I'm studying French this semester and my comprehension skills didn't match par until I got into the culture a bit. Watching French movies or American movies in French helps with dialogue, or what I need to know to speak to someone. After all, the point of studying a language is to be able to understand others, and to make oneself understood.
Some of my favorite French films are:
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain IMDB
Which is about a girl isolated by circumstance. Its done in a really cool style, very chotchky. Great character arcs. Plot couldn't be more archetypal.
L'armée des ombres IMDB
This one is about the French Resistance during WWII. Sort of existential, but a good drama. Dialogue that is easy to catch, but with complex subtext that makes things more interesting.
Anyway, is anyone a fan of foreign media? List a few of your favorite foreign flicks if you've got the time.