Fiddler on the Roof is a classic. I saw it as a kid and I still remember it very well. "Traditiooooon, Tradition. .... Tradition !" Nice music , nice story, good acting. Klezmer is nice :)
I had heard of Dead Man's Shoes but I never saw the trailer before and I didn't know it was a British movie but to tell you the truth I don't like this kind of movie very much. I can't tolerte violence. I think I'd be covering my eyes half of the time
but I did enjoy the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The trilogy, the Swedish version. It's super cool. Maybe cause it's a girl doing the damage , it's another perspective
What are your fave genres?
I'm not a film buff either. I barely know the classics.. and I'm not one who will go and buy DVD's.. if it's not for rental , unless it's an exception, I won't buy it.. Something I mean to explore more are Warren Beatty's movies. He doesn't act anymore and he doesn't have a lot of output but he acted and directed some good films:
I recommend:
Splendor in the Grass by Elia Kazan (good director)
Bonnie and Clyde (inspired Tarantino to create his own style and a game changer in cinema)
Mc Cabe and Mrs Miller by Robert Altman (another type of Western, haven't seen it but want to)
Shampoo - funny comedy
Reds- haven't see it but want to
Dick Tracy
Bugsy
If you don't mind reading subtitles, there are some interesting films in Latin America, in Spain, in France... another director I want to check out is Hanecke , from Germany, very good in character study. He won the Cannes prize for best film in 2011 I think... he went back to the origins of nazism and studied how the "nazis" were raised as kids, how was the education system.
From Australia: Whale Rider , have you seen it?
I'm just giving you ideas of things that I've enjoyed. Do you guys have Netflix in the UK? It's quite a good way to explore movies. You pay $5/month (or $10, I forgot) and you can instant download as many movies as you want in your computer or TV. There aren't all the biggest ones, though.