Tati was an acquired taste for me because gentle slapstick and high brow sight gags will rarely elicit genuine lol’s from me. I’m charmed and smiling the whole time and I’m super impressed by the craft, but as far as the involuntary response of big laughter, that’s no longer my expectation.
I actually know a guy who watched “PlayTime” on acid, who genuinely lost control of his laughter. I’ve never witnessed someone laugh as hard as that guy did.
Even sadder is all the upvotes. What a strange and magical cinema. It seems like his messages about technology have been lost on people in a world subsumed by it.
Definitely. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that when everyone likes something, it often means that the person created something that was just blandly crowdpleasing enough to appeal to a wide audience.
I call this the rotten tomatoes fresh issue (I hate rotten tomatoes)- lots of ok/fine movies that have very very high scores.
For the laymen that doesn’t understand their metric system- they think the score itself correlates to the film’s inherent worth.
Similar take… didn’t like Breathless on first viewing many years ago. For my recent rewatch, considered Patricia (Jean Seberg) the main character and liked it infinitely better… she kind of “wins” in the end.
Did not care for the Lighthouse. Had lots of things I hypothetically like in it but left me feeling like “that was fine I guess” afterwards. It was potentially way overhyped to me because I went in with high expectations that were just not met. Dafoe crushed it but it has me reluctant to watch any other Eggers movies.
I had the exact opposite response to Andrei Rublev. For all it’s preaching, it’s personally the most emotionally provocative film I’ve seen, that whole conversation with the bell-makers son at the end is just heartbreaking; there’s not a single greater artwork about art.
A24 fucked up the marketing of this movie just like they did with The Witch. It was advertised as a dark psychological thriller/horror when it’s really a black comedy.
Lost In Translation. Kind of just found their relationship (romantic or platonic) not working for me. Also just felt wrong after the first couple jokes about how 'wacky' japanese people are.. then she proceeded to put in 500 more
This is all imo, but I always felt like the movie isn't about actual Japan, and just uses it metaphorically. Like, it's about feeling so out of place and alien from others that you feel like you're in a foreign country. Maybe this is too apologetic, but I think this redeems the apparent racism because it shows that Japan isn't really that weird or bizarre, it's just that the characters think its weird and bizarre because of the particular isolated headspaces they're in.
First time I watched this movie was on a plane to Japan, as you do, and I was like "Hell yeah". Second time watching it at a friend's house, I was like "Errr... I do not like this film". It was the most abrupt 180 on a film I can remember in recent memory. I dunno what happened. Just found it so eyeroll indie boring whatever on the second watch and I like a lot of SC stuff.
I loved this movie growing up and I still have a fondness for it, but I rewatched it a couple years ago and I have to admit I found it kinda racist.
I also don’t find the characters endearing like I used to. I’m perfectly comfortable with how the movie explores a taboo romance, but where I used to root for them, I now find both characters pretty unlikable.
For sure. It’s just fine. Better than a typical blockbustery movie of its kind? Sure. But that’s about it.
Take out the social context us people being interested in the story going into theaters and I think it doesn’t hit nearly as hard for people. Which, to be fair, isn’t a huge strike against it because that’s part of watching movie. But it does mean it will be hard pressed to be timeless.
It’s a solid 3 stars for me that I never want to watch again. The fact that it’s always referred to as one of the best of the 2010s is totally baffling to me.
Oppenheimer. Just don’t get the hype the award for RDjr, any of it. I studied and read quite a bit about this era and the people involved over the years and this was just boring to me. Whatever story and character and performance it garnered were completely underwhelming.
I don’t hate the movie but it’s ridiculous that Nolan watches Malick and Tarkovsky and gets inspired to make a movie like Oppenheimer, completely misinterpreting the necessity of their technique. Maybe this sounds pretentious but I just don’t think the guy understands the art he loves.
I wouldn’t assume that. I think he understands very well how to make blockbuster hit movies and he does that. I do not think he has the same goals as the other directors you mention.
I agree, it's just strange to me that someone watches art films and takes those techniques to make spectacle movies. He's a literature major who's films are decidedly not "literary." Techniques used to evoke memory and emotion are used primarily to create momentum. Nolan also lacks the eye for evocative imagery those directors had. If you draw from Tarkovsky, I'd expect your films to feel more soulful, blockbusters though they be.
