A Russian Girl's Old Flick Nostalgia
I have been living in the United States for ten years now. Ten!! Ten years since I waved good-bye to everyone and everything I had ever know at the railway station in Voronezh, Russia, and hopped on board of the train to pursue my multicolored dreams.
Despite my firm belief that I will be fine no matter where, the homesickness did come. And not once. It would come in waves, when you least expect it and just punch you in the stomach - with the almost palpable desire to taste the Russian early-spring wind on my lips, with the tummy-crunching need to have that particular type of rye bread that you can only find in specialty stores here, with the painfully nostalgic wish to watch that very movie. That movie, which, even though it is not a Russian movie, hardly anyone has heard of in the States.
Imagine my sincere surprise, when I found out that my husband had never seen movies with Pierre Richard. "What? Seriously?" I kept egging him on, undoubtedly making him feel super self-conscious, "And you have never heard of, Gérard Depardieu, or Adriano Celentano, or Louis de Funès, or Ornella Muti? Alain Delon? No?" I sighed in exasperation and decided that it was time to start closing that horrid cinematography gap between the USA and Europe.
Sounds familiar? Well, luckily, the world keeps on changing and it keeps getting smaller. Six months ago we bought a Smart TV and connected ETV, and now I can watch 100 channels transmitted on the Russian TV, as if I never left the motherland - and all for $7.99 a month! But I will write more about that in a different post. Today, I would like to share with you the best foreign movies that will help you beat that bitter-sweet nostalgia (or perhaps succumb to it), remember the good old days of our childhood and adolescence, smile wide or maybe shed a tear or two. And for my American friends - get ready for the journey of your lifetime. If you like old flicks, these ones rock (but please remember that all movies on ETV are dubbed in Russian. So... if you don't speak Russian, your only option is Amazon). Are you ready? Here they come!
This is the best romantic comedy of all times - IMHO :). Adriano Celentano and Ornella Muti are absolutely hilarious in this funny tale of seduction. Cuddle up with a warm blanket and a glass of wine and enjoy! It's available on ETV or can be purchased on Amazon. And this is a little snippet for you!
Apart from the fact that this is an amazing comedy that will make you laugh and cry at the same time, the soundtrack to this flick is hard to beat! Available on ETV and Amazon.
Ladies, I am no fan of action movies, but Jean-Paul Belmondo is super-hot in this one and you know it! Plus, once again, the sountrack is world-famous :). You can find it on ETV, stream it for free if you are a member of Amazon Prime, or purchase a DVD on Amazon.
Pierre Richard does it again in this heartfelt and warm comedy. Like many French flicks of that era, The Toy will not only make you laugh, but will also make you ponder on some pretty important parental issues. You can get it on ETV and Amazon.
This is a very funny rob-a-bank-and-take-my-revenge comedy that almost nobody in the States knows about. Check it out - you won't regret it! Available on ETV and Amazon.
Imagine my sincere surprise when I realized that majority of my American friends didn't know who Alain Delon was. Whaaaaat??? Anyhow, Alan Delon stars in the this cult film of the 20th century - enough said! You can get it on ETV, stream it for free on Amazon Prime or buy a Blue-Ray unrated version if you are a real fan.
We, Russians, grew up on Fantomas. It's an old French trilogy about an eerie super-villain who is constantly being chased after by a crazy police officer played by Louis de Funès. I only found one of the movies on Amazon, but ETV has all 3 of them.
The most sparkling relationship of the 20th century! And could it be any different when the stars of the movie are Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni)? Available for streaming on Amazon Prime and ETV.
And I don't mean American Taxi. No-no-no, because no one can top Luc Besson. The movie has 3 sequels, which is very nice for big binge-watchers like yours truly. The first two DVDs are available on Amazon and all 4 movies can be streamed through ETV.
This cult French 1964 movie starring gorgeous Michèle Mercier is based on the novel of the same name by Anne and Serge Golon. A woman is forced to leave her lover to marry a French nobleman - well, you know the spiel! Available for streaming on Amazon Prime and on ETV.
Well, my friends, I hope you will enjoy the trip down memory lane. :) You can thank me later - just send me lots of wine!
Love,
LM
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