Ten Movies You’ve Probably Heard Of, But Most Likely Haven’t Seen and Should

I just finished listening to another sci fi/fantasy type young adult book called The Knife of Never Letting Go. It was good, I think, though in general an upsetting story it was very well done. I won’t review it here now though, because it’s the first in a trilogy and I’d rather finish all three before writing about them, as it ends on a dramatic cliff hanger and how I feel about the book will be impacted a lot by what happens next.
Instead, the Oscars are in a few weeks and so I’d like to put forth my own nominations. I am not going to do a ten best of the year list, because I think if you look up any critic’s you’ll see a lot of my movies are on their lists too, and I’ve already listened to podcast after podcast about the ten best films of the year, and if I make up a list I’ll just feel like I’m regurgitating what I’ve already heard.

Instead here are ten recent, or at least relatively recent, films that I think have been largely overlooked… both by most critics and by audiences in general. I found that they seemed to pair off neatly as I wrote them down, so in groups of two I present to you, movies I love but that other people either hate or don’t know about.

The Dystopian Romance Category:
The most recent movie on this list is “How I Live Now” The audiobook made it onto my top ten list of 2013, and this movie did not shame its source material. Directed by Kevin MacDonald who also helmed the picture “The Last King of Scotland” and starring the wonderful Saoirse Ronan this is a beautifully crafted movie with a strange but bewitching sense of pacing and world. Things start out slow and almost languorous as the film captures main character Daisy’s arrival to her cousin’s house in England. But things soon escalate to the frantic and nightmarish as war enters their lives. I was incredibly touched and affected by the book, but was still caught off guard by the raw emotional impact the movie had on me, it left me reduced to a useless floor puddle as the credits rolled. Still I cannot recommend it enough as a truly well-crafted and beautiful film with an amazing actress at its center. You can rent this on Amazon Prime Streaming for a small sum.

With Keira Knightley, Carrie Mulligan and Andrew Garfield all in starring roles I’m surprised that “Never Let Me Go” didn’t get more attention than it did. The book this movie is based on is a phenomenal piece of writing, and while I don’t think the movie quite lives up to the novel’s tight and careful plotting, the film still delivers on everything needs to. The three actors involved certainly don’t hurt it. It also has a strange, slow pace which some may find off-putting but that I found worked great with the setting and subject matter. While the plot may sound conventional, a love triangle, an English boarding school… it is set in a future that is anything but. And while they’re there to help along the main themes, the sci fi elements of the story aren’t at all what it’s about. What the movie and book both explore is very similar to what “How I Live Now” explores. Life is short and hard, and love really matters and sometimes missed opportunities are missed forever. If that sounds too bleak than maybe neither of these movies are for you, but that would be a shame, because they each explore these themes in ways that are worth seeing. This is also available for rent on Amazon.

The Sci Fi Action Category:
I’ll admit I have a soft spot for Jake Gyllenhal, but I swear, “Source Code” will win you over even if you aren’t a huge fan of his. Centered around a guy who’s sent back in time (sort of) over and over onto a train that’s about to explode, the premise may sound gimmicky but it definitely is immediately suspenseful and enaging. And anyhow, the film transcends it’s a-bit-too-precious concept and ventures into real meaty narrative territory as it proceeds. For instance, when compared to Tony Scott’s “Deja Vu”, which has a very similar plot, it holds up as not only smarter and better written but as all around more substantial. And the ending, while at first blush seemingly a bit sappy, packs a strange and wonderful punch that most Hollywood films lack. Directed by Duncan Jones of “Moon” semi-fame, “Source Code” was uneasily received by both critics and the general public, neither of whom seemed to know what to make of it. But I firmly believe that if more people saw this fast paced, fun, suspenseful movie it would find its audience in no time and I can’t wait to see Jones’ next movie, ”Warcraft”, even if it is based on, well… Warcraft. Source Code is available for rent on Amazon streaming.