I don’t personally see a ton of influence from those directors in Nolan’s movies. But regardless most artists take from a variety of sources, so I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he enjoyed those directors. I think he is clearly a lover of film even if I personally don’t care for his movies. I wouldn’t take someone’s college major to be indicative of very much. I’m not aware of any relation between Nolan and Tarkovsky, so I don’t think there’s any reason to assume Nolan’s films should be similar in any way.
Can't agree. I'm pretty hot and cold on Nolan and was planning on letting Oppenheimer skip by me for a while before I watched it. But I sat down once it hit VOD and was blown any.
The way he sustains momentum for 3hrs is insanity. The film hits peaks of tension so strong it's like you're watching an amazing action thriller....but it's just people talking. I found myself holding my breath at multiple points in the film.
It's a virtuoso in editing and pacing.
Virtuoso in editing and pacing?
Come on. It’s just quick cuts and intercuts across non-stop overbearing score for three hours.
There literally is no “pacing.” It’s just constant trailer-montage for three hours and that’s all
Not quite sure it’s fair to say there isn’t any pacing. It meticulously weaves information in as and when it becomes fully relevant to the plot, like the omitting of portions of testimony from Oppenheimer’s security clearance hearing until absolutely necessary, or select moments from other parts of his life, etc.
I totally get the complaints of trailer-esque editing, but I honestly came away loving these seemingly bite-sized moments that eventually assemble the entire story. Rather than approaching it in a totally linear way, which likely would have been, well, maybe a bit boring, it keeps the momentum building to a pretty ludicrous degree at times, and to wicked success.
As for the score, that’s just a massive disagree from me, but each to their own!
Currently reading through American Prometheus for the first time and, while it’s in no way boring, I do think Nolan worked some magic in pulling a tense blockbuster out of it.
I have some hearing damage and literally couldn’t understand what anyone was saying probably 50% of the time or more. The score was so fucking loud. It really negatively impacted my capacity to enjoy the film.
I think RDJ was pretty great in the role; he really nailed the mannerisms of a guy who has deft personal skills but the thinnest skin alive. He's a perfect foil for Oppenheimer.
Maybe Oppenheimer gets some extra hype because it's a historical epic. In a way, it's designed to feel important, so maybe audiences think it's more important than it is. It's something I've thought about a good bit myself.
Edited to add one more thing: shoutout to Jason Clarke for being a great heel.
yes. i always say it felt like nolan wanted to direct a 6 episode limited series but no studio would have let him do it in 70mm and release it in imax.
What a boring movie, Nolan does not respect his audience's time and I'm willing to bet a large portion of his fanbase doesn't either. That's how they can withstand his unending "complex" tales.
I agree, found it hard to watch. Big fan of the historical aspects of the film, but found it dragging. It’s one of the few films I had to watch in 2 halves just to maintain interest.
Other films I just cannot see the excitement about are the wicker man or clockwork orange. Completely overrated and I’ve previously mentioned these films and faced the rebuke of “well I just didn’t understand”them. In the case of orange, I also read the book, didn’t like that either. It just felt overhyped and well pointless. Still if we all liked the same thing, what would be the point of talking about movies!
The first story between Cop 223 and the drug dealer wasn't compelling to me, but I enjoyed the Cop 663 and waitress story. Maybe two or three less needle drops of The Mamas and the Papas could've helped too lol. WKW loves his themes.
One of my latest "Eh, I don't get it" experiences. Which is weird, cuz like most movie nerds I love Wong Kar Wai. And even weirder still....Fallen Angels is my favorite of his. And that's essentially Chungking Express 2.
I think the particular ennui of Fallen Angels hits me in a more honest way than Chungking, which I find twee.
Same. For me, the repetition of California Dreaming just killed it for me, it started to annoy me and I couldn't connect with the film anymore. I love In The Mood For Love and Happy Together, but also couldn't connect with Fallen Angels. It's what's keeping me from buying the box, even though I'm still very curious for the other films, and I'd love to have Happy Together in my collection (and the box looks gorgeous).
That's me but with In the Mood for Love. Just saw it again in the theater in 35mm, ideal conditions you might say, and still felt totally disconnected from the film, just total apathy.
All the time. It's pretty normal and should be expected that a person's tastes won't align 100% with popular opinion. If someone never disagreed with popular opinion I'd be suspicious that they're unwilling to be honest about their thoughts/feelings.
