My 25 best European movies
A little list of great European movies from the big classics over many forgotten gems to modern cinema.
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25 titles
- DirectorPitofStarsGérard DepardieuGuillaume CanetInés SastreParis, 1830: Vidocq is killed by a mirror masked man. A thief turned investigator, he was working on a case of men killed by lightning. His biographer tries to solve the case.A little surprise for the head of this list: This visually innovating and stunning masterpiece has a great twisted story, a lot of amazing actors and portrays the dark sides of one of the most stunning cities in the whole wide world. This movie is unforgettable and an absolute must see for anybody that likes the art of cinema.
- DirectorAnno SaulStarsMads MikkelsenJessica SchwarzValeria EisenbartA successful artist loses control of his life after his young daughter's death. A chance for a new start appears, but all is not what it seems.Another little surprise comes right here: This rather unknown fantasy thriller has an amazing plot, brilliant acting and stunning camera work and made it to the second place of my list. I hope that this provocating decision may spread the word about its unqiuenesss and high quality.
- DirectorUli EdelStarsMartina GedeckMoritz BleibtreuJohanna WokalekA look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings, and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s.A mixture of a great documentary, a character study and an intense gangster movie from Germany about a left winged terror organisation that convinced me from the beginning to the end.
- DirectorJean-François RichetStarsVincent CasselLudivine SagnierMathieu AmalricThe story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s.Another authentic biopic, this time about the French public enemy number one which was the gangster Jacques Mesrine. The acting is of Vincent Cassel is absolutely brilliant in this movie that unites some of the best contemporary French actors.
- DirectorEric BarbierStarsYvan AttalClovis CornillacPierre RichardFashion photographer Vincent Mandel, in the midst of a difficult divorce, is suddenly being accused of rape and extorted. What does his former classmate Joseph Plender want from him?A perfect French 'film noir' with two brilliant main actors which are Clovis Cornillac and Yvan Attal that includes many twists and mysteries.
- DirectorJim SharmanStarsTim CurrySusan SarandonBarry BostwickA newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.The definite English cult musical is not only a highlight of its genre but a masterpiece for the ages.
- DirectorOliver HirschbiegelStarsMoritz BleibtreuChristian BerkelOliver StokowskiFor two weeks, 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards in a prison. The "prisoners" have to follow seemingly mild rules, and the "guards" are told to retain order without using physical violence.An intense and unforgettable drama coming from Germany that shows us the abyss of the human soul.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsBen WhishawDustin HoffmanAlan RickmanJean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense, creates the world's finest perfume. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent.A visually stunning historical fiction movie with a gripping story, many amazing actors and beautiful shooting locations.
- DirectorSergei EisensteinStarsAleksandr AntonovVladimir BarskiyGrigoriy AleksandrovIn the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin mutiny against the brutal, tyrannical regime of the vessel's officers. The resulting street demonstration in Odessa brings on a police massacre.This Soviet propaganda movie was revolutionary from a pure cinematic point of view with its amazing camera works and iconic images.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.The best and most intense movie about the Second World War tells the sad and gripping tale of a Jewish pianist that lives like a fugitive in a dystopian world.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHugh JackmanScarlett JohanssonAfter a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.A very well played and gripping tale of two magicians.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.A visually stunning, epic and majestic movie that doesn't need any words to convince.
- DirectorTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseMichael PalinBorn on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.In my humble opinion, this is Monthy Python's finest hour and an unforgettable comedy filled with memorable quotes and incredibly funny slapstick scenes.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, in Montenegro.The new James Bond is not only fast, clever and modern but also more profound, emotional and human than the old version and leads the legendary series to a new peak.
- DirectorNicolas RoegStarsJulie ChristieDonald SutherlandHilary MasonA married couple grieving the recent death of their young daughter are in Venice when they encounter two elderly sisters, one of whom is psychic and brings a warning from beyond.A slow, scary and intense psychic thriller playing in beautiful locations.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsMax SchreckAlexander GranachGustav von WangenheimVampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.A great and unforgettable early horror classic with an amazing soundtrack, great locations and a truly creepy acting.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.One of Hitchcock's big classics: slow paced development, intriguing actors, epic sceneries, dark film noir atmosphere and a couple of twists.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsBob GeldofChristine HargreavesJames LaurensonA confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.Even if you don't happen to like Pink Floyd's music, this movie is visually stunning, filled with surreal and fresh ideas and highly experimental. A movie of this kind is iconic and brought the cinematic world something completely new.
- DirectorOle BornedalStarsNikolaj Coster-WaldauSofie GråbølKim BodniaA law student starts working as a night watchman at The Department of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen. His mad friend gets him on a game of dare that escalates. As a serial-killer's victims start piling up at work, he becomes a suspect.A great and creepy psychological thriller from Denmark that really got me by surprise.
- DirectorOliver ParkerStarsBen BarnesColin FirthRebecca HallA corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty eternally, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.A great English film noir that honours an amazing book with stunning and detailed decorations, a sinister atmosphere and an unforgettable acting.
- DirectorHerbert SelpinWerner KlinglerStarsSybille SchmitzHans NielsenKirsten HeibergThird Reich's Nazi propaganda epic about a heroic fictional German officer on board of the RMS Titanic. On its maiden voyage in April 1912, the supposedly unsinkable ship hits an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean and starts to go down.The German version of the well known story convinces with a strong acting, majestic images and well done special effects even if the sidekick stories are slightly influenced and biaised by the Nazi regime.
- DirectorFranck VestielStarsClovis CornillacVimala PonsZohar WexlerA man wakes up in an underground cave, next to a dead body. He has no memory of how he got there and starts to try and work his way to the surface and escape from the network of tunnels, which seem to be some kind of ancient civilisation.A highly experimental surreal French science-fiction movie with memorable images and a lot less words.
- DirectorTimur BekmambetovStarsKonstantin KhabenskiyVladimir MenshovMariya PoroshinaA fantasy-horror set in present-day Moscow where the respective forces that control daytime and nighttime do battle.This Russian science-fiction horror tale after a famous novel convinces with great visual effects, a creepy atmosphere and many original ideas.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsOskar WernerJulie ChristieCyril CusackIn an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.A great homage to one of the best dystopian novels is this simplistic but charming movie that features British and Austrian actors and an amazing French director.
- DirectorMichel RoddeStarsMaurice AufairCéline BolomeyMichel CassagneROBERT BLOCK (50), a psychiatrist and analyst, discovers that his young wife CAROLE (30) is having an affair with a much younger man. Totally overwhelmed by the situation, his obsession with it prevents him from concentrating on his patients until LEO DEBOND (40) appears on the scene. Leo is a depressive and psychotic bachelor who has never got over an unhappy love affair with an actress fifteen years previously. Secretly identifying himself with Leo, Robert listens to him with a mixture of compassion and disgust, and when Carole lets him know that she is going to leave him for good, Robert realizes that Leo will provide him with the perfect means of relieving his suffering.A truly well done French film noir with some great acting, good decorations, stunning camera works, a great soundtrack and a complex, diversified and twisted story.