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Goddamn I’m sick of making lists. Thankfully this is the last one of the year for me, and even better it’s the one I find most important. Foreign movies don’t always get the attention or the exposure they deserve, so it’s nice to have the chance to highlight the ones I think are the best. And while some folks believe the term ‘foreign films’ should only apply to foreign language films I’m tired of that artificial restraint, so this list is open to movies from any and all countries outside of the US. (Except Luxembourg of course. They know why.)

In addition to the language question ranking the year’s best foreign releases can be a major pain in the ass thanks to multiple other factors… most foreign films actually released in 2009 haven’t reached US screens yet, many of the movies that did get a domestic release did so in an extremely limited number of theaters or possibly just a festival screening, and many more made their US debut on DVD. So what guidelines do I use when compiling this list? Who the hell knows. Here are my fifteen favorite foreign films released in and around 2009!

Antichrist (Lars Von Trier, Denmark)

Von Trier’s entry into the family film genre comes complete with a happily married couple, a cute little boy, and furry woodland creatures. But this is Von Trier, so the couple quickly goes batshit crazy, the kid dies, and the fox spouts anarchistic catch-phrases. Less of a great film, more of an oddly fascinating one.

Breathless (Yang Ik-joon, South Korea)

I’ve been pushing this little Korean drama since seeing it at Fantastic Fest, and I recommend to anyone who likes scrappy, independent movies with strong central characters. And violence. And drama. And dark humor. And more violence. A powerful and affecting look at domestic violence and the cycle of abuse, an incredibly personal debut from Ik-joon who also stars in the lead role.

Bronson* (Nicolas Winding Refn, UK)

Biographical films are often dry and predictable, but this look at one of Great Britain’s most violent and most well-known criminals gives new meaning to the word ‘unconventional.’ Wild editing, occasional stage-like scenes, and one of the year’s best performances (Tom Hardy) make watching  one this an engaging and kinetic experience.

The Class* (Laurent Cantet, France)

Not since Jim Belushi played The Principal has a movie shown such a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the troubled world of the public school system. But seriously, this French flick gives a sobering look at what teachers world-wide have to endure on a daily basis. How do you handle the good kids, bad kids, and all the lost ones in between?

In the Loop (Armando Iannucci, UK)

Is this the funniest movie of the year? It just may be, and unlike The Hangover which successfully utilized gags and ridiculous plot turns for much of its humor, In the Loop relies only on razor sharp and brutal as hell dialogue. Peter Capaldi is amazing as a foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, callous bastard of a government official. I’m still waiting for a video mash-up between his character here and Hans Landa. That’s a conversation I would love to see.

Click Here to See the Final Ten >>

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  1. Targrod says:

    When are you guys going to review a Filipino film?

  2. Kangaroo Be Stoned says:

    I can't access the second page.

  3. Neil Miller says:

    Seems like a recurring thing with you. What browser are you using?

  4. RobHunter says:

    Do you some recommendations? I'd love to cover one in my Foreign Objects column, but I wouldn't know where to start.

  5. Kangaroo Be Stoned says:

    It's working now. I don't know why, though.

  6. Angelo says:

    I assume you didnt see “let the right one in”

  7. Neil Miller says:

    That was on last year's Best Foreign films list, as it was technically a 2008 release.

  8. ERoBB says:

    I did, and it sucked.

  9. Jeff R Hall says:

    I see a fair number of foreign films each year and yet I've only seen one films on your list. (And two more from the honorable mentions.)

    Revanche definitely ranks among my favorite films of the year. I'm really glad to her that it will get the Criterion treatment. Baader Meinhof Complex and Red Cliff were wonderful, but wouldn't not have made my favorite films list.

    I am a little surprised at the absense of Gomorrah. I think it was a fine film and worthy of notice. (As well as being yet another film that is receiving the Criterion treatment.

  10. Targrod says:

    You can check out Mike De Leon's Kisapmata, Batch '81 or Bayaning Third World; Peque Gallaga's Oro, Plata, Mata; Maryo J. De Los Reyes' Magnifico; Lino Brocka's Orapronobis and Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag or you can try out a few of the films that came out on the international market for 2009: Brillante Mendoza's Butchered/Kinatay and Lola; Pepe Diokno's Engkwentro; Alvin yapan's Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe.

  11. Christopher_M says:

    Rob,

    I'm not sure if you've seen A Woman In Berlin but it's an excellent film…

  12. couchkik says:

    Where is Moon?

  13. Jay says:

    Ong Bak 2 in the top anything (other then fight scene) list? PUH-lease! I loved the first film. It had a heart that very few movies find. Beautiful fighting paired with decent acting. Great movie. The sequel? Not so much. The fighting got very repetitive very fast. Seriously, how much of the same moves can be played repeatedly without it getting boring? The fight scene were also a lot more CG, wire-fighting, and just special effects. I'd rather watch Steven Seagal arresting people, because at least that's real.
    Ong Bak is a great movie. Ong Bak 2 (like so very many sequels) is simply a horrible movie, obviously made just because the first one made money and the studio got greedy.

  14. Info says:

    You lost four places in your Google ranking this year vs. last because you split your content up onto two pages.

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