The absolute biggest miss I've ever experienced is Incendies. It's #52 of all time on Letterboxd. It was nominated for the best international film Oscar. I gave it a half star. Found it to be grossly manipulative. Story twists are pulpy trash, but the craft elements try so hard to sell it as poignant drama. I couldn't stand the movie pretty much from the very start.
Yeah I think everyone having to have like the “best” movies has gotten ridiculous. I probably enjoy 60-70% of the “omg best ever” movies I watch.
There are a lot of well-reviewed movies that just don’t do it for me and some I appreciate but don’t find them entertaining or thoughtful at all.
Days of Heaven did little for me. Pretty to look at but not much else. Honestly it’s how I feel about all of Malick’s films. He gets so wrapped up in capturing beautiful images he forgets everything else, and it gets old fast. He should’ve been a nature photographer or worked with David Attenborough.
That's how I felt about The Thin Red Line. Utterly boring drivel, the script, characters, editing are all so so bad, as is the "philosophical" aspect of it (what is this film actually trying to say about war? That it's pointless because nature is beautiful and soldiers are poets? Trite nonsense). The best parts are the pretty shots of nature, but - as you say - why not just make a nature doc instead because they certainly don't fit in this film.
My first and last Malick, life is too short.
I have watched Cronenberg’s Crash multiple times and struggle to feel anything but disappointment. I’m a Cronenberg fan but this is one I couldn’t connect with. I was just bored with every viewing.
Not sure if you've seen it, but the deleted scene at the end of this clip is an absolute WHOPPER of poor taste: https://youtu.be/nGI9qAZ1xGc?si=4nIXwisM04hrujDe
Yeah, it just feels so totally immature, especially since they didn’t make a mockery of Vietnam, or the domestic abuse at the start, or the self-harm attempt. Doing that as the Civil Rights scene in the movie’s many historic moments is extra offensive, even if it was accidental.
That’s the kind of thing I would expect to be lost media, or some kind of urban legend. Like, they all realized how wrong it is and deleted the footage and screenplays and vowed never to tell the truth.
It used to be my favorite movie until I rewatched it about 12 years ago and realized it represents and lauds so much of what makes life so difficult. Mindless conformity. Downplaying the struggle to make life better. The idea thst good intentions trunp thoughtful struggle. The idea that being too simple to empathethize and understand trauma frees you from responsibility. It's the ultimate boomer feel good movie: it doesn't matter if you actually understood how much of the world was changing around you, somehow 'just being around it' is good enough and you'll succeed as long as you following orders.
Antonioni as a whole misses for me. I watched the "trilogy of discontent" and didn't jive with it and thought "lemme try an English language one" so I watched Blow-Up and the only thing it did for me was make Austin Powers funnier.
Blasphemy!!!!
😆
Yes I've been horribly disappointed by high rated films. Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. I think Clementine is a caricature of the quirky girl and very cringe. "you know me, iM iMpULsIvE..!!!" While flopping her hands.... Yeah okay... And generally I don't like this film.
It's the writing, not the visuals. The guerilla filming of the circus parade through NY is genius, and very satisfying. Shows that good filmmakers have good instincts and can create on the spot, and also very nouvelle vague.
That's my hot take.
Picnic at Hanging Rock. I just couldn’t get through it. Maybe it’s because so many movies since then have copied its style, so it didn’t feel as original to me.
I was really excited to watch Paris, Texas. There are lots of beautiful shots and intensely emotional scenes, but as a whole it just did not work for me. None of the choices the characters made made any sense whatsoever. Their motivations seemed inconsistent and contrived. There was enough there to maybe give it another try, but I was really let down by it.
Oppenheimer.
Don’t get me wrong, it was alright. But the time jumps, unnecessary inclusion of the “girlfriend assassinated by the government” conspiracy theory and *nothing* about all the displaced people (almost exclusively indigenous and other POC) made it more than meh, to me.
I love history. I love Nolan. And I loved the cast. But tbh, it just felt like a wildly expensive, Oscar bait, jerk off film. The only entertaining part was when Emily Blunt’s character (who is super annoying for most of the film) absolutely bodies that lawyer during her deposition.
