40. Good Bye Lenin! (2003, Germany)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIjSaHUKD5I For those of you sitting at home thinking the idea of German's and comedy is a contradiction in terms I urge you to think again as Wolfgang Becker's 2003 comedy drama is a fine example of understated aplomb. Starring Daniel Brühl Goodbye Lenin is the story of a young man who must pretend that the Berlin Wall has not fallen in Germany to prevent his staunch communist mother from relapsing after she recovers from a 9 month long coma. Fearful that the loss of her beloved East Germany will finish her off for good Brühl sets about recreating the life she once new before the West moved in and brought Coca Cola, rock music and progress with them. Modern Germany has changed so much in the years since the wall fell that Becker had to make use of tons of CG to recreate the authentic look of the old East. Because of this it's easy to see how such a tale as this might really have happened when David Hasselhoff brought the Wall crashing down with the power of his voice alone his words not mine) and the subject is handled beautifully which earned in nominations at both the BAFTAs and Golden Globes.
39. Sonnenallee (1999, Germany)
AKA: Sun Alley The first time I saw Sonnenallee was at an ex girlfriends house and it was totally in German without subtitles. I don't know about you but I have zero grasp of the German Language and yet I was still able to follow, understand and enjoy this little known effort by Leander Haumann that depicts the often ridiculous nature of life in the old German East before the Berlin Wall came crashing down. Sadly a version with English subtitles is hard to find but as I mentioned before it's an easy enough film to follow even without them which is exactly how films should always be. They should be universally accessible to all despite nationality or grasp of languages.
38. Persepolis (2007, Iran)
This ground breaking Iranian animation about life in Revolutionary Iran is funny, angry, shocking, mildly romantic and unlike any animated movie you are ever likely to see come out of the Middle East. Based on the comic of the same name it is an autobiographical look at the life of a surprisingly confident young girl who leaves her home country to pursue her somewhat Bohemian dreams of equality and free thinking - something she would never have had in Iran at the time. The animation here is very simplistic - as are the original comic book panels - but rather than being an example of poor film making or low budgets it is instead a very effective way of engaging the audience and draws parallels to the traditional story telling techniques of the old Persian shadow puppeteers of yore that the films heroin would have grown up with.
37. Lagaan (2001, India)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNX1beRgwJ8
AKA: Once Upon a Time in India Ashutosh Gowariker's hugely entertaining epic introduced the world to the all singing all dancing antics Aamir Khan as he steals the show as an 'average' farmer who challenges the British authorities in Raj-era India to a winner takes all cricket match to save his tax stricken village that is also in the midst of a debilitating drought. There's lots to laugh at especially with the cricket match which is shown in great detail yet never finds itself falling into the so-called boring category non cricket fans often run with. In fact it was described by critics in the UK as a must see movie that will leave you laughing, crying and asking for more and I'm in full agreement. Bollywood movies are often criticised for being too theatrical and detached but there's an honesty here that defies this label and earned it a shot at an Academy Award for best Foreign Film as well as being listed on Time Magazines 'All-TIME 25 Best Sports Movies'.
36. All About My Mother (1999, Spain)
AKA: Todo sobre mi madre How many Spanish movies do you own that have chick's with dicks in them? If the answer is loads then you'd probably love this offering from Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar. In all seriousness though All About My Mother is a veritable soap opera dealing with themes of sexual identity, AIDS, faith and existentialism that is as charming as it is heavy. Following the story of young mother Manuela the film sees her travel across Spain to locate the transsexual prostitute she had a child with many years earlier to inform him/her that their son has been killed. In the midst of her journey she comes across her own mother, a Nun dying of AIDS and drug addicted actresses. It's a veritable whose who of alternate lifestyles but considering the subject matter is never sleazy but always approached with complete empathy for the characters Almodóvar loved so dearly.