Movie Ratings & Reviews

Last film added: May 10, 2012. There are currently 1151 films in the database (since 1996).

Foreign Language

Search returned all Foreign language films out of 1151 total rated films.

MASTERPIECES

Amélie (2001) 10
Shy French waitress Amélie decides to be a regular do-gooder and accidentally falls in love.
Celebration, The (1998) 10
This Dogme 95 film, set on a grandfather's 60th birthday, spirals into forbidden family territory.
Collected Shorts of Jan Svankmajer, The (2005) 10
An excellent retrospective of surreal, unsettling films from the Czech animator, dating 1965 to 1992.
Cyclo (1996) 10
After a Vietnamese man's bicycle-taxi is stolen, he desperately turns to the mob for work.
In the Mood for Love (2001) 10
Kar-Wai Wong's masterpiece of romantic longing and restraint that dissolves like cigarette smoke against silk.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 10
Guillermo del Toro presents a young girl's fantastic alternate reality, set in 1944 fascist Spain.
Persepolis (2007) 10
Autobiographical, cinematic graphic novel of a young outspoken girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.
Rosetta (2000) 10
A Dogme 95 film about young Rosetta who will do anything to maintain a job.
Son, The (2002) 10
A vocational training center for troubled boys provides a story of emotional and moral complexity.
Spirited Away (2001) 10
Miyazaki animates an alternate nighttime universe of Japanese gods and spirits.
Triplets of Belleville, The (2003) 10
Visually unique animation about a Tour de France kidnapping and the bizarre rescue effort.
Waltz with Bashir (2008) 10
Stunning. Folman interviews Israeli veterans of the 1982 Lebanon invasion to reconstruct his own memories.

EXCELLENT

2046 (2004) 9
Kar-Wai Wong presents a futuristic recapturing of a womanizing writer's memory of six past lovers.
Amores perros (2000) 9
Three interconnected stories about life in Mexico City are resolved with a fatal car accident.
Caché (2005) 9
A French couple are terrorized by a series of videotapes planted on their front porch.
Child, The (2006) 9
An uncompromising morality tale by the Dardenne Brothers. Stark but hopeful portrayal of youth poverty.
City of God (2003) 9
A boy growing up in a violent Rio de Janeiro neighborhood finds redemption through photography.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) 9
The disappearance of a magical jade sword spurs a breathtaking quest for the missing treasure.
Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The (2007) 9
The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who was stricken with locked-in syndrome.
Dreamers, The (2004) 9
Outside, the Paris student riots of 1968 are happening. Inside, Eva Green is mesmerizing.
Dreamlife of Angels, The (1998) 9
In France, two penniless young women with few prospects become friends and share a flat.
Fallen Angels (1998) 9
Kar-Wai Wong directs the story of a professional killer in a surreal Hong Kong nightscape.
Hero (2002) 9
A Rashômonesque martial-arts epic about the attempted assassination of a Chinese warlord, starring Jet Li.
Howl's Moving Castle (2005) 9
The visual wonderment of Miyazaki reveals a magical world of witches, wizards and fire demons.
Illusionist, The (2010) 9
An out-of-work, aging French magician travels to Scotland and meets a young woman.
Let the Right One In (2008) 9
A dark, dreamlike fairytale about a young Scandinavian vampire that explores a tender childhood friendship.
Little Otik (2001) 9
A fantastically disturbing Czech fairytale about parenthood. It's conventionally structured for a Svankmajer film.
Live Flesh (1997) 9
Javier Bardem seeks revenge against the people he feels were responsible for his imprisonment.
Lorna's Silence (2009) 9
The Dardenne Brothers' stunning film about Albanian emigrants in Belgium. Study of a woman's conscience.
Maria Full of Grace (2004) 9
The journey of a Columbian teenager who agrees to smuggle cocaine pellets into New York.
Mifune (1999) 9
A newlywed businessman returns home to care for his brother in this Dogme 95 film.
Millennium Actress (2001) 9
This animated epic blurs the distinction between film, history and memory. There are many truths.
No Man's Land (2001) 9
During the war between Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993, two opposing soldiers become stranded together.
Open Your Eyes (1999) 9
The brilliant Amenábar film, starring Penélope Cruz, that Tom Cruise turned into Vanilla Sky.
Paprika (2007) 9
An insane anime that blurs the separation between reality, dreams, memory, cinema and the Internet.
Ponyo (2009) 9
Miyazaki's charming story of a magical goldfish princess who begins a quest to become human.
Princess Mononoke (1997) 9
Miyazaki presents a mythological tale of civilization encroaching on the beast gods of the forest.
Promesse, La (1997) 9
The Dardenne Brothers offer a gritty, thoughtful portrayal of the illegal immigrant situation in Belgium.
Red Violin, The (1998) 9
A red violin makes its way through three centuries over several owners and countries.
Run Lola Run (1998) 9
A kinetic race against the clock in which small decisions domino into riches, or death.
Science of Sleep, The (2006) 9
A charming hyperactive blur of cellophane-animated fantasy and reality. Surreal and inventive, but not profound.
Sex and Lucía (2002) 9
Julio Medem directs a convoluted dreamlike narrative, starring a novelist, an island and Paz Vega.
Songs from the Second Floor (2000) 9
A Roy Andersson film that stimulates thought, encourages people to question things, and invites reflection.
Talk to Her (2002) 9
Pedro Almodóvar's story of friendship between two men whose girlfriends are both in deep comas.
Timecrimes (2008) 9
Like Primer, this is a film of time-travel paradoxes, but with more voyeurism and nudity.
Turtles Can Fly (2005) 9
A grim and heartbreaking portrait of Iraq. Refugee children survive by collecting and selling mines.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2011) 9
On his deathbed, Uncle Boonmee experiences the magical intersection of spirit, animal and human worlds.
Very Long Engagement, A (2004) 9
Jean-Pierre Jeunet presents Audrey Tautou, whimsical and hopeful, awaiting her fiancée's return from WWI.
Y tu mamá también (2001) 9
In Mexico, two teenage boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip.
Yi yi (2000) 9
The meaning of life explored through portraits of individual members of a Taiwanese family.