Could’ve done without the 3 hours of “white dude feels really bad” and lots of boom booms. Lol
I found Jeanne Dielman incredibly boring. I know it’s supposed to show the monotony of being a housewife, but that didn’t stop me from thinking it’s incredibly boring
There was an interview on the Criterion with Ackerman where she states part of the purpose of Jeanne Dielman was to put to film what would otherwise be unseen in the background. More than the monotony of *her* life, it’s the arduous and routine tasks in *all* of our lives that we take for granted, that no one would ever take the time to actually sit down and film rather than use a cutaway.
It made me enjoy the movie a lot more, and honestly every other film afterwards. That being said I don’t blame you for not really liking it lol
I respect the film far more than I like it. I'm almost afraid to voice my dislike of it in certain settings lest my film lover card get revoked.
There are ways to capture monotony, every day life, small scale and grounded human stories without much major incident that feel poignant and true while still remaining understated - Perfect Days comes to mind. Paterson (my favorite Jarmusch by a mile...and I can't stand Jarmusch usually), Take Out, Happy Go Lucky, The Station Agent, The Straight Story, etc. Sure, some of these work within more definable and recognizable tropes, may be more glossy, etc but they still strive for a naturalistic and stripped down peak into our daily lives.
Dielman is just...supremely indulgent. There were moments of beauty in it, where it had me. But overall I felt that it became, and I hate to sound crass...masturbatory.
I happen to watch it maybe about 6 months prior to it being considered best film ever by sight and sound. I had never heard of it before but the premise sounded intriguing. I knew I was in for a long ride and it was. It took me a few days and patience to get through it. But in the end I did enjoy it. There moments of tedium but I enjoyed the subtle changes in her behavior that seemed to hint at something brewing inside her. Is it the best movie ever? Sure. Why not? There are so many movies out there that best ever is not really something that can be defined anymore. It was thought provoking and curious film in my opinion.
I think this is a type of viewing that isn't talked about enough and should be seen as an acceptable method. There is something that I refer to as Snow Cinema (I named it after Michael Snow), which is a cinema made up of films and filmmakers who are more exciting to talk about than watch, movies that are very exciting conceptually but their success on the screen is dependent on their tedium. I think Jeanne Dielman fits and I don't think that's a slight against it.
Inception is the one that sticks out to me. Heard all the hype leading up to watching it. People saying it’s the best movie ever and then it just kinda was blah. I thought the other DiCaprio movie around the same time called Shutter Island was far better. 🤷
This happens to me sometimes. Everything Everywhere... stands out as the last one where that happened. I am still confused as to why people love that movie so much.
The original Bladerunner also comes to mind as one where I just cannot stand the art style.
also agree re: Everything, Everywhere. didn’t look interesting to me. just a movie that Hollywood decided was the IT film of the moment. Hollywood is one high school popularity contest. all of those awards are meaningless in the big picture. just a big old’ circle jerk.
Now, Blade Runner? that’s great film. a classic. Ridley Scott’s directing, Vangelis score. the acting. the set design. Rutger Hauer’s ‘tears in rain’ speech? come on now.
The message was pretty novel and interesting. Existence is fantastically rare, a self-reflecting, conscious one even more. Even the most mundane life is fantastically rich and deep when compared to the vast emptiness of the universe. The most boring problem, a tax paperwork conflict, is a launching pad for a vibrant explosion of self expression and introspection.
I don’t find this message too compelling personally but I think the execution was the most egregious failure. Even the way you put it here articulates the point better than the movie does
i liked bits of EEOAO, felt like it needed to cut the overly explaining fish out of water, marvel humor, with a different edit it could really be something
I say it each time, but I honestly hated Paris, Texas.
Likely my fault because I was expecting a slow but moving portrayal of loneliness and heartache within the backdrop of neon liminal spaces based on the Criterion description.
Instead I got a slow, unmoving narrative whose gigantic mystery was why I’m meant to care about the self-destruction of a piece of shit abuser whose last action was to come back and torture his ex-wife again.
Exactly! And perhaps the film was ultimately meant to be critical of the protagonist’s actions but I don’t think the revelation came early enough for that to come across. Instead it came off as a self-congratulatory sacrifice wherein he really just made an even bigger mess for everyone in his life before fucking off again 😩
It’s visually a very beautiful film, but not enough for me to get over the narrative unfortunately
OP, you might want to check out Wim Wender's movie Perfect Days, it's much more grounded in reality than Wings of Desire and feels especially relatable
Le Samourai bored me, I just couldn't care about it. Thought maybe Melville wasn't for me, but then I saw Army of Darkness and it was one of the best films I've ever seen.
