[cbloom]

Pretty much all the movies I like are in this category so I'll just toss out a few. Dunno how mainstream y'all are so some of these may or may be "obscure". All super must-sees.

Z :
Based on true events, director Costa-Gavras's Oscar-winning film chronicles the overthrow of the democratic government in Greece. The edge-of-your-seat action closely parallels the real-life assassination of Gregorios Lambrakis, a Greek doctor and humanist whose murder in 1963 led to an abortive public scandal. Part mystery and part thriller, Z made its mark as a groundbreaking political roman à clef, and it resonates even today.

Fireworks (Hana Bi) :
A hard-boiled ex-cop, haunted by a troubled past and pushed and pushed to the edge by the shooting of his partner, confronts his demons in a ruthless quest for justice and redemption

City of Lost Children :
Nominated for a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, this sci-fi fairy tale features stunning visuals from directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. With mad scientist Krank kidnapping children to steal their dreams, only brave young Miette (Judith Vittet) and a kindhearted circus strongman (Ron Perlman) can save them. Part fantastic vision, part nightmare, this production used more special effects than any other French film to date.

Romeo is Bleeding :
Corrupt New York City detective Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) has a nice home, a beautiful wife (Annabella Sciorra) and a sweet, if stupid, mistress (Juliette Lewis). Attempting to live beyond his means, he supplies tips to the mob about the locations of protected witnesses. But Grimaldi gets in over his head when he's assigned to guard sultry Russian hit woman Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin) in this quirky black comedy directed by Peter Medak.