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There are plenty of reasons why people don’t like foreign films, ranging from the ridiculous (“I don’t like reading subtitles!”) to ill-conceived misconceptions (“They’re too slow.”) to general pettiness (“We make ‘em better in ‘Merica!”).  But sometimes even enlightened cinephiles can miss the cultural ramifications behind a successful import.  Take  Tchao Pantin  (1983) which was a major turning point in the career of its star, Coluche, a noted French comedian and TV personality who turned his first dramatic role into a César winning performance. The film’s title even became a shorthand expression for comedic actors trying to pull off the same trick.  But even  without  that background noise, director Claude Berri’s film is a multi-layered crowd-pleaser that finds the best of humanity in the least likely places. Bensoussan (Richard Anconina), a struggling smack dealer strikes up an unlikely friendship with Lambert (Coluche), a perpetually drunk and cranky gas station attendant.  Desp

While prison movies have a long tradition in American cinema, it wasn’t until the mid-‘60s that cultural ideology had shifted enough to allow the same sort of popularity in Japan.  In a country in which obedience was so strongly embedded in social and familial relationships, rooting for the anti-hero didn’t really come into play until well past the post-war era.   Eighteen Years in Prison  (1967) was one of the earliest examples from Toei Studios who hit paydirt with their  Abashiri Prison  series – starring Ken Takakura - just a few years before.  But Tai Kato’s film weaves a far more complicated and emotionally rich story, delivering the visceral thrills inherent in the prison break genre, but also touching on the corrosive nature at the heart of Japan’s post-war success.   Set during the American occupation, Kawada (played by real-life ex-gangster Noboru Ando) is one of many ex-soldiers struggling reconcile their survival in a war that demanded the ultimate sacrifice.  But Kawada fi

Within the martial arts genre, women have  never  been thought of as second rate.  Michelle Yeoh’s recent Oscar win might be an outlier (hopefully not the last) here in the States, but in Hong Kong she was part of a wave of female stars who kicked butt even  harder  than the boys.  The  In the Line of Duty  series, which began with two films starring Yeoh then swapped her out for Cynthia Khan, are amped-up examples of the golden age of Hong Kong filmmaking…and proof that it doesn’t take a Y chromosome to take down the bad guys!  With  In the Line of Duty 3  (1988) Cynthia Khan gets a great  skirt-ripping  introduction, transforming from an overachieving meter maid into leading the investigation into the theft of millions in stolen jewelry.  Paired up with another Japanese partner (Hiroshi Fujioka) who has a personal debt to pay, Khan gets slightly overshadowed by the bad guys in this one.  Or maybe it’s just that the opening scene is tough to top! Either way, things get back on track w

You’d be hard pressed to find a director who  wouldn’t  jump at the opportunity to have a re-do on one of his or her films.  The controlled chaos of the filmmaking process is such that even the Spielbergs and Lucases of the world have regrets.  And digital tools have made it easier for even indie directors to create their own “Snyder Cut,” even if the film itself wasn’t that well received the first time around.  Hence  The Linguini Incident , a quirky early ‘90s rom-com starring David Bowie, gets a home video resurrection courtesy of its original director, Richard Shepard, who secured the rights…and a chance to redeem himself for the sins of the past.   Lucy (Rosanna Arquette) is a waitress with a Houdini fixation.  Vivian (Eszter Balint) is her moral and sometimes financial support.  While Monte (Bowie) is the new bartender in desperate need of a green card.  Since all of them are in need of a cash infusion, they hatch a plan to rob their trendy restaurant run by a pair of gambling ob

Say what you will about director Guy Ritchie, but he rarely phones it in.  Even  The Gentlemen , his umpteenth take on smart mouth British gangsters, was a fun feature film diversion that turned into a killer Netflix series.  He’s also a reliable Hollywood jack-of-all trades who turns in stylish updates on classics like  Sherlock Holmes ,  King Arthur  and even Disney’s  Aladdin .  The man really gets around.  So, it’s easy to see how  The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  (2015) got lost in the shuffle of his various projects.  Besides being based on a relatively obscure piece of IP, Ritchie has a tough time putting his signature on this cold war spy scenario beyond its thrilling opening action sequence. Art thief turned CIA operative Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) gets paired up with a KGB agent, Illya (Armie Hammer), to assist in recovering a German scientist kidnapped by multinational terrorists and put to work building nuclear warheads.  With the scientist’s daughter, Gaby (Alicia Vikander), alo

NASCAR isn’t really my idea of a spectator sport; go fast and turn left for about 300 miles while trying not to crash just personally holds no appeal.  But the world of stock car racing is a  perfect  fit for director Howard Hawks, who made a career out of films about men with a death wish…and the women who love them.  A racer himself, Hawks had already explored the topic in  The Crowd Roars  way back in 1932.  But  Red Line 7000  (1965) finds him adapting to a burgeoning teen market while balancing machismo and melodrama in equal measure. Weaving together the emotional hangups of several couples, the film gives James Caan top billing as experienced racer Mike Marsh, an emotionally insecure champ who falls hard for the ex-lover of  another member of the team, Dan (Skip Ward), who’s desperate to convince Holly (Gail Hire) that she’s not a jinx.  Meanwhile, the new hot shot on the track, Ned (John Robert Crawford) breaks the heart of Julie (Laura Devon), who just happens to be the boss’