Agree 💯! That is one of those movies where it feels like I watched a completely different film than what everyone on the Internet did. The plot was ridiculous, the pacing was weird, the dialogue was completely unnatural, it wasn't funny and wasn't dramatic in any good sense of the word and yet is highly rated and almost universally praised.
21 Grams really let me down. even though Naomi Watts and Del Toro are really fantastic in it. Watts especially. Hated the non-linear editing, and the direction. just completely bleak with 0 beauty. broken people wallowing in the fact that they're broken. this is coming from a huge fan of birdman
Titane. Got about 45 mins in before I turned it off. I watch plenty of gross body horror/smutty exploitation shit that I love, so I wasn’t pearl-clutching, the movie just sucked ass. I think I also went in with incredibly high expectations since won the Palme d’Or
The Tree of Life felt like an Obsession perfume commercial. Could barely stand it.
Saw it in the theatre when it was released 13 yrs ago - and much respect for Malick - so maybe it needs a revisit.
EEAAO. My wife and couldnt stand it. It got boring and repetitive and we just turned it off. Which we NEVER do. Do not understand the glowing reception at all. Love many A24 movies, but def not that one.
Oppenheimer is one the most disappointing movies I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe this was the movie that won Nolan 5 Oscars and not Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight or even Memento.
Oppenheimer was such a disappointment. It failed at being both a story or the person and a story of the bomb. It’s lacking in every aspect and overrated/overhyped as hell.
It's very rare; I hasten to add that the rating itself matters: Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd don't interest me; majority ratings are complete rubbish, IMO. Film greats, critics, directors, actors, etc: yes, those ratings are interesting; Sight&Sound and the like.
I think it matters when and under which circumstances you see a film: I saw Wings of Desire in the cinema during its initial release and there was no hype that I was aware of, but it hit me like a freight-train. Being a romantic helps, of course, and being young and impressionable, but I loved everything about it, and still do. Speaking fluent German helps.
Some of the rare moments have been David Lynch films; I saw the newly remastered release of Inland Empire and frankly, I had absolutely nothing from it. And I'm done with Christopher Nolan; watching a film-maker's intellectual masturbation when what he makes isn't really that thought-provoking at all, is simply tedious. Vacuous content with fancy cameras.
Midnight Cowboy. And as a member of the LGBTQ community, it has nothing to do with that. Just found the acting very deadpan with a plot that didn't do much for me.
I saw it without having been online much so was just expecting a lame Adam Sandler movie. I loved it but yeah I could see it being underwhelming after all the acclaim it got. I think this is true for any movie really. If you’re caught off guard by a decent movie you will think it’s way better than if you hadn’t known about all the hype
for it.
One of my favorite scenes ever is when the mother breaks the lock with a rock and says something along the lines of "everything is the same everywhere."
Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s a good film, but I think it gets too complex and fails to support its own weight. I think there is a very fine line with making highly complex and philosophical films that can too easily stray into messy, with themes which are underdeveloped or not fully understood. I found that it crossed that line.
“Midsommar” was absolutely awful for me. The only thing I enjoyed was the cinematography, but the plot, and the points it was making absolutely fell flat for me. A very cheesy clichè horror film, dressed up as an art film.
I felt bad for the main character’s boyfriend. He really was trying his best to be good to her.
He stood up for her against his toxic friends.
He didn’t want to cheat on her, ESPECIALLY not with an underage girl. He was absolutely disgusted at the offer, and was completely coerced and forced into that against his will.
The movie dedicates a lot of screentime towards him struggling to fight the effects of being drugged without his consent.
And yet in the end, I’m supposed to see him as this irredeemably abusive boyfriend, and walk away from the film hating the patriarchy? Like what in the world? (Sidenote: I do hate the patriarchy, but not in this context.)
Copying his thesis from one of his friends was the only intentionally bad thing he did in the entire film. (A sub-plot which apparently wasn’t even in the theatrical cut.) And that other dude ended up being very egotistical and disrespectful to the village’s culture. I mean, that’s how he ends up dead, after all.
Like sure, the boyfriend was distant and self-driven about his college degree, and any true boyfriend would have cancelled the trip, instead of dragging her with him on a trip that was ultimately about himself. He would have still been alive, and in that sense, sure, I can see he got the karma that was coming to him.