VERY GOOD

All About My Mother (1999) 8
The story of a mother recovering from the death of her teenage son through travel.
Ashes of Time Redux (2008) 8
Kar-Wai Wong's recut version of the 1994 wuxia epic. A broken-hearted swordsman in the desert.
Aura, The (2006) 8
An epileptic taxidermist imagines executing the perfect robbery, then gets his chance. A psychological thriller.
Bothersome Man, The (2007) 8
A man arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there.
Buena Vista Social Club (1999) 8
A documentary about aging and legendary Cuban musicians, brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder.
Central Station (1998) 8
A woman who writes letters for illiterate people meets a boy whose mother has died.
Che: Part One (2009) 8
Soderbergh and Del Toro recount the Cuban Revolution: Castro, Che Guevara and the guerrilla army.
Devil's Backbone, The (2001) 8
An unsettling ghost story set in a Catholic orphanage during the Spanish Civil War.
Fireworks (1998) 8
Takeshi Kitano presents a movie based on consequences and states of mind rather than action.
Freedom on the Fence (2005) 8
A documentary project about the culturally iconic art of Polish posters under the USSR regime.
Goodbye Lenin! (2004) 8
A young man tries to prevent his mother from learning that Germany has been reunified.
Kikujiro (1999) 8
Takeshi Kitano explores the unlikely bond between a brash, loudmouthed adult and a nine-year-old boy.
Kinamand (2006) 8
A Danish plumber begins eating at a family-run Chinese diner and makes unexpected emotional connections.
Kite Runner, The (2007) 8
Pain and redemption through Afghanistan's recent history, from boyhood kite-flying contests to brutal Taliban rule.
Life is Beautiful (1997) 8
Jewish man Roberto Benigni uses humor to protect his son in a Nazi death camp.
Lila Says (2005) 8
A well-acted story of seduction and self-realization, revolving around the beautiful and alluring Vahina Giocante.
Little Thief, The (1999) 8
A young man from the French countryside moves to the city to find a job.
Lovers of the Arctic Circle, The (1998) 8
A story of circular lives, with circular names, in a circular place. Life is happenstance.
Micmacs (2010) 8
Jeunet's circus-like film about a man with a plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.
Motorcycle Diaries, The (2004) 8
Dramatization of an epic motorcycle road trip a young Che Guevara took through South America.
Nine Queens (2000) 8
Two con-artists try to swindle a stamp collector with a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps.
Nói albínói (2004) 8
A teenager drifts through life on a remote fjord in the north of Iceland.
Oldboy (2005) 8
A man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years exacts his brutal revenge. Stunning.
Osama (2004) 8
Attempting to survive beneath the Taliban, a 12-year-old Afghan girl disguises herself as a boy.
Paragraph 175 (2000) 8
German historian interviews survivors of Nazi persecution of homosexuals under the Paragraph 175 penal code.
Princess and the Warrior, The (2001) 8
Tom Tykwer crafts a stylish fable about psychiatric nurse Franka Potente and a small-time criminal.
Russian Ark (2002) 8
300 years of Russian history displayed in a single continuous shot at the Hermitage Museum.
Séraphine (2009) 8
Moving, evenhanded historical drama about the difficult but ecstatic life of French painter Séraphine Louis.
Shower (1999) 8
A businessman travels home to Beijing after receiving a message that his father has died.
Three Seasons (1999) 8
A languorously beautiful, kind film centered around the lives of three main characters in Vietnam.
Tokyo! (2008) 8
A cinematic triptych (transformation, anarchy, rebirth) set in Tokyo. Directed by Gondry, Carax and Bong.
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) 8
An animated Christmas story set in Tokyo featuring an unlikely trio of homeless friends.
Tokyo Sonata (2009) 8
Social satire through the many misfortunes of a Japanese family, particularly the father's downward spiral.
Tuvalu (2001) 8
Stunning, whimsical German film with almost no dialogue set in a surreal bathhouse in Bulgaria.
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998) 8
Explores the Cultural Revolution in China. A young teenage girl is sent to remote lands.

