389 Best European Stories to Watch (Page 19)

In my own wished-for parallel universe, French actors Vincent Cassell and Emanuelle Devos are voted the sexiest actors alive. I find them both transfixing and appealing in every role they’ve performed, and they are quite the pair here. Devos plays Carla, a put-upon assistant at a property management company. While good at her job, there is little room for her to advance her career, as she is one of the only women at her company and also has a hearing deficiency. Into her humdrum life walks ex-convict Paul (Cassell), who Carla hires as a personal assistant. It turns out that what Paul lacks in secretarial skills he makes up for in other ways. The first half of the film plays almost like a dark workplace comedy, before taking a dangerous turn towards psychological crime thriller. Overall, it’s a dark and sexy character study of two mismatched outsiders who turn out to complement each other perfectly.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller

Actor: Bernard Alane, Bô Gaultier de Kermoal, Celine Samie, Chloé Mons, Christiane Cohendy, Christophe Van de Velde, Christophe Vandevelde, David Saracino, Emmanuelle Devos, Francois Loriquet, Gladys Gambie, Isabelle Caubère, Nathalie Lacroix, Olivia Bonamy, Olivier Gourmet, Olivier Perrier, Patrick Steltzer, Pierre Diot, Serge Boutleroff, Serge Onteniente, Vincent Cassel

Director: Jacques Audiard

Rating: R

When depicting a novel, book adaptations on film, especially earlier on in the medium, tend to be quite lengthy. The film version of Pelle the Conqueror does have this quality, and the storylines that aren’t directly connected to Pelle and Lasse do feel randomly stitched in. But, when this epic film focuses on Pelle and Lasse– their struggles immigrating to another country, dealing with harassment from the Danish majority, and the rare moments of joy once they finally figure things out– it shines. The legendary Max von Sydow and Pelle Hvenegaard (who was one of the many boys named after the title character) share a tender father-son dynamic that easily stirs one’s heart, and it’s all beautifully captured within Denmark’s lovely countryside. Pelle the Conqueror may only adapt the first of four volumes of the iconic Danish novel, but it does compassionately capture the struggles of the country’s impoverished immigrants.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Astrid Villaume, Axel Strøbye, Bjorn Granath, Buster Larsen, Erik Paaske, John Wittig, Karen Wegener, Kristina Törnqvist, Lars Simonsen, Lena-Pia Bernhardsson, Max von Sydow, Nis Bank-Mikkelsen, Pelle Hvenegaard, Sofie Gråbøl, Thure Lindhardt, Troels Asmussen, Troels II Munk, Troels Munk

Director: Bille August

This Dutch movie is a wonderful family story about a young boy who meets a peculiar girl while on vacation. He helps her find out more about her father who she has never met.

In its essence, this story is an uplifting coming-of-age story, not only because it was based on a young adult novel by Dutch writer Anna Woltz, but also because of a Moonrise-Kingdom-like staging. But like all great movies of its kind, it carries an emotional twist that packs enough depth even for not the not so young adult. 

Genre: Drama, Family

Actor: Guido Pollemans, Hans Dagelet, Jennifer Hoffman, Johannes Kienast, Josephine Arendsen, Julian Ras, Sonny Coops van Utteren, Suzan Boogaerdt, Terence Schreurs, Tjebbo Gerritsma

Director: Steven Wouterlood

There is a lightness to Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day that makes this period romantic comedy enjoyable– the banter, the gorgeous costumes, the gorgeous men, of which there are plenty, and silly hijinks in which the couples get together– and it feels reminiscent of some of the classic romantic comedies that once captivated the world during its time. But make no mistake. While the genre has a rep for superficiality, the characteristic lightheartedness through which the titular governess and her socialite ward eases through is much more thoughtful than the eye would expect, with the looming war and Pettigrew’s past grounding the idea to seize true love when it comes your way. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day just does it all with old school charm and modern filmmaking polish.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Amy Adams, Beatie Edney, Christina Cole, Ciarán Hinds, Frances McDormand, Katy Murphy, Lee Pace, Mark Strong, Matt Ryan, Shirley Henderson, Stephanie Cole, Tim Potter, Tom Payne

Director: Bharat Nalluri

Rating: PG-13

Of course, it won’t be surprising that Man Bites Dogs is particularly violent, given that the entire film is basically a documentary of a serial killer. But even those used to the gore, murders, and gruesomeness might be taken aback by Benoît (Poelvoorde)’s immediate murders, the matter-of-fact explanations of how he selects his targets, the casual conversations about random topics inbetween kills, and the easy way he lures the filmmakers (and the audience) to the amusement he gains from all of it. Man Bites Dog isn’t an easy watch, and it definitely deserved its controversial reputation, but we can’t deny how hard it is to look away.