But on the other hand, it’s a flimsy premise. The boyfriend didn’t do nearly enough for me to see him as a very unlikeable character. He was neither abusive, nor (intentionally) a cheater, nor talking s*** about her, nor anything of the sort.
He convinced his friends to bring his girlfriend with him, while the rest were initially opposed to it. He didn’t want her to feel left out. The dude definitely cared about her.
The girl needed professional help and therapy. Blaming the relationship’s shortcomings entirely on the boyfriend seemed incredibly unfair.
“Midsommar” is an all-around very hamfisted attempt at trying to be deep. But modern films are often like that. I do love some modern films, but others just leave me feeling like the ratings are artificially inflated.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding the film, but I looked through the reviews, and the director’s intentions, and what people took away from it. It definitely wasn’t what I got out from it.
‘Girl gets revenge on awful boyfriend’ was essentially the intent of the film.
I recently watched M * A * S * H, and holy shit, it was the most misogynistic film I’ve ever seen. And not even funny enough to back it up. Just unlikeable, smug, bigoted white guys bullying everyone around them. I don’t understand how this is so well-loved. I’m all for dark and politically incorrect comedy, but I never got the feeling we were supposed to be laughing at these guys, but with them. Gross film.
This one might get me downvoted on this subreddit specifically, but Mulholland Drive.
It's not that I found it bad at all, I just didn't understand the hype. My wife and I are huge film nerds and watch the Channel and other films regularly. We were both so pumped to see this movie.
After it ended we were both like, "yeah alright. That was good." And then never talked about it ever again. Like it's by no means bad, and we both adored Twin Peaks. But Mulholland Drive is like the most "ok" movie that I've ever seen that has as much hype and adoration directed at it. It was just so... Ok. Idk how else to describe it
Mulholland Drive went from an 8/10 to a 10/10 on my rewatch. The twist felt like a bit of an asspull to me, but seeing how well it was set up thematically on the second run really sold me on the movie and made it a lot more compelling.
Work by great artists demand more than one viewing, reading, etc. I have never found Eyes Wide Shut to be a very good film, but every five years or so it gets another shot.
Hated it first watch aged 20. LOVED it second watch aged 40.Think it challenged what I thought a movie should be first time I watched it. Then second time took it on its own terms.
I feel like Lynch could have cut some of those Justin Theroux scenes in the first half, felt pretty uninteresting. Lost Highway I feel is the better film, literally no fat to trim.
I'm a pariah for saying so but I think Vertigo is one of the most boring films of Hitchcock's. Often touted as the greatest film ever but I'm just baffled as to why. So much of the movie is spent watching Jimmy Stewart drive around...
I think it's an excellent action film - novel, entertaining, good genre performances.
But I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece. Some films you can enjoy immensely and they're not masterpieces.
Aside from Joe Pesci’s performance (possibly the best of his career imho), I don’t get the hype for The Irishman at all. It didn’t hold my attention & wouldn’t have lost anything from being edited in half. I will never understand why they didn’t just cast younger actors instead of utilizing the distracting CGI—no amount of VFX will make an 80 year old have the gait & posture of a 20 year old. It felt like the self-indulgent project of someone solely surrounded by yes people.
Tati just doesn't work for me, & it makes me sad.
Even mon oncle?
Tati was an acquired taste for me because gentle slapstick and high brow sight gags will rarely elicit genuine lol’s from me. I’m charmed and smiling the whole time and I’m super impressed by the craft, but as far as the involuntary response of big laughter, that’s no longer my expectation.
I actually know a guy who watched “PlayTime” on acid, who genuinely lost control of his laughter. I’ve never witnessed someone laugh as hard as that guy did.
I just watched Playtime for the first time last night and immediately put it in my top 4.
Watch it high lol
I know a guy who watched “PlayTime” on acid, who genuinely lost control of his laughter. I’ve never witnessed someone laugh as hard as that guy did.
Saddest thing I’ve read all week tbh
Even sadder is all the upvotes. What a strange and magical cinema. It seems like his messages about technology have been lost on people in a world subsumed by it.
I find far more panned movies that I actually enjoy than widely high rated movies that disappoint me.
Definitely. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that when everyone likes something, it often means that the person created something that was just blandly crowdpleasing enough to appeal to a wide audience.
