A One of a Kind Documentary

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Directed by Kurt Kuenne, not rated, 95 minutes

Dear Zachary is a deeply moving and gut wrenching documentary about a filmmaker who decides to make a film to memorialize his murdered friend, after he finds out his friend's ex-girlfriend is pregnant. Where most documentaries are filled with data and statistics, this film has raw emotion and the painful truth. Few documentaries or films can pack the emotional punch this film has, and no film I've seen can match the personal and intense feel of the film. Dear Zachary is a heartbreaking and exhausting film, with a story that can't help but stay with for a long time to come. You'll like it if: You like films about family, crime documentaries, The Changeling or The Thin Blue Line.

"Who will save us now?"

Watchmen (2009)
Directed by Zack Snyder, rated R, 162 minutes

Watchmen is a dark, complex and intense film based on one of the greatest graphic novels of all time. The film is set in an alternate 1985, where superheroes have been forced to stop working. But, when an old superhero is murdered, Rorschach, a vigilante superhero who never stopped, tries to find out what happened. The acting is hit and miss other than Jackie Earle Haley's disturbing and brutal performance as Rorschach. The film is pretty light on action scenes, in favor of complicated characters and a terrific story. Watchmen is a superhero movie for adults, and despite its flaws, is a truly interesting and colorful film. You'll like it if: You like dark films, comic book films, Jack Earle Haley, The Dark Knight, Sin City or 300.

"In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves."

Sideways (2004)
Directed by Alexander Payne, rated R, 126 minutes

Sideways is a subtly funny and melancholy film about a failed writer, who takes his best friend, a failing actor, on trip through wine country to celebrate that his friend is about to get married. The cast is absolutely amazing. Paul Giamatti gives a desperate, sad but somehow still funny and likable performance, and Thomas Haden Church is terrific as a failed actor still coasting on his remnants of fame. The Story is a bit slow, the film is really about the characters and how they change during their trip, but the writing is exceptional and keeps you interested. Sideways is a rather old school comedy, that has intriguing characters, wonderful dialogue and many hilarious moments. You'll like it if: You like films about wine, independent comedies, character studies, Bottle Shock or American Beauty.

"Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece."

The Pianist (2002)
Directed by Roman Polanski, rated R, 150 minutes

The Pianist is a monumentally powerful but difficult to watch film about a Polish Jewish musician who tries to survive after his ghetto is destroyed during World War II. Adrien Brody is incredible in the lead, offering a sad, but intense performance. The film is filled with scenes that will burn into your memory, moments of extreme terror and depravity, as well as scenes of beauty and kindness. Polanski perfectly captures the dismay and horror of the Nazi's victims, but also tells a truly magnificent story about an incredible human being. The Pianist visually stunning, the music is captivating and the acting is amazing, but the story is truly haunting. You'll like it if: You like films about the holocaust, films about survival, Roman Polanski's films, Schindler's List, Downfall or Chinatown.

A Wildy Fun Film

Bananas (1971)
Directed by Woody Allen, rated PG, 82 minutes

Bananas may be Woody Allen's funniest film, and it's an incredibly fun one at that. The film is about an oafish New Yorker who, after being dumped by his activist girlfriend, ends up involved in a revolution in a small Latin American country. The films is overflowing with absurd and hilarious jokes, and feels almost like a Marx brother's comedy. The plot is simplistic and ridiculous, but provides an interesting story for Allen to fill with wonderfully over the top jokes. Bananas is Woody Allen at his most charming and funny, and the films is preposterously entertaining. You'll like it if: You like absurd humor, Woody Allen, the Marx Brothers, Sleeper or The President's Analyst.

"What Does A Scanner See?"

A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Directed by Richard Linklater, rated R, 100 minutes

A Scanner Darkly is an extraordinary and unsettling sci-fi movie about an undercover cop who starts losing grip on his identity after he begins taking a dangerous new drug. The film sets up a creepy environment of paranoia and insanity, and the dark storyline is effective all the way to the end. Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson add a lot of dark humor to the film, and even Keanu Reeves gives a good performance. A Scanner Darkly is a visually stylish and an atmospheric film that's both darkly funny and intelligent. You'll like it if: You like sci-fi films, Philip K. Dick, Robert Downey Jr., Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Matrix or Bringing out the Dead.

"It was the worst job they ever imagined... and the best time of their lives."

