Stella's Recommended
Bellissima
How far will one mother go?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1951
- Director Luchino Visconti
- Cast Anna Magnani, Walter Chiari, Tina Apicella, Gastone Renzelli, Tecla Scarano
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Amazon Video, Plex, Plex Player
In the Mood for Love
(花樣年華)
Longing and loneliness collide in this understated romance.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2000
- Director Wong Kar-wai
- Cast Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Rebecca Pan, Kelly Lai Chen, Siu Ping-Lam, Mama Hung
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
Ivan's Childhood
(Иваново детство)
Based on a short story by Vladimir Bogomolov, the film tells the story of an orphan whose family is killed by the invading German forces during World War I,
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Soviet Union • 1962
- Director Andrei Tarkovsky
- Cast Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov, Nikolay Grinko, Yevgeni Zharikov, Valentina Malyavina, Irma Raush
- Genre Drama, War
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Plex, Plex Player
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles
A lonely widowed housewife cares for her apartment and teenage son, and uses sex work to make ends meet.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Belgium, France • 1975
- Director Chantal Akerman
- Cast Delphine Seyrig, Jan Decorte, Henri Storck, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Yves Bical
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video
Blow Up My Town
(Saute ma ville)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Belgium • 1968
- Director Chantal Akerman
- Cast Chantal Akerman
- Genre Drama, Comedy
- Available on Criterion Channel
Late Spring
(晩春)
Widower Shukichi feels obligated to marry off his only daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1949
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura, Hohi Aoki, Jun Usami
- Genre Drama
- Available on Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Player
8½
A film director suffers creative block as he prepares his next movie and navigates the relationships of his life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1963
- Director Federico Fellini
- Cast Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, Rossella Falk, Barbara Steele
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
We Want Roses Too
(Vogliamo anche le rose)
A powerful look at the Italian feminist movement in the '60s and '70s.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, Switzerland, Finland • 2008
- Director Alina Marazzi
- Cast Anita Caprioli, Teresa Saponangelo
- Genre
- Available on DocAlliance Films
The Wonders
(Le meraviglie)
Gelsomina’s family works according to some special rules.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, Switzerland, Germany • 2014
- Director Alice Rohrwacher
- Cast Maria Alexandra Lungu, Alba Rohrwacher, Sam Louwyck, Sabine Timoteo, Agnese Graziani, Monica Bellucci
- Genre Drama
- Available on Fandor Amazon Channel, Hoopla, OVID, Google Play Movies, Vudu, YouTube, Kanopy
They Call Me Jeeg
(Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot)
A superhero like no other
- Italy • 2015
- Director Gabriele Mainetti
- Cast Claudio Santamaria, Ilenia Pastorelli, Luca Marinelli, Stefano Ambrogi, Maurizio Tesei, Francesco Formichetti
- Genre Action, Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Freevee, Kanopy
Vagabond
(Sans toit ni loi)
A young woman's desire for freedom leads to her demise.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1985
- Director Agnès Varda
- Cast Sandrine Bonnaire, Macha Méril, Stéphane Freiss, Setti Ramdane, Yahiaoui Assouna, Yolande Moreau
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Parasite
(기생충)
A poor family lies and schemes their way into the employ of a wealthy household — successfully, but with great consequences.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2019
- Director Bong Joon-ho
- Cast Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Chang Hyae-jin
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Shoplifters
(万引き家族)
Sometimes it's better to choose your own family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2018
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Cast Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki, Kirin Kiki
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Hoopla, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Tubi TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads