Truly funny foreign comedies?

Cafe Society
41

He made a “TAKE ME SEEEEEERIOUSLY I’M AN AAAAAARTIST” version of Pinocchio that’s about as unwatchable as anything in the last twenty years, and his latest movie is about a lovesick poet who gets mixed up, to painfully unfunny effect, in the Iraq war. It’s so bad it might be a career killer.

Re Francis Veber, his latest movie, The Valet, is pretty hysterical. Clever premise, great cast.

And for French comedies, OSS 177: Nest of Spies is a scream. Spot-on parody of 60’s-era glam spy adventures, combined with a subtle but biting critique of Western imperial ignorance. Highly recommended.

42

I was in Florence when that came out, and the Italians were really excited about it, expecting that it would be the next Life is Beautiful and get similar attention in the States. I tried to tell people, Disney already did Pinocchio, and when Disney does it it’s done.

43

Yes.
I guess there were a couple of different names for the English release…

44

There is a very funny (IMHO) French-Canadian comedy called “Seducing Dr. Lewis” (La Grande Séduction) that came out in 2004. It’s about a small island town that needs a doctor in order to allow for a factory to be built there (and thus provide jobs, esteem, etc.).

I was told it was the highest-ever grossing comedy in Quebec (sorry, no cite) and won the Audience Award (highest audience rating) at Sundance.

45

I almost included this in my OP, but I’d be reluctant to call it, simply, a comedy.

46

Well, I’ll give this a try. But Benigni makes me want to saw my own head off with a KFC spork, just to stop the pain. But I’ll try it.

Definitely on my list to see, of course.

Check.

Huh. Will try to seek out.

47

The Lavender Hill Mob not only funny but provides the first glimpse of Audrey Hepburn (I think.)

48

Wasabi is a comedy wrapped around an action movie. It’s more funny than not, and Jean Reno is hilarious. If you rent it, make sure you watch it with the subtitles rather than the dubbed version.

49

Ang Lee can do funny- Hsi Yen (The Wedding Banquet) is pretty funny, and although it isn’t all in Chinese, I think it still counts as “foreign”.

I have a soft spot for “Tokyo Eyes”, although it is more rom-com than laugh out loud comedy, I think it’s pretty funny.

50

Bergman’s The Devil’s Eye is actually quite hilarious as well.

51

I remember thinking The Gods Must Be Crazy was very funny when I first saw it, but that was 20+ years ago…

52

I laughed a lot when I saw it, maybe a decade ago, but was also uncomfortably aware of the borderline-racist undertone of the movie.

53

Salmer fra kjøkkenet (Kitchen Stories)
Norway/Sweden 2003

IMDB Salmer fra kjøkkenet (2003) - IMDb
Reseacher observes from a high chair in a crotchety farmer’s kitchen. Relationships follow. Very touching, and side splittingly funny.

54

Allow me to recommend some Spanish movies by the Spanish director Berlanga from the 1950s and 1960s. In particular, two of them.

“Bienvenido Mr. Marshall!” (“Welcome, Mr. Marshall!”), from 1953. A sleepy little Castilian town in the middle of nowhere is suddenly seized by a tremendous bit of news: A delegation of Americans are going to come here, and obviously, if they are suitably impressed, they won’t fail to shower the village with their largesse, courtesy of the Marshall Plan! In order to do so, they even go all the way to transform their village into a 100% stereotypical Andalusian town, complete with flamenco and gypsies.

“El Verdugo” (“The Executioner”, or “Not on your life!”), from 1963. One of the best black comedies of Spanish cinema, EVER. Wikipedia explains the plot very well.

55

Another vote for Delicatessen, Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle and Johnny Stecchino.

I also liked Ya Fei yu Ya Ji, called “Days of Being Dumb” in English. Two unlucky idiots try to become big time Chinese gangsters.

56

Danish film “Italian for Beginners”. It’s foreign and “Dogme” and still funny.

And yes, Almadovar’s stuff, of course.

57

Funny, yes, but I still yell at the boyfriend five years later for getting me to watch it as “You’ll love it, it’s hilarious!” Because I cried and cried and cried and cried.

58

Wow, you guys have listed so many of my very favorite foreign comedies, even the obscure ones.

Here’s another one.

“Stupeurs et Tremblements” based on Amelie Nothomb’s novel.

IMDB

It’s exquisitely dry and absurd, about a young Belgian woman working for a Japanese company.

I just checked Netflix and it’s instant watch.