don Federico, and meets enigmatic priest Father Leonard (Danny Glover), whose own dark past bonds him to the mysterious Mafioso. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi