Unnoticed Good Movies

Maryn · Sep 10, 2007

We rented Breach, about the Hanssen spy case, last night. (Remember, back before 9-11, when we had serious security issues of an entirely different kind?)

Once again, Chris Cooper just blew us away in the lead. He so inhabited his character that we forgot it was an actor rather than an extremely devout, conservative Catholic who couldn't see his own sin and became quite paternal toward the man assigned to get the goods to bring him down.

My personal observation is that nobody, before or present, has a disapproving frown anywhere near as dour as Cooper's. Man, I'd hate to make that guy disappointed, you know?

Anyway, pretty good movie that was in and out of theatres in a flash.

Maryn, who also rented Perfect Stranger--meh

maestrowork · Sep 10, 2007

I just reviewed Resurrecting the Champ with Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett (great roles for both actors). Good flick about writing, not much play at the theaters.

sunna · Sep 10, 2007

I love Chris Cooper. He's such a great actor; not flashy and personality-obsessed: just gritty, honest, and often wrenching performances.

One of my favs is Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which probably doesn't qualify as unnoticed anywhere but Maine as it won a ton of awards and I think was nominated for best performance at the Golden Globes, but I swear to god I'm the only one in this state who's seen it. Everyone looks at me like I'm bonkers when I mention it.

kristie911 · Sep 10, 2007

I'm glad to hear you liked Resurrecting the Champ Ray, because I'm really looking forward to seeing this one. It looks excellent.

SarahinOhio · Sep 10, 2007

I really appreciated The Namesake, which was adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri's novel. It's a quality immigrant/family saga film that stays true to the spirit of the book.

kristin724 · Sep 10, 2007

Heh, I'll have to think on this, but isn't it sad that most good movies are in fact always un noticed?

childeroland · Sep 10, 2007

'The New World' did not get the props it deserved.

Neither did 'Naqoyqatsi', nor 'Paprika'.

'The Oyster and the Wind' blew me away and I cannot find a DVD anywhere.

louisgodwin · Sep 10, 2007

Pay It Forward was a great movie that got completely snubbed by the Oscars.

Same goes for Cinderella Man.

maxmordon · Sep 10, 2007

Pressure Point with Boby Darrin and Sidney Potier

Most Terry Gilliam films

Dark City by Alex Proyas

The Man Who Wasn't There

Dreams and Rapsody in August by Kurosawa

La Cité Des Enfants Perdus and Delicatessen by Jeunet and Caro

triceretops · Sep 10, 2007

Door to Door with William H. Macy

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Fargo

Couldn't stand Natalie Portman until I saw V For Vendetta

Tri

Jcomp · Sep 10, 2007

Narc
City of God
Miller's Crossing
Open Range
Session 9

And I agree about Breach. Very good film.

maxmordon · Sep 10, 2007

triceretops said:
Door to Door with William H. Macy

Ah, yes I had forgotten that one. Also Focus and Pleasantville

seun · Sep 11, 2007

Coupe de Ville.

"It's a hump song. It's a song about humping."

Bmwhtly · Sep 11, 2007

triceretops said:
V For Vendetta

Yup.
Marvelous film.

Jcomp said:
Open Range

Yes, a very good western with some very good performances.
Without making a big deal about it.

Croupier. Which I always seem to mention in these type of threads...

Perks · Sep 11, 2007

'Til Human Voices Wake Us -- one of my top ten favorite films, and no one's ever heard of it.

Guy Pearce and Helena Bonham Carter. Absolutely brilliant.

rosebud1981 · Sep 11, 2007

The Hudsucker Proxy with Tim Robbins, made by the Coen brothers, is a very funny and very clever movie. It didn't do well at the box office for whatever reason, but it's my favourite Coen brothers movie.

Bob Roberts is another Tim Robbins movie that isn't as well known as it should be. A powerful satire of right wing politics

The Butcher Boy is an amazing Irish movie by Neil Jordan from 1997 (from a wonderful novel also), although is not very well known outside Ireland. It's a very dark tragicomedy about a disturbed young boy.

Office Space, one of my favourite comedies. Anyone who ever worked in a "cubicle job" can't help but love this. Mm yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and call this a work of genious

Bmwhtly · Sep 11, 2007

rosebud1981 said:
Office Space, one of my favourite comedies. Anyone who ever worked in a "cubicle" job can't help but love this. Mm yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and call this a work of genious

How could I forget!

A brilliant film (and worth the rental fee just for the 'Goodfellas' scene of them killing the printer)

Maryn · Sep 11, 2007

It's pretty interesting how many of the movies named here I own.

Maryn, sucker for a used DVD sold cheap at the video store

RumpleTumbler · Sep 11, 2007

Perhaps the best movie of all time was Drop Dead Fred.

JamieFord · Sep 11, 2007

Searching for Bobby Fisher

III · Sep 11, 2007

Jcomp said:
City of God

City of God was one of the most amazing, impactful films ever, but definitely not for the faint of heart (did I use the right kind of "faint" or is it "feint"?) Great choice.

rosebud1981 said:
Office Space, one of my favourite comedies. Anyone who ever worked in a "cubicle job" can't help but love this. Mm yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and call this a work of genious

Office Space is very big in the U.S. as a culturally iconic movie. It's brilliant and hillarious. I'll go out on a limb and say Idiocracy (Mike Judge's most recent film) was an overlooked jem. It starred Luke Wilson but wasn't even released in theaters. Critics dismissed it as nothing but crude humor, but I thought it was full of Judge's trademark insightful humor that was actually ahead of its time. Sure it's crass, but that's the point of the movie.

And I'll throw in Smoke Signals as one of the best overlooked movies of all time.

maestrowork · Sep 11, 2007

louisgodwin said:
Pay It Forward was a great movie that got completely snubbed by the Oscars.

Same goes for Cinderella Man.

I second Cinderella Man -- a great movie totally overlooked at the Oscars and the Box Office. One of Ron Howard's better films. Can't really agree about Pay It Forward, though...

triceretops · Sep 11, 2007

Cinderella Man is an absolutely beautiful film--the best boxing film I have ever seen, which snubs you know who and the others. Now I'm on the internet watching all of the old fight footage. I've become captivated by Max Baer for some reason, and if given the chance, would love to do his biography.

Tri

blacbird · Sep 11, 2007

maxmordon said:
Most Terry Gilliam films

You are entirely correct here. But Gilliam gets ignored by the Hollywood Oscar-establishment because he's made no secret of his disdain for them.

Time Bandits, The Fisher King and Twelve Monkeys did pretty okeydokey at the box office, though, and are all multi-times watchable. And Brazil is a marvel.

caw

blacbird · Sep 11, 2007

My quick-thought nominees:

Blood Simple (early Coen Bros. film)
The Minus Man (disturbing delight, unnerving performance by Owen Wilson)
The Mission (DeNiro and Irons in an unusual historically-based cracker of a film)
The Quiet Earth (one of the best SF films I've ever seen)
Matewan (one of Chris Cooper's earliest feature roles, really really good)
Goin' South (first directorial effort by Jack Nicholson, I believe, solid, and a light-hearted performance, as well)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (Paul Newman in a tall tale sendup of the American Western)
Posse (VERY unknown and underrated 1960s western, Kirk Douglas in a terrific, unexpected performance)
There Was a Crooked Man (Douglas again in a western of similar vintage, along with Henry Fonda, both in excellent form)

caw

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