Adventureland (2009)
Directed by Greg Mottola, rated R, 107 minutes

Adventureland, despite what you'd expect from the director of Superbad, is a solid romantic drama about a graduate student who can't get a job anywhere except at the local amusement park. The film isn't as funny as hoped, but the characters are well written and the love story is a lot better than most. Jesse Eisenberg is perfect in the lead, awkward, clever and likable. The rest of the cast is spot on, filled with great character actors like Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr and Bill Hader. The film is very music-centric, and the music is terrific with tracks by The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed and other good 80's bands. Adventureland is a charming and refreshing film that offers subtle laughs and a good story. You'll like it if: You like indie dramas, romantic comedies, Jessie Eisenberg, Superbad or Dazed and Confused.

"A detective story."

Brick (2005)
Directed by Rian Johnson, rated R, 110 minutes

Brick is a moody and intriguing independent film about a teenage loner who must investigate the underworld of his high school to find out what happened to his missing ex-girlfriend. The film is heavily inspired by hardboiled detective and noir stories, but keeps things fresh by placing it in a high school. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is always spot on, and he's perfect as the strange and tough investigator. The film keeps a dark sense of humor and a myriad of colorful characters, which make Brick a gripping and effective mystery. You'll like it if: You like detective stories, independent film, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alpha Dog, Grosse Pointe Blank or Blood Simple.

5 More Great Foreign Films from the Last 15 Years

5. Life is Beautiful (1997) Directed by Robert Benigni, rated PG-13, 116 minutes

Life is Beautiful is a refreshing and whimsical film about an always happy and jovial Jewish man, who, thanks to his humor, has an incredible romantic escapade, but after the rise of the Nazis, he must protect his son in a Nazi concentration camp. Robert Benigni is completely lovable and wonderfully entertaining in the lead role, and the story amazingly balances humor with drama, as the film shows the holocaust in a rather unconventional way. Life is Beautiful is a bold and unique film that's both charming and authentic. You'll like it if: You like Italian cinema, Robert Benigni or To be or Not To be.

4. Cache (2005) Directed by Michael Haneke, rated R, 117 minutes

Cache is a difficult and disturbing film about a family that is terrorized by video tapes they find at their door, with secretly taped footage of them. The police won't help since there seems to be no threat, but as the tapes get more personal, the father is forced to do something. Michael Haneke's films are always slow, but intense, and Cache is no exception, delivering some truly unnerving and shocking scenes. Cache is a thriller for adults, that uses powerful acting and disturbing writing to entertain. and challenge you. You'll like it if: You like psychological thrillers, French cinema, One Hour Photo or The Vanishing.

3. Downfall (2004) Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, rated R, 156 minutes

Downfall is a truly grim and unsettling German film in which the last secretary of Hitler tells of the last days of Nazi leader in his bunker at the end of World War II. Bruno Gaz gives a harrowing and barley sympathetic performance as Hitler, seen here as never seen before. The film doesn't spare any of the dark details in the fall of the Nazi leaders, and the film is completely unrelenting. Downfall is a difficult film to watch, as the story dips further and further into a depressing madness, but everything is brilliantly done and you won't regret watching it. You'll like it if: You like German cinema, films about WWII or The Lives of Others.

2. Amores perros (2000) Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, rated R, 154 minutes

Amores perros is a moving and daunting Mexican film that tells the story of three people involved in a horrific car crash. Each story contains some love, hate, passion, regret and violence, and they're surprising balanced in quality. The film has a gritty, authentic realism to it, but it's the terribly interesting lives of the characters that make the film great. Amores perros has something for everyone: romance, shootouts, young and old characters, rich and poor characters and three great stories. You'll like it if: You like films about connected stories, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead or Babel.

1. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Directed by Chan-wook Park, rated R, 129 minutes

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a brutal film that takes an unflinching look at vengeance and violence. The films is about a deaf man, who's sister needs a kidney transplant. But after he's fired, he decides to kidnap his boss's daughter to pay for the operation. Every scene is brilliantly filmed and looks amazing, and the story, though a bit hard to follow, never slows down as the vengeance gets more and more brutal. The film is a visceral experience, but it's the intense characters and absorbing story that puts Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance over the top. You'll like it if: You like Korean films, films about vengeance, Don't Look Now or Memories of Murder.