GOOD

Aimée & Jaguar (1999) 7
Set in 1943 Berlin, a Nazi wife has a love affair with a Jewish lesbian.
Audition (1999) 7
A Japanese widower holds an audition to search for a potential mate, with horrific results.
Berserk - The Complete Collection (2002) 7
Anime about young warrior Guts and the mercenary company called the Band of the Hawk.
Bon Voyage (2004) 7
A farcical portrait of 1940 France nearly surrendering to zee Germans. Virginie Ledoyen is adorable.
Book of the Dead, The (2006) 7
Intricate stop-motion animation set in feudal Japan. A mysterious Buddhist parable involving a ghost prince.
Che: Part Two (2009) 7
Soderbergh and Del Toro depict Che Guevara in the ill-fated revolutionary guerrilla war in Bolivia.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001) 7
On Mars in the year 2071, the Bebop crew tries to contain a deadly virus.
East/West (1999) 7
In 1946, Stalin invited self-exiled Russians to return home, only to execute or imprison them.
Happenstance (2000) 7
A subtle twist of fate can affect the lives of total strangers. Stars Audrey Tautou.
Happy Times (2001) 7
A bittersweet comedy about a poor, aging bachelor who hasn't had luck in love.
Idiots, The (1998) 7
Lars von Trier's provocative Dogme 95 film about Danish adults pretending to be mentally challenged.
Intacto (2003) 7
A man has the supernatural ability to acquire luck. He gambles it in deadly games.
Irreversible (2002) 7
Interesting narrative concept, but vicious. Be prepared for traumatic rape and murder. Stars Monica Bellucci.
Life is to Whistle (1998) 7
Three characters in present-day Havana must choose between their self-restricting beliefs or living more freely.
Not One Less (1999) 7
A very determined girl is left in charge of a mountain village school in China.
Priceless (2008) 7
Young gold digger Audrey Tautou mistakenly woos a mild-mannered bartender thinking he's a wealthy suitor.
Renegade (2004) 7
Psychedelic French Western that feels like a Jodorowsky film. Sacred mountains, gunfights, peyote and shaman.
Ringu (2003) 7
A mysterious video kills all who watch it, unless the viewer can solve its mystery.
Road Home, The (1999) 7
After his father's death, a Chinese businessman recalls the story of how his parents met.
Romance (1999) 7
A young French woman embarks on an escalating sexual journey, testing her emotional limits.
Sidewalls (2011) 7
Two neurotic individuals live in neighboring apartments in Buenos Aires. Will they meet? Charming loneliness.
Steamboy (2005) 7
In 1860s Britain, a boy inventor becomes involved in a revolution of steam power technology.
Va Savoir (2001) 7
This romantic comedy follows three men and three women as their lives intersect in Paris.
Werckmeister Harmonies (2001) 7
Darkness descends. A bleak, mysterious and meditative art film. It's also cryptic, tedious and pretentious.

FAIR

Bread and Tulips (2000) 6
This lighthearted comedy traces a married woman's self-discovery in Venice. Contrived, sweet, and escapist.
Ju-on: The Grudge (2004) 6
Japanese horror movie features a vengeful spirit that marks and pursues anybody entering its house.
Marie from the Bay of Angels (1997) 6
Nubile teenager Vahina Giocante spends her holidays on the French Riviera, picking up American sailors.
Night Watch (2006) 6
First chapter of a derivative Russian fantasy epic featuring warring forces of daytime and nighttime.
Origin: Spirits of the Past (2007) 6
In a post-apocalyptic anime future, cell-animated humans battle sentient forests with CG war machines.
Tell Me Something (2001) 6
Black garbage bags filled with dismembered human body parts are showing up around the city.

ADEQUATE

Saiyûki Vol. 1: The Journey Begins (2003) 5
A Dragonball Z-like anime adventure of four heroes traveling West to confront a powerful demon.
Saving Private Perez (2011) 5
A Mexican crime lord plans to invade Iraq to rescue his brother. Ridiculous, wacky violence.

FROM BAD TO WORSE

(NO! MY EYES! MY EYES!)

Stranded (2003) CRAP
Astronauts crash onto the surface of Mars. Intriguing concept, but bad science and idiotic script.

Statistical ratings distribution of these 118 films

bell curve

6.5

CRAP

8.1

10:

10.2%

32.2%

29.7%

20.3%

5.1%

1.7%

CRAP:

0.8%

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Movie Ratings & Reviews

Foreign Language