# Outstanding British/ Irish movies well-worth owning **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118 "2007-01-08T04:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/41 "2007-01-09T15:19:41Z")
The Snapper Calendar Girls Little Voice East is East Alfie (the original, I haven’t seen the remake) I actually came in to post TRuly Madly Deeply, but it has been done! Also, does ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ count as an English film? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/42 "2007-01-09T17:24:46Z")
I recently saw the movie “Agnes Brown”, starring Angelica Huston. She’s a widow raising about 7 kids with no money, and her heart’s desire is to see Tom Jones in concert. She and her best friend run street stalls, and she’s routinely shaken down by a local thug. It’s a very sweet, sad, funny film. StG ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/43 "2007-01-09T18:12:22Z")
[Britmovie](http://www.britmovie.co.uk/) has an a-z list of UK Films. A selection. Adolf Hitler - My part in his downfall Barry Lyndon Brazil The Browning Version Cathy Come Home Clockwise The Cook the Thief His Wife and Her Lover The Cruel Sea Dance With a Stranger The Day the Earth Caught Fire Don’t Look Now Dr. Strangelove East is East The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain Entertaining Mr Sloane Equus Four Weddings and a Funeral The Full Monty Funeral in Berlin Gandhi Genevieve Goodbye Mr Chips The Hill I’m Alright Jack An Inspector Calls Jabberwocky The Killing Fields Let Him Have It The Magic Christian The Man in the White Suit The Man Who Fell to Earth My Beautiful Laundrette Night to Remember Nil by Mouth Nighteen Eighty-Four Oliver A passage to India Performance The Railway Children Reach for the Sky The Ruling Class Ryan’s Daughter Saturday Night Sunday Morning Shakespeare in Love The 39 Steps 2001 Time Bandits Whistle Down the Wind The Winslow Boy Wish You Were Here Women in Love The Wooden Horse Zulu The British Film Institute has a list of [100 favourite British films of the 20th Century](http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/). Those not already mentioned :- The Third Man Kes If… Great Expectations The Red Shoes The Bridge on the River Kwai Henry V A Matter of Life and Death The Servant Dr Zhivago Monty Python’s Life of Brian The Lady Vanishes A Fish Called Wanda Dr No The Madness of King George A Man For All Seasons Black Narcissus The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Oliver Twist Tom Jones My Left Foot The Go-Between The Ipcress File Sunday Bloody Sunday The Dam Busters Hamlet Goldfinger Elizabeth The Day of the Jackal Billy liar Peeping Tom Far From the Madding Crowd The Draughtman’s Contract ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/44 "2007-01-09T18:21:19Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Hibernia=Ireland. Scotland=Caledonia. [/QUOTE] :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/45 "2007-01-09T18:28:50Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] :smack: [/QUOTE] Hehe. Don’t worry. I’m a bit peeved that every film I could possibly recommend has already been mentioned. Given that the two lists **rayh** has posted stretch the definition of British/Irish film to its limit, may I suggest [Breaking the Waves](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115751/) ? A stellar performance by a Scot in a film set in Scotland, at the least. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/46 "2007-01-09T18:45:50Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Given that the two lists **rayh** has posted stretch the definition of British/Irish film to its limit, may I suggest [Breaking the Waves](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115751/) ? A stellar performance by a Scot in a film set in Scotland, at the least. [/QUOTE] Caveat: if you’re a Lars Von Trier fan. Or at least can stomach his films. If not stomach, then not reel from them as one reels from a man whose face has been shot off. Although Emily Watson is incredible in it. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/47 "2007-01-09T19:06:35Z")
Darn. Most of my favorites have already been mentioned. Did anyone suggest [Tunes of Glory](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054412/) yet? Somebody mentioned [The Mouse that Roared](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/). It also had a sequel, [The Mouse on the Moon](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057328/). Someone mentioned _The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover_ and _The Draughtsman’s Contract_. If you like [Peter Greenaway’s](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000425/) movies, you should also try to find: _Drowning by Numbers_, _Prospero’s Books_, and _The Pillow Book_. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/48 "2007-01-09T19:54:07Z")
[QUOTE=yojimbo] If you can get your hands on it I’d highly recommend [The Treaty](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190088/) which is way better than Michael Collins (a Hollywood movie with a lot of BS history in it IMO). [/QUOTE] Thank you for the recommendation, although I doubt I’ll be able to get my hands on _The Treaty_ any time soon. _Michael Collins_ abused history less than many “Hollywood movies.” (Yes, that’s not saying much.) I’ve read a bit & know about some of the changes made. Of course, I’d be glad to hear more from your side of the ocean! My main problem with the movie was the clueless Julia Roberts. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/49 "2007-01-09T21:08:15Z")
I like many of the films noted. How about The Full Monty or Love, Actually? It depends on your criteria for good films, of course. For me, a good film is one I can watch again and again. I find this to be true more so of British films than American ones. Did anyone mention Merchant/Ivory? Howard’s End was great. Can’t remember the others off hand… ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/50 "2007-01-10T01:48:29Z")
[QUOTE=mbh] Someone mentioned _The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover_ and _The Draughtsman’s Contract_. If you like [Peter Greenaway’s](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000425/) movies, you should also try to find: _Drowning by Numbers_, _Prospero’s Books_, and _The Pillow Book_. [/QUOTE] Personally I hope to never see another Peter Greenaway movie again, though obviously ym **does** v. There have been quite a few mentioned that I would have otherwise recommended, so I won’t repeat them. One that I hadn’t noticed being mentioned is [Enchanted April](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101811/), a lovely movie with Joan Plowright, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent and Alfred Molina. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/51 "2007-01-10T07:14:50Z")
**About a Boy** is one of my favorite films of the last ten years. **Circle of Friends** is entertaining, if you can get past Chris O’Donnell’s attempt at an Irish accent. Minnie Driver is very charming in it, Alan Cumming wonderfully plays a slimeball, and Saffron Burrows is, well, beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/52 "2007-01-12T18:09:36Z")
Back again with another! Peter’s Friends ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/53 "2007-01-13T16:56:46Z")
[A Foreign Field](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106948/) Anything directed by Powell and Pressburger, especially [A Matter of Life and Death](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038733/) and [A Canterbury Tale](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036695/). [The Maggie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047085/) ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/54 "2007-01-13T21:08:47Z")
Funeral in Berlin The Guns of Navarone The Cruel Sea Contact Elephant ,the original ,incredibly chilling docu drama about terrorist murders in Ulster,NOT the “tribute” of the same name about American school kids on a killing spree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118.md?page=2)