I think more people have seen “I, Robot” than most of the other movies on this list, so I’ll keep my description limited: Will Smith at his best, Allan Tudyk is always amazing, James Cromwell, Robots, SOOOO much fun, Alex Proyas (who directed Dark City). Just re watch it already and admit you really like it, even if Bridget what’s her head in the lead female role is not that great. (Also while writing this I just discovered Proyas is directing a movie about Egyptian Gods coming out in 2016. Sign me up.) I, Robot is, again, available on Amazon to stream if you rent it.

The Ricky Gervais Comedy Category:
OK so I love both these movies so unconditionally that it’s extremely hard for me to recommend them without sounding like I’m being paid by the studios to do so… and the reality is each of these movies is not perfect, they do have some rough patches and are shaggy in the plotting department, but I find they both redeem themselves completely with their strength of movie character. 

“Ghost Town” has Tea Leoni, who is hilarious and wonderful, as well as Ricky Gervais who is also hilarious and wonderful, and Greg Kinnear who is… well… er. Let’s move on. This movie overcomes a saccharine plot where Gervais’ grouchy dentist character has to learn to love through the help of ghosts, to actually provide a serious, realistic depiction of a budding relationship. They’re hard. They hurt. People make mistakes and some things don’t turn out OK… but underlying the whole film is a base of human compassion that makes you believe maybe they will turn out OK, sometimes at least. Look on Amazon to rent this streaming!

“The Invention of Lying” might have its flaws but it wears it’s earnest heart on its sleeve so proudly it’s difficult to begrudge it its existence. Set in a world where no one ever lies and can only tell the truth, Gervais plays a screenwriter who suddenly develops the ability to lie. Again, the plot is gimmicky, but in my opinion (though many critics disagree with me) it overcomes it by sheer force of its charm and wit. Also, like Ghost Town, it’s a romantic comedy that succeeds outside the conventional template of a romantic comedy. People can be jerks, and relationships aren’t easy, and sometimes lying is good. When I first saw this movie it was in a theater with my mom and I sat, completely transcended to a plane of pure joy as I was watching it. When I exited the theater, I found while my mom had liked it, she had not had at all the same wonderous experience I had watching this movie. Upon reading reviews, I found many critics I love strongly disliked it. Maybe it just clicks with me on a level it doesn’t with most people, I don’t know, but I do know I love it.  Amazon has this one available for rent also. Netflix is really striking out in the streaming department in regards to these movies I’m recommending.

The Fun Legal Thriller Category:
I was expecting near nothing from each of these movies and was pleasantly surprised in both cases to find that they were smart, well written, well acted and genuinely suspenseful thrillers.
If I have a soft spot for Jake Gyllenhal I have a bigger, blinder one for Tom Cruise. Yes he might be bonkers but there’s just something so charming about his performances that I love. He does a great job in “Jack Reacher” but he’s not even my favorite actor in the movie, Wener Herzog, who I often loathe as a director but adore in his few acting appearances, has that honor. Is he the villain? You guess. But let’s just say they don’t waste his accent. Rosamund Pike is also great in it. This IS streaming on Netflix! As well as free to stream on Amazon Prime.

Matthew McConaughey may have blown up in 2013 but in 2011 he made a pretty great movie with “The Lincoln Lawyer”. Also staring are William H Macy and the divine Marissa Tomei. Super fun and satisfying movie. Both these films are great if you want to see evil brought to justice in a smarter and more down to earth way than they do it in your average super hero film. This movie is available for rent on Amazon Prime.

In the Movies You Should See if You Love Me category are:
In “Saved” Jena Malone stars in this movie about what happens when a good Christian girl gets pregnant when she’s 16. I saw this in college and it just really stuck with me in a satisfying way. I like that while it isn’t a vicious satire the fact that its claws aren’t that sharp doesn’t detract from the point it is making, but in fact helps to make it. I just think it’s a great little movie so full of good intention that it soars. One could argue it has a “Christian” message at the end that betrays its own themes but I disagree with that. I think the message in the end is Christian in the best sense of the word, saying only that people should treat each other as they would want to be treated, and it’s hard to find fault with that assertion. This movie is streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

