Trisphee - Martian's Fly-In Theater (A Movie Hangout) [Totes Open]

Just...a few suggestions, you've probably seen many of these.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - 1999, Jim Jarmusch

Quote:

Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is a contract killer, a master of his trade who can whirl a gun at warp speed and moves through this world like a phantom -- stealthy and evanescent. In the spirit of the samurai, he has pledged his loyalty to a small time mobster named Louie (John Tormey) who saved his life many years before.

There isn't much of a plot, but the main character's interactions and ways of navigating through life really hold their own. It does have a great score and visual style.

Amélie - 2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Quote:

The film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better while struggling with her own isolation.

Rusalka (Mermaid) - 2007, Anna Melikyan

Quote:

The fanciful tale of an introverted little girl who grows up believing she has the power to make wishes come true. She must reconcile this belief with reality when, as a young woman, she journeys to Moscow and grapples with love, modernity and materialism.

This draws some inspiration from Amélie.

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK - 2006, Park Chan-wook

Quote:

Young-goon, mentally deranged and frequently electro-charging herself with a transistor radio, has been admitted into a mental institution. Firmly believing herself to be a cyborg, she refuses to consume like a human being. Il-soon is another patient, who catches the eye of Young-goon and soon becomes a close friend. Il-soon is now confronted with the biggest task – to cure Young-goon’s mental problem and have her eat real food.

Also draws inspiration from Amélie. From the same director of the more well known Oldboy.

Oasis - 2002, Lee Chang-dong

Quote:

Oasis is a love story of two young people abandoned by families. A young man released from prison visits the widow of the man he killed drunk-driving. There he meets her daughter, wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy.

Very hard to watch at first, but it's a unique story that is worthwhile.

Last Life in the Universe - 2003, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Quote:

An obsessive-compulsive Japanese librarian living in Bangkok spends most of his days contemplating suicide in his lifeless apartment. His life changes when he witnesses the death of Nid, seconds before he was about to jump off a bridge. This brings him in contact with Nid’s elder sister Noi – these two lost and lonely souls help each other find the meaning to their meaningless existences.

Has beautiful cinematography and elements of magical realism. There are some subtle details that make it stand up to multiple viewings.

Girl on the Bridge - 1999, Patrice Leconte

Quote:

It’s night on a Paris bridge. A girl leans over Seine River with tears in her eyes and a violent yearning to drown her sorrows. Out of nowhere someone takes an interest in her. He is Gabor, a knife thrower who needs a human target for his show. The girl, Adele, has never been lucky and nowhere else to go. So she follows him. They travel along the northern bank of the Mediterranean to perform.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - 2004, Michel Gondry

Quote:

Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.

3-Iron - 2004, Kim Ki-duk

Quote:

Tae-suk (Hee Jae) is a lonely drifter who spends his nights in one empty vacation home after another. However, Tae-suk is not your usual squatter, as the courteous young man always makes sure to show his absent -- and unknowing -- hosts his gratitude by doing small household tasks or making simple improvements before moving on. One day, Tae-suk mistakes a quiet home for an empty one and stumbles across an abused housewife (Seung-yeon Lee) in urgent need of his intervention.

If you're familiar with any of Kim's works, there is the usual subtle use of fantasy or magical realism.

Immortel (ad vitam) - 2004, Enki Bilal

Quote:

In 2095, New York City has become a dystopian world of genetically altered humans and ancient Egyptian gods. When powerful deities condemn the god Horus to death, he searches for a human female capable of bearing his child. After possessing the body of an escaped convict (Thomas Kretschmann), Horus discovers Jill (Linda Hardy), a genetic anomaly able to procreate with gods. As Jill solves the mystery of her own creation, Horus attempts to continue his legacy.

The mix of live action and dated CGI can be a bit jarring. But it's an interesting story based on comics that were also written by Bilal.

Head-On - 2004, Fatih Akin

Quote:

Sibel is a Turkish girl that wants to get married with the first Turkish man that meets in a psychiatric hospital. Both survived death, she wants get married conventionally to escape the repression of her family. She takes cares of him, Cahit, an addicted of alcohol and drug, that likes punk.

Has some cliché elements but still has a lot to offer with the exploration of the characters and their cultures. Very dark and gritty.

Drive - 2011, Nicolas Winding Refn

Quote:

A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman for criminals discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

May - 2002, Lucky McKee

Quote:

Psychological horror about a lonely young woman traumatized by a difficult childhood, and her increasingly desperate attempts to connect with the people around her.

More of a mild horror. Quirky and low budget, but doesn't take itself too seriously.

The Hairdresser’s Husband - 1990, Patrice Leconte

Quote:

Antoine, a little boy, falls in love with the local hairdresser, so he gets a haircut every time he can. This situation causes some problems with his parents. However, when he grows up, he is still obsessed with the hair cutting, and one fine day he gets into a barber shop, meets the hairdresser (Mathilde), they fall in love at first sight, and begin a strange relation.

Talk to Her - 2002, Pedro Almodóvar

Quote:

Male nurse Benigno (Javier Cámara) becomes infatuated with a complete stranger when he watches dancer Alicia (Leonor Watling) practicing from the anonymity of his apartment. After being injured in a car accident, Alicia is brought to a nearby hospital, where Benigno serendipitously happens to be her caregiver. When wounded bullfighter Lydia (Rosario Flores) is brought into the same ward, her companion, writer Marco (Darío Grandinetti), begins to bond with Benigno.

Kamikaze Girls - 2004, Tetsuya Nakashima

Quote:

Momoko is a 17-year-old girl who is into the Rococo period. Selling off some her yakuza father's hooky t-shirts to fund her shopping habits, she comes across Ichigo, who is her complete opposite, a tough biker chick. The two become mutually dependent on each other in this enjoyable account of an unlikely friendship.