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Must-Sees:
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1990), Brit auteur Peter Greenaway's most popular release, was well-marketed by Harvey Weinstein, who launched the initially X-rated film unrated so that theaters would book it--and only later adopted the NC-17. (UPDATE: Edward Copeland reminds that Blockbluster at first carried the film, then refused to stock it when it became NC-17.) Helen Mirren stars as the luscious, restless wife of brutal crime boss Michael Gambon; between meals at her husband's restaurant, she conducts a secret affair with sweet bookseller Alan Howard. 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lust, Caution (2007) marked Taiwanese director Ang Lee's return to Asia. The film is a gorgeous sexually explicit espionage tale set in 1938 Hong Kong and 1942 Shanghai, when the city was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. Chinese university students from Lingnan University plot to assassinate a high-ranking special agent and recruiter of the puppet government (Tony Leung) by using an attractive young woman (Wei Tang) to lure him into a trap. In Asia the director had to trim the film by seven minutes. 72% on the Tomatometer.
Bad Education (2004), Pedro Almodovar's dark exploration of murder, sexual abuse, religion, transexuality and drugs, starring Mexican Gael García Bernal in one of his best Spanish-language performances, played at film fests and in New York, but was limited by its rating. 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. (See also Almodovar's NC-17-rated "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"(1990) and "Matador" (1986), which both star Antonio Banderas.)
Bad Lieutenant (1992), directed by Abel Ferrara, stars a deliciously out-of-control Harvey Keitel in the title role; later on Werner Herzog remade the film with Nic Cage. 77% on the Tomatometer.
10 Comments
Brent | April 26, 2012 2:56 PM
What about Requiem for a Dream? It is definitely a must see.
dawn | April 3, 2012 12:16 AM
No, LIE? That film was amazing. But now that I think about it, it might have been released unrated.
James | March 28, 2012 5:12 PM
"Bad Liutenant" was not remade by Werner Herzog.
The Nicolas Cage with was not a remake of the earlier film. Just like the Crash staring Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon isn't a remake of the Croneneberg film of the same name. ;p
Charles Cochran | March 28, 2012 11:22 AM
Crash should be in the Must See section and Bad Lieutenant should be in the Your Call section.
Rob | March 28, 2012 11:17 AM
Crash isn't about Holly Hunter's character. She's, what, fourth lead at best?
Bad Education played widely outside of festivals and New York, and made about $5 million at the box office, a good number for any foreign language film.
Showgirls is essential viewing.
apricoco | March 28, 2012 11:10 AM
You are missing a biggie in my honest opinion: Kids. I'd personally put it in the catagory of 'your call' but you can't deny that Harmony Korine made a film worth mentioning, even if it is for the lack of moral compass normally found in films. Telly as a character is highly watchable and makes your stomach turn. Plus, debut performaces of two future hollywood stars: Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson.
Michael Mayo | March 28, 2012 2:16 AM
No "The Devils" or "Performance"?
Zachary W. | March 28, 2012 12:12 AM
It should be noted that "Showgirls" has developed a devoted following--and not just among cultists and camp-lovers. This is Verhoeven at his most unhinged and wildly savage; there are few American films in the last couple decades as searing in their indictment of Hollywood's "A Star is Born" mythology. Forget the ironic camp. Anybody who can't tell that this is a satire frankly isn't looking very hard.