I just watched Mostly Martha released in 2002 - on NETFLIX in German with English subtitles. It was remade as No Reservations in 2007.

I have seen NR, it was a nice piece of fluff, with the most standout actor being Abigail Breslin as the orphaned niece.

MM is far deeper. I didn't realize it was the original source for NR until about 15 minutes in. It is more textured, nuanced, less... flip. It felt real, in its depiction of loneliness, loss, love.

In the American version, the niece isn't eating, so the clueless chef aunt fixes elaborate dishes to tempt her, to no avail. Finally the new restaurant chef fixes her some simple spaghetti - bingo she eats.

In the German version, the child is depressed. She has lost everything. In the hospital she doesn't eat. She doesn't want to eat her aunt's cooking, either. The new Italian chef fixes himself some buttery pasta with cheese and basil. He swirls a few bites in before being called back to work. He hands the dish to the niece - save me some, he says. She begins to eat. He smiles.

I may be selling NR short, it has been awhile since I've seen it, but I don't think so.

Anyone think of a remade American version that was as good, or better, than the source film?

3- Nikita = Point of No Return

2- Yojimbo=A Fistful of Dollars=The Bodyguard

1- Seven Samurai=The Magnificent Seven

Insomnia. A friend dragged me to see the Norwegian original, which could cure insomnia. The American remake with Robin Williams, Al Pacino, and Hilary Swank is a cracking good thriller, directed by Christopher Nolan.

Last American Virgin was a remake of an Israelian film called Lemon Popscicle.

The Grudge. This one's a little tricky, since it was made by the same director, using many of the same locations. But it's tighter and scarier than the Japanese original, Ju-on.

Also, Bruce Willis's Last Man Standing and David Carradine's The Warrior & The Sorceress.

That's as may be, but Yojimbo is still the greatest movie title, ever.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a great foreign adaptation, while the American version was overlong and boring.

this is TRUTH! speak IT!!

sadly do not compare..IMHO both lower grade but enjoyable in any case...

Scorcese's only Best Picture Oscar for The Departed was a remake of a farn film.

Solaris was filmed twice--in the USSR in 1972 and in the USA in 2002.

Is the American version better? Maybe;its running time is shorter

Infernal Affairs >>> The Departed
City on Fire < Reservoir Dogs

Remaking foreign films is pretty much like remaking any other film. The new ones are almost always inferior.

Of course, I do watch the remakes. They should know by now that if they want me to watch their movies, they should make them in English.

Although purists would object, Martin Scorcese also changed the ending of the original movie, which in my opinion improved it.

I also think the American remake of The Ring is equally as good as the original.

The Spanish horror film [REC] was remade as Quarantine. Although Quarantine led to a sequel, the original Spanish film is a bit more popular with die-hard horror fans and has led to more sequels. One thing which horror fans find unforgivable about the remake is that

(T)EDDY speak da talk and walks da walk...

I vehemenly disagree with Todd on this. Here's why.



Another reason why, which isn't a spoiler is this. Not ONCE in the first movie do you ever hear the following song played, which adds one star to any movie where it makes an appearance.

add Martin Scorsese needs to get over his infatuation with da mob he's been writing that same script fo years....

and I concur wit (T)Eddy... edit add: fo da most part...

I haven't seen both movies, or at least I don't remember the original enough to make a judgement on it, but the one thing I like about the American remake is that they DIDN'T move everything to the United States. Granted, this worked in The Ring, but I get a little tired of the assumption that Americans will only care about Americans. I like the fact that the remake is set in Japan, and although the protagonist is American, she's an American expatriate and we actually see a bit of the culture from which The Grudge originally came from.

If I keep going, I'm sure that I will run into some remake where I disagree with Hector. However, I've got an hour's commute into Baltimore, so I need to hit the road now. Bye!

naw we already disagree..but I don't dwell on that...

have a great trip...