“A Very Long Engagement” is a movie that was critically acclaimed, as far as I can tell, but that not nearly enough people have seen. While “Amelie” is the more “popular” film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (I say popular in quotes because it’s not like it’s a blockbuster or anything) this is the better film. And I do love “Amelie” as well, before you get up in arms, I just think this is a superior movie. I have seen it probably half a dozen times and it moves me to tears without fail. So well-acted, so well put together, so suspenseful and heart wrenching that its nearly 3 hour run time flies by, this movie is on my list of films everyone in the world should see. It follows Matilda as she searches for her fiancé in the wake of WWI, stubbornly refusing to accept that he died in the war, the more she uncovers the better the story gets. Part mystery story, part romance, part war film this movie transcends genre and instead approaches perfection. And it is only 2 bucks to rent on Amazon. So do that now.

And on that hyperbolic statement, I’m out!

Halloween Edition

In honor of Halloween I would like to offer up a two part post, part one inspired by my Saturday Rocky Horror Picture show experience, and part two inspired by another Filmspotting top five list: Top Five most Terrifying Movie villains.

Part 1:

My relationship with the movie “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was always a strange one. As early as middle school my two best friends became obsessed with the movie. I watched it countless times with them, after school… at sleep overs… in the middle of weekend afternoons. Yes I have memories of jumping about my friends’ over the garage apartment Time Warping it up. But while they loved the movie and couldn’t get enough of it, I remained unimpressed by it. When looked at from a narrative or character development point of view, there’s really not much to it. The real appeal is in being able to let loose, be yourself, and give into  base desires. Not knowing who I was really at the time, and being totally terrified of any kind of “base desires”, these themes were not something I found at all appealing in middle school, and by high school I figured I was too cool for it all. I can remember desperately trying to cobble together some sort of coherent narrative from the film. “Maybe he killed him because he was jealous about….and created this guy because…and maybe the aliens and wanting to go home means…and maybe he lured them into the house because… wait they’re all statues now…Oh fuck it at least the songs are catchy”

Seeing it later on I was less confused and more willing to let the movie be what it was, but I’m never going to say I was a huge fan like my friends. It wasn’t until Saturday night, when I went to an actual show, that I finally finally understood the appeal. Everyone there was just so excited and having so much fun. What had sounded terrifying to me in high school (Rice, squirt guns, screaming for virgins to come on stage and be marked, and soooo many corsets) now didn’t seem at all scary after four years of Oberlin and Safer Sex Nights. It seemed like a lot of people, of all ages and sizes dressed up in anything they felt like and having a total blast. I thought it was great.

I still have questions though! In the end is the movie preaching moderation? After all (Spoiler Alert) Tim Curry gets zapped with a death ray from outerspace in a dramatic end dying scene, all for taking things a bit “too far” and being too “out of control”. It seems even aliens have their limits. And do Brad and Janet loosen up at the end? Or are they going to get married and live unsatisfied frigid lives? It’s the english major in me I guess, that won’t leave well enough alone. On Saturday I was just happy to be surrounded by friends, shouting out songs I knew, getting rolls of toilet paper pitched at my head. And not under any circumstance getting judged for my weight, for my outfit or for my uncoordinated time warping. I understood more, I think, why my best friends loved it so much. It’s someplace that will accept you even if you are crazy. So I never thought I’d be saying this, but hey, I’d go again next year…

Part 2:

Top Five Terrifying Villains.

I’m going with the ones that really scared me, really kept me up at night. And I’ll say right now the list is skewed since I’m a total wuss, and haven’t even really seen that many horror movies. I’ll do it in order from earliest seen to most recent…

5. Trantor the Troll from “Ernest Scared Stupid”. Yes this is a stupid Ernest movie, but I don’t remember being so terrified as when I saw what the trolls in this movie did to those poor kids. This movie is supposed to be a COMEDY but it’s about evil trolls who capture children and turn them into terrifying little wooden dolls. TERRIFYING. I would lie awake at night with my covers pulled over my head, thinking that maybe the trolls wouldn’t see me if I kept very still, and I could avoid being turned into an insanely creepy wooden doll for all eternity, which at that point was the scariest thing I could imagine happening to me, ever. I know there were probably jokes and goofy Ernest antics, but all I remember was those kids being trapped in little freaky wooden doll forms. I’d think of that, and there’d be no sleep that night. Did I mention they got turned into CREEPY WOODEN DOLLS?

