I used to watch foreign films ALL THE TIME, almost exclusively. That was until I got on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer kick, which, brilliant as it is, changed me into a lowbrow TV show glutton. But here are a couple of french films I really enjoyed and count as my favorites:
Queen Margot
My only regret from watching Queen Margot is that I watched it alone. 'Cuz that shit was EPIC. Can you imagine starting into the eyes of your lover... while he's decapitated? Can you imagine being forced to marry a protestant, being held hostage in your own castle, avoiding being poisoned by your incestuous brothers, all while a massive slaying goes on outside your front door? Queen Margot had to deal with it on a daily basis, and that woman had some killer curves and a strong resolve.
Belle de Jour
Catherine Deneuve plays a woman who won't go near her husband with a ten foot pole but then decides to take a day job as prostitute. Surely shows how complicated female sexuality can be sometimes. Deneuve is so lamb-like in this film, its almost annoying. She falls in love with one of the brothel's patrons, who is a sadistic creep. This film tries to answer the age old question of "what do women want?" more so than the Mel Gibson film "what women want". We don't want you nice guys, that's for sure!
Betty Blue
Betty Blue is a visual popsicle, excluding the first ten minutes of the film, which is just straight sexual intercourse. Roger Ebert didn't like this film, but I think he missed the point - because it is hands down the most romantic film I've ever seen. It's three hours long and can be a little mundane sometimes, but isn't that what life is like when you're in love? Mundane and beautiful. Bodacious Betty starts banging the handsome Zorg, and the two start getting serious and enter some permanent honeymoon phase. It would all be paradise, except that the erratic Betty has some sort of borderline personality disorder and is in dire need of anger management.
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
This film by expatriate William Klien pokes massive fun at the ridiculousness of fashion and tv culture. A documentary crew decides to feature and explore the life of Polly, a young fashion model that reminds me of Coca Rocha a little bit. It's a bit exisistential, completely quirky, and a pretty fashionable movie for a movie that dogs fashion.
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