Foreign/International

A lesser-known work by Fassbinder, but it is equally as brilliant as his more popular films. The story centers on a woman who suffers from postpartum depression after giving birth to her second child. She begins to get these intense feelings of fear, and eventually resorts to Valium and Cognac to numb these feelings. Her hostile mother-in-law and sister-in-law do not help her situation, and her husband may very well not exist. She seeks solace in the doctor across the street, but even he does not have the capability to help her for very long. Fassbinder's films tend to end in tragedy, and by the way this film moves, from the very beginning you suspect that it will. Fear of Fear is perfectly paced, and the characters are all very captivating. Thrown in are a few Fassbinder regulars, which is always a treat! Any true Fassbinder fan is sure to enjoy this film.

The Marriage of Maria Braun is a deeply affecting, poised drama set in Germany during WWII, and its aftermath. The first 40 minutes or so moved uncharacteristically fast for a Fassbinder film. Once he stopped focusing on Maria Braun's surroundings, and more on her actual character, this film was finally able to capture my undivided attention, and became truly hypnotic, like only a Fassbinder film can. There was no need for extensive, drawn-out combat sequences in order to achieve the film's significance. Through Maria Braun and her relationships, you gain a strong insight into what life was like back in post WWII Germany.

I've heard some critics refer to his films as "cold" and "emotionless". Rainer Werner Fassbinder has the remarkable ability to allow the audience to feel exceptionally close to his characters, whilst also keeping us at a safe distance. I suppose I can see how this aspect of his filmmaking style could be misinterpreted as "cold" or "emotionless", but just because the characters are not continuously gushing with "emotion" in every single frame, doesn't mean it's not possible for you to feel anything from them.

Though I did love The Marriage of Maria Braun, I don't think I can say it is Fassbinder's "masterpiece", as I've heard so many others refer to it. Nevertheless, the story is truly bold and the film itself is definitely stunning! In addition to its greatness, Hanna Schygulla's flawless performance as Maria Braun is quite possibly the finest of her career!

This was so cheesy! I loved every minute of it! Even the little details of the film are amusing. The lead character is a detective in New York, who is originally from Sicily, and he, along with the entire New York cast (including the president of the United States), speaks only German. I was laughing the entire time! What a perfectly fucked up film! I was only disappointed by the fact that the killer condoms weren't from outer space. I had anticipated them being a hostile alien race coming to Earth to ensure the destruction of mankind. Still highly entertaining though! What more can you expect from Troma, right?!

I have nothing negative to say about this film. A total hardcore drama with just the right amount of action. I adore all of Zhang Yimou's films. I have yet to be disappointed by him. Gong Li is amazing, as always. A beautiful and heartbreaking story.

This truly is the best film of 2006. I have major respect for Clint! If this does not win 'Best Picture of the Year' at the Oscars, I will be deeply upset.

I love this movie so so much! The chick is a bit of a creeper. I mean, honestly, if someone I barely knew told me they were living in my apartment, I'd be quite disturbed. I really can't say anything else that is negative about this film. It's one of my favourites!

Speechless.

A masterpiece. The brutal story and in-your-face violence makes this film utterly captivating. I loved it!

The best film I have seen in a rather long time. Beautiful story.

Haunting.

I honestly would have shit my pants watching this as a kid.

It moves at a rather leisurely pace, but the film itself is never boring. The protagonist, Jorge, (Gutiérrez), delivers a real lacklustre performance though. Without the support of the other characters, the film would have really tanked. It's a quirky story that potentially could have been quite dull and dreary, but Jorge's best friend, Israel, provides the comic relief necessary to maintain interest in the film. Overall, I did enjoy this movie. Even if it is kind of forgettable, it definitely has a good heart!