British film recommendations

[DoctorDodge]

It's just occured to me that I've never watched Quadrophenia before, making me one of the few Brits who hasn't watched it yet. Thankfully, my family has got the dvd anyway, so I'm gonna rectify that in a minute, but I've gotta question for everyone, and this may be an odd thing for someone like me to ask, but here goes: any great British films to recommend? And why are they great? I've been known to be an unusually proud and patriotic bastard on this board, and I'd hate to think I've missed out on a shitload of great films from my own country!

Great British films I have seen: Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, to name a few that I can remember, and I've recently ordered This Is England to see what that's like. Anything to recommend me, guys? Could be anything: drama, comedy...well, that's pretty much just what we do over here, but anything that you just thought was great and must be seen should cover it!

[Heather19]

What about Shallow Grave?

[fernandito]

DD - We have a 'Foreign cinema' thread around here somewhere, so this might end up getting merged ...

[turtlex]

Yeah, this would fall under foreign .. for us in the US !

Also, depends what you mean by British. I absolutely loved both Howard's End and Remains of the Day.

[DoctorDodge]

DD - We have a 'Foreign cinema' thread around here somewhere, so this might end up getting merged ...

Fair enough. Naturally, I don't think of British films as foreign, so the foreign cinema thread completely slipped my mind!

And Shallow Grave's another film I need to check out. I've just watched Quadrophenia, and I'm now just shocked I didn't watch it sooner! Possibly one of the greatest rock 'n roll movies I've watched (along with the extended cut of Almost Famous, but for completely different reasons)!

[Seymour_Glass]

Wait. There's an extended cut of Almost Famous?

Spoiler:

[Jean]

any great British films to recommend? And why are they great?

The ones that come to mind immediately, in chronological order:

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Repulsion (1965)
Cul-de-Sac (1966)
The Lion in Winter (1968 )
The Man Who Would Be King (1988 )


They are great because they are great. All of the above belong to my top 50 movies of all times. I can comment on each of them, if you like, but I would rather you watched them first. They are all very different.

also recommended: all of the British period Hitchcock. Of course.

[Sickrose]

How about Black Narcissus? You should give that one a go, it's pretty immense.0

[DoctorDodge]

Cheers, guys! These are definitely films I'll have to keep an eye out for!

[Jean]

don't omit to post how you liked them, should you actually watch something

[flaggwalkstheline]

my favorite film from across the pond?
If...
Malcom Mcdowells' first movie, it's absolutely mindblowing

[candy]

my god there is loads doc

i will have a think over night, have you seen a clock work orange?

[DoctorDodge]

Yeah, that's a....really surreal film. Wasn't sure what to make of it, tbh. Kinda hard to decide if I was supposed to be sympathetic to the punishment that Alex went through or not.

[flaggwalkstheline]

that movie and If... are the reasons I consider mcdowell to be my absolute favorite actor

[Jean]

talking about McDowell, O Lucky Man! is rather interesting, too

[turtlex]

Big thumbs up for This Is England.

I caught it on the Sundance Channel and it was a good watch. Definitely strong performances.

Oh, and yes, there's an extended director's cut of Almost Famous. It's awesome.

[candy]

Highly recomend death watch, its a strange little film, it was made when british horrors where making a resurgance. (2 thumbs up from me)

its a horror film set in the trenches of WW1. it never got a very good write up, but i have never let that stop me

another one that i just remembered
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence - is a definate must see

starring david bowie, its a war time drama set in a POw camp

i am still trawling my brain and will come back with more

[Jean]

Remember to recommend me a really snobbish, pretentious, rotten, twisted, depressing, disturbing European/Asian arthouse film. Well, one that's also good, at least.

The Tenant (1976)
Cul-de-Sac (1966)
Repulsion (1965)

the three are absolutely different, so if you don't like one there's still a chance you might like another

I especially need you to watch Cul-de-Sac, because I wrote a lengthy review I'm rather proud of, and with nobody having watched the movie, it is being wasted.

[DoctorDodge]

Cheers for the recommendations, Jean! Cul-de-sac i'll check out first then, although i remember how much you love the other two, The Tenant especially, so those i'll also have to watch quite soon after. Hopefully, i'll find a way to watch all 3 over the weekend, and give you some kind of intelligent review on it. I'm hoping, anyway.

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

any great British films to recommend? And why are they great?

The ones that come to mind immediately, in chronological order:

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Repulsion (1965)
Cul-de-Sac (1966)
The Lion in Winter (1968 )
The Man Who Would Be King (1988 )


They are great because they are great. All of the above belong to my top 50 movies of all times. I can comment on each of them, if you like, but I would rather you watched them first. They are all very different.

also recommended: all of the British period Hitchcock. Of course.

Obviously an age thing Jean. All of the films above would be my recommendations. Every other film mentioned appeal more to people under 40.

(Clockwork Orange being the exception. That's my era)

[Darkthoughts]

I highly recommend Wedding Belles , especially if you enjoyed Trainspotting. It's co-written by Irving Welsh and stars Michelle Gomez who is a fucking godess of comedy! It's fairly dark and everyone has pretty strong Leith accents, which was no bother to me as most of my husband's family are fi' Edinburgh, not sure how US people would be with it...?

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

NOWHERE BOY

84 CHARING CROSS ROAD

[Erin]

I highly recommend Wedding Belles , especially if you enjoyed Trainspotting. It's co-written by Irving Welsh and stars Michelle Gomez who is a fucking godess of comedy! It's fairly dark and everyone has pretty strong Leith accents, which was no bother to me as most of my husband's family are fi' Edinburgh, not sure how US people would be with it...?

Have you ever seen Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels? My sister and I watched that awhile back and had to stop halfway because we could not for the life of us understand what they were saying. I mean, they're speaking English but it may have as well been in Chinese for all I got out of it.

[Brainslinger]

Have you ever seen Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels? My sister and I watched that awhile back and had to stop halfway because we could not for the life of us understand what they were saying. I mean, they're speaking English but it may have as well been in Chinese for all I got out of it.

That's what subtitles are for! (They even used them during a particular rhyming slang bit when Danny John Jules is on scene.) I love Lock Stock...

I highly recomend In Bruges too (as long as you're not offended by lots of swearing). Strictly speaking it's a British/Irish film rather than just straight British, and it's set mostly in Bruges, Belgium, as the name suggests (a beutiful city by the way. I've been there.) It can be hilariously funny at one moment then heart-wrenching the next. A great film.

EDIT- Oh, I should warn you, Americans and Canadians aren't portrayed very well, if you're offended by that. It's mainly specific characters rather than North Americans as a whole, and it's done to comedy affect, so I think most of you would see the funny side.

[Jean]

Cheers for the recommendations, Jean! Cul-de-sac i'll check out first then, although i remember how much you love the other two, The Tenant especially, so those i'll also have to watch quite soon after. Hopefully, i'll find a way to watch all 3 over the weekend, and give you some kind of intelligent review on it. I'm hoping, anyway.

Obviously an age thing Jean. All of the films above would be my recommendations. Every other film mentioned appeal more to people under 40.

right, but you know, there's no other mystery to age than experience. I mean, they - those under 40 - are getting there.