Underrated/overlooked films of the past decade
Michael O'Connor
decade:
America's Heart and Soul - Beautiful cinematography and a series of
one to three minute segments on dozens of Americans from all walks of
life. My personal favorite segments was the mentally challenged guy
with the cannon, and the NYC bike courier.
The Score - Probably best remembered for being Brando's last acting
job, but De Niro and Norton were great together and it was a
entertaining suspense thriller.
Thirteen Days - Costner couldn't resist doing his part to ruin the
movie with a terrible Bahstan accent, but it was a really good film
about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Bruce Greenwood was great as JFK.
The scene with Adlai Stevenson at the UN was a great piece of
filmmaking.
The Ladykillers - Entertaining remake; could have done without the
Marlon Wayans character but Irma P. Hall stole the show. Great
ensemble cast.
I'm sure I will think of others...
Alls Quiet
>
"The Clearing." I still remember it, especially that scene with Helen
Mirren in the dead of night on an isolated underpass.
"Rendition." I saw it for the first time just last night and had never
heard of it (as I posted on ramcf). I go to/rent/borrow from the
liberry lots of films.
"The Illusionist." For aesthetic reasons above everything else: sheer
beauty (Prague, Jessica Biels, Rufus Sewell, Edward Norton's voice).
This film was about much more than a magic trick to save a lover.
"Bubble." I wouldn't pay a wooden nickel to see Soderbergh's stuff
with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, et. al. "Bubble," on the other hand, I
still remember. It's so raw and real that it makes "Frozen River" look
like "Places in the Heart."
"Walk Hard." Funniest satire of the decade that probably would have
been a lot more popular if not for so much gratuitous nudity.
David Oberman
<mut...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>"The Illusionist." For aesthetic reasons above everything else: sheer
>beauty (Prague, Jessica Biels, Rufus Sewell, Edward Norton's voice).
This movie was nicely photographed, but it was about 30 minutes too
long to me.
Did you see the great Bellocchio's "Good Morning, Night"?
_______
Assassins!
-- Toscanini, to his orchestra
Michael O'Connor
Truman Capote writing In Cold Blood. As good as I thought PS Hoffman
was as Capote, I think Toby Jones may have nailed the Capote personna
even better, especially the voice. And Sandra Bullock was an
interesting choice to play Nelle Harper Lee but she wasn't terrible in
the role.
Star Wars Attack of the Clones started slow but by the second half of
the film it was pure action, and really set the stage for Revenge of
the Sith.
The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon was a fascinating character study of a
child predator. It was one of those movie I didn't think I would
enjoy based on the subject matter but Kevin Bacon was terrific in the
lead role.
2000's Red Planet was far superior to DePalma's Mission to Mars, and a
pretty realistic and intelligent sci-fi movie.
Signs was a very underrated movie IMO; it was one of the few alien
movies in the CGI era not to be about the special effects. One of Mel
Gibson's best performances.
william
>
> "Bubble." I wouldn't pay a wooden nickel to see Soderbergh's stuff
> with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, et. al. "Bubble," on the other hand, I
> still remember. It's so raw and real that it makes "Frozen River" look
> like "Places in the Heart."
>
Whatever "Bubble" is -- and I agree it's a winner -- doesn't detract
from "Frozen River." Two different takes on two different things.
Soderbergh drives me crazy. Some his films are really interesting
("Sex, Lies and Videotape" and "Bubble") and the other are just
popcorn junk. Go figure.
William
www.williamahearn.com
Alls Quiet
> Another one that comes to mind is Infamous, the other movie made about
> Truman Capote writing In Cold Blood. As good as I thought PS Hoffman
> was as Capote, I think Toby Jones may have nailed the Capote personna
> even better, especially the voice. And Sandra Bullock was an
> interesting choice to play Nelle Harper Lee but she wasn't terrible in
> the role.
Interesting choice. I had as much as I could take of the Capote/
Hoffman combo, but maybe I'll rent it.
> Star Wars Attack of the Clones started slow but by the second half of
> the film it was pure action, and really set the stage for Revenge of
> the Sith.
No, this film just sucked.
> The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon was a fascinating character study of a
> child predator. It was one of those movie I didn't think I would
> enjoy based on the subject matter but Kevin Bacon was terrific in the
> lead role.
I wouldn't rent or borrow this because of its subject matter, so I
couldn't say. Bacon and his wife come across as self-important
"thinkers" of the Breakfast Club set, so if the film is self-important
and pleads for mercy-- Nah, I don't think so.
> Signs was a very underrated movie IMO; it was one of the few alien
> movies in the CGI era not to be about the special effects. One of Mel
> Gibson's best performances.
Agree with everything you say here. I hated this movie when I saw it
opening day in a packed house, hated everything about it, found it
depressing beyond language, poorly scripted, based on a ridiculous
genre-bending premise. But it's haunting. You can't forget it, the way
you can forget every other Shyamalan film except The Sixth Sense.
Alls Quiet
>
> I agree with what you wrote except for dissing "Frozen River."
> Whatever "Bubble" is -- and I agree it's a winner -- doesn't detract
> from "Frozen River." Two different takes on two different things.
I was trying to be ironic. "Frozen River" was a fantastic female-lead-
driven film in a decade that had very few memorable female
performances. Melissa Leo should have won the Oscar.
Now that it's the dead of winter, I'm trying to think of a single BAD
WINTRY NORTHERN movie. Even the suckful Snow Falling on Cedars was
good for the atmosphere.
nick
The Girlfriend Experience was overlooked/under-rated. Bubble was
good. Most everything else by Soderbergh, I'll pass on. I don't know
if I have the patience to find out if the frist two hours of Che is as
good as some people say it is.
lugnut
<mut...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Jan 1, 2:19=A0pm, "Michael O'Connor" <mpoconn...@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>
>"Walk Hard." Funniest satire of the decade that probably would have
>been a lot more popular if not for so much gratuitous nudity.
>
Agreed, probably my favorite comedy of this decade...but I'm not sure
the nudity is what hurt it. I think to really appreciate the movie
you've got to have a fairly decent knowledge of pop-music trivia and
minutia, and without it most of the jokes are going to fly right by.
I've noticed that basically every music-geek I've talked to who saw it
absolutely loved it, and everyone else thought it was 'ok' at best.
-lugnut
Michael O'Connor
> >"Walk Hard." Funniest satire of the decade that probably would have
> >been a lot more popular if not for so much gratuitous nudity.
>
> Agreed, probably my favorite comedy of this decade...but I'm not sure
> the nudity is what hurt it. I think to really appreciate the movie
> you've got to have a fairly decent knowledge of pop-music trivia and
> minutia, and without it most of the jokes are going to fly right by.
> I've noticed that basically every music-geek I've talked to who saw it
> absolutely loved it, and everyone else thought it was 'ok' at best.
It also helps to have seen Walk The Line beforehand, as it spoofs it
quite a bit. I agree this was far and away the best of the Judd
Apatow movies.
Alls Quiet
>
> It also helps to have seen Walk The Line beforehand, as it spoofs it
> quite a bit. I agree this was far and away the best of the Judd
> Apatow movies.
Also "Ray": the unstoppably funny opening sequence is straight from
"Ray." This is the only Apatow film I can tolerate, and I think the
gratuitous nudity would have been passed on by a less repugnant
director.
Endymion9
--
--
Dennis/Endy9
~Some will sink, but we will float. Grab your coat. Let's get out of here.
You're my witness, I'm your Mutineer.~ Warren Zevon
--