Genre: Comedy, Crime

Actor: André Bonzel, Benoît Mariage, Benoît Poelvoorde, Édith Le Merdy, Jacqueline Poelvoorde-Pappaert, Jenny Drye, Malou Madou, Rémy Belvaux, Valérie Parent

Director: André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux

Rating: NC-17

When it comes to thinking about past atrocities, most of us would like to imagine that we would do our best to do the right thing, or at least, that if we did participate, we were forced into it. The thing is, that’s what plenty of perpetrators would like everyone to believe of them as well. Labyrinth of Lies delves deep into the way German institutions covered up Nazi crimes in World War II, easily excusing these cases as people who were under duress on paper, but, as writer-director Giulio Ricciarelli slowly uncovers, were just protected by fellow Nazis who still hold power. Following the ambitious lead makes this investigation a thrilling mystery, and it holds an earnestness, if not the polish, that nonetheless makes doing the right thing compelling.

Genre: Drama, History

Actor: Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Ellen Schulz, Ercan Öksüz, Franziska Junge, Friederike Becht, Gert Voss, Hansi Jochmann, Hartmut Volle, Johann von Bülow, Johannes Krisch, Lisa Martinek, Martin Rentzsch, Susanne Schäfer, Teresa Rizos, Timo Dierkes, Victor Tremmel, Werner Wölbern

Director: Giulio Ricciarelli

Rating: R

There are some people that would do everything for love, they would do everything just to make their lovers happy. But finding their favorite singer of all time to convince them to perform at your nightclub isn’t something these hopeless romantics would, or even could, do, and that’s what makes Hear My Song such a unique romantic comedy. As club owner Micky O'Neill does all he can to make this happen, director Peter Chelsom and co-writer Adrian Dunbar takes reportedly real life events and weaves them into a charming memory of the tight-knit community formed within their hometown’s pub, and the earnest hope of making up with them through something real.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Adrian Dunbar, Agnes Bernelle, Anna Manahan, Brian McGrath, Britta Smith, David McCallum, Frank Kelly, Gina Moxley, Harold Berens, James Nesbitt, Jimmy Keogh, John Dair, Laurie Morton, Liam O'Callaghan, Mary MacLeod, Ned Beatty, Norman Vaughan, Pat Laffan, Rúaidhrí Conroy, Shirley Anne Field, Stephen Marcus, Tara Fitzgerald, William Hootkins

Director: Peter Chelsom

Rating: R

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem star in this mystery by Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian Oscar-winning director of A Separation and The Salesman. When Laura returns to her small Spanish hometown with her two daughters, she is greeted with the warm welcome worthy of someone who once was a loved member of the community. However, when an event concerning one of her daughters happens at a wedding, secrets come to the surface about her history that threaten the fabric of the whole village. Laura is masterfully played by Penélope Cruz, who seems to shift gears in this Spanish-language movie. Farhadi is outside of his usual territory, but he does what he does best: deliver a rich, thrilling family drama.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Barbara Lennie, Carla Campra, Eduard Fernandez, Elvira Minguez, Inma Cuesta, Iván Chavero, Jaime Lorente, Javier Bardem, Jordi Bosch, Jose Angel Egido, Mar del Corral, Penélope Cruz, Ramon Barea, Ricardo Darín, Roger Casamajor, Sara Salamo, Sergio Castellanos, Tomás del Estal, Vicente Vergara

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Rating: R

Growing up and growing old over time leads to natural separation between friends, but it doesn’t mean that you’ll never see each other again. Career Girls depicts an ordinary reunion between two women Hannah and Annie, but through the subtleties of writer-director Mike Leigh’s dialogue, and the chemistry between Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman, it captures the weathered yet fond friendship they share, despite all that has happened to them. It’s naturally bittersweet, the same way we remember old friends, but it's also comforting, just having a friend that sees you for who you are, regardless of the time that has passed since you’ve last met.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Andy Serkis, Joe Tucker, Kate Byers, Katrin Cartlidge, Lynda Steadman, Margo Stanley, Mark Benton

Director: Mike Leigh

We all know that remaining unmarried when middle-aged doesn’t mean one is lacking, but even when we can acknowledge how dated this idea is, for women, there’s still the societal pressure, the loneliness, and the feeling of having missed an opportunity to have children. Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is centered on one such middle-aged woman living in a small town in Georgia, and she has a fairly peaceful life… until she nearly dies and shortly forms an attraction to another man. Director and co-writer Elene Naveriani takes her time to delve deep into Etero’s story, the complicated grief she has towards the men that have raised her, as well as the spite towards the arbitrary goals other women have reached and made fun of her for. The journey does take a rather slow burn, but it’s wonderful to see a film so empathetic and nuanced about this dilemma, and free from the judgment many women have encountered on this topic.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Actor: Eka Chavleishvili, Lia Abuladze, Piqria Niqabadze, Tamar Mdinaradze, Temiko Chichinadze

Director: Elene Naveriani