 

4. Ear Bug thing in “Wrath of Khan”. Now I don’t know if this technically counts as a villain, but to me it definitely counted as most terrifying. I watched this movie when I was very young, and literally all I remember, in vivid detail, is when Khan sticks that evil bug in Chekov’s ear and mind controls him. The very idea a bug could get into someone’s ear and make you do whatever someone else told you was enough to pull my covers over my ears for literally YEARS to try to protect myself from brain bugs. (Are we seeing a pattern of hiding under covers? I still love having a comforter on hand at my bed) My memory of the whole thing is very hazy, I know Khan gets Chekov to try to shoot Kirk and instead Chekov kills some other poor schmuck or something (doubly traumatizing , since I loved Chekov) but the whole thing seemed so sordid and horrible that even if I don’t sleep with my ears covered, I do have a thing about mind control bugs getting in through my ears. Really. I think this is a movie I may need to see again, to exorcise some of my creepy mind worm fear. Because it can’t possibly be as scary as I remember it being.

Terrifying Mind Control Ear Worm

3. That stupid girl from “The Ring”. This pisses me off the most because I thought the movie was really pretty stupid, and I have no reason to be scared of it at all. The writing was bad, Naomi Watts, who I actually love, spent most of the movie running around with her eyes bugging out of her head, and that stupid little boy was so cliché he made you want to gag. But something, something about that video, about the insane way the girl moved and crawled out of the TV and that bug on the screen and horses plunging off boats.. GAH. I might have a nightmare about it now remembering. I watched it as part of a trade off  deal in college, my roommate and I would watch The Ring if our two boys would watch When Harry Met Sally. I ended up being scarred by The Ring (at a crucial point in the movie my friend’s calendar fell off the wall with a loud bang and I screamed my bloody head off), whereas they never got to experience Rob Reiner’s wonderful masterpiece. Blah. Still bitter. And terrified when I think of that stupid evil girl.

 

2. Cathy Bates in “Misery”. This is a genuinely good movie, unlike the other three I’ve mentioned. I watched it over Thanksgiving while spending the holiday with my college housemate, and I’m pretty sure his older brother concluded I was totally nuts because I kept running out of the living room into the kitchen, shrieking. Cathy Bates is such an amazing actress, and she plays a woman living in an isolated house, completely obsessed with a character in a series of novels she reads over and over (it’s based on a Stephen King book in case you didn’t know) when the writer of her beloved books conveniently crashes his car right near her far-from-civilization and snowbound house, she decides to nurse him back to health. And well, things go dreadfully downhill for him from there. I’d actually recommend this movie, just to see Bates’ terrifying performance… but I don’t know if I could see it again without running from the room shrieking, I’ll be honest.

AHHHHHHHHHH!

1. And my most recent terrifying villain, which please don’t look further if you haven’t seen “Primal Fear” because it does spoil it. Seriously, just skip ahead to the end. OK you have? I’ll just say that throughout the movie, all the twists and turns in Edward Norton’s performance is wonderful. I had never been that impressed by him, but I saw this movie and was blown away as well as chilled to my core. Part of what makes it so painful is that the whole way through you’re wanting to believe in him because you WANT to, if not NEED to believe that people are good, just like the Richard Gere character needs to believe. But in the end all that’s left is sheer, horrible evil. What’s more terrifying than pure and simple evil lurking in a human heart, especially if it wins…?

Honorable mentions: The witches from “Hocus Pocus” (Yes I was a total wimp but that terrified me too) Al Pacino as the devil in “The Devil’s Advocate” and Chucky from “Child’s Play” even though I haven’t been able to watch the whole movie, because I find it so completely terrifying, so I’ve only seen bits.

I’m trying to be all fancy and end with a poll here, but I’m not sure it’s working. We’ll see. If it does work, answer! It’s fun. In other news, I am buckling down on Cloud Atlas as I want to listen t0 it before I see the movie, which I’ve sadly heard mixed reviews on. I really want it to be good!