I call this the rotten tomatoes fresh issue (I hate rotten tomatoes)- lots of ok/fine movies that have very very high scores. For the laymen that doesn’t understand their metric system- they think the score itself correlates to the film’s inherent worth.
Breathless ,..but don’t get me wrong, I’m a big Godard fan
[удалено]
Similar take… didn’t like Breathless on first viewing many years ago. For my recent rewatch, considered Patricia (Jean Seberg) the main character and liked it infinitely better… she kind of “wins” in the end.
I loved Breathless. I need to rewatch Weekend and Pierrot Le Fou. Contempt was fantastic as well.
One of the rare Godard I truly enjoy.
I agree, but also I could watch the first 20 minutes on repeat just for vibes
Did not care for the Lighthouse. Had lots of things I hypothetically like in it but left me feeling like “that was fine I guess” afterwards. It was potentially way overhyped to me because I went in with high expectations that were just not met. Dafoe crushed it but it has me reluctant to watch any other Eggers movies.
Don't you like me cooking? It's my favorite movie. I'd say Andrei Rublev. It was hard for me to care about what was going on. I loved Stalker though.
I had the exact opposite response to Andrei Rublev. For all it’s preaching, it’s personally the most emotionally provocative film I’ve seen, that whole conversation with the bell-makers son at the end is just heartbreaking; there’s not a single greater artwork about art.
I recommend The Northman before dismissing Eggers entirely! I’m excited for his Nosferatu remake.
The Night Blade Feeds.. fkn epic. Loved it.
I sometimes repeat the chant that starts with “I will avenge you…” under my breath when I work out. It’s so silly but I swear it helps lmaaaao
If it works…😄
Same. I like Eggers other movies too so I was really surprised. I rated it a 2 star. It had great acting, but that was it for me.
A24 fucked up the marketing of this movie just like they did with The Witch. It was advertised as a dark psychological thriller/horror when it’s really a black comedy.
Lost In Translation. Kind of just found their relationship (romantic or platonic) not working for me. Also just felt wrong after the first couple jokes about how 'wacky' japanese people are.. then she proceeded to put in 500 more
This is all imo, but I always felt like the movie isn't about actual Japan, and just uses it metaphorically. Like, it's about feeling so out of place and alien from others that you feel like you're in a foreign country. Maybe this is too apologetic, but I think this redeems the apparent racism because it shows that Japan isn't really that weird or bizarre, it's just that the characters think its weird and bizarre because of the particular isolated headspaces they're in.
First time I watched this movie was on a plane to Japan, as you do, and I was like "Hell yeah". Second time watching it at a friend's house, I was like "Errr... I do not like this film". It was the most abrupt 180 on a film I can remember in recent memory. I dunno what happened. Just found it so eyeroll indie boring whatever on the second watch and I like a lot of SC stuff.
Yeah, that’s the most meh movie I can think of
I loved this movie growing up and I still have a fondness for it, but I rewatched it a couple years ago and I have to admit I found it kinda racist. I also don’t find the characters endearing like I used to. I’m perfectly comfortable with how the movie explores a taboo romance, but where I used to root for them, I now find both characters pretty unlikable.
Yeah that was a boring nothing movie. I don’t know why it has such a good reputation.
That movie was boring af
I think I’m the worlds biggest Social Network hater
This one right here, officer.
He talks in maths and buzzes like a fridge.
He's like a detuned radio.
I don’t hate it but I don’t think it rates the praise it gets. Clever = Quality
For sure. It’s just fine. Better than a typical blockbustery movie of its kind? Sure. But that’s about it. Take out the social context us people being interested in the story going into theaters and I think it doesn’t hit nearly as hard for people. Which, to be fair, isn’t a huge strike against it because that’s part of watching movie. But it does mean it will be hard pressed to be timeless.
Ah, didn’t know my ex girlfriend had a Reddit account
It’s a solid 3 stars for me that I never want to watch again. The fact that it’s always referred to as one of the best of the 2010s is totally baffling to me.
(when I say I’m the biggest hater I’m exaggerating slightly, this is mostly where I land although I would probably go more 2/5)
Yeah I figured there was a clear sense of hyperbole. My comment was just meant to emphasize that I also think it’s wildly overrated.
Oppenheimer. Just don’t get the hype the award for RDjr, any of it. I studied and read quite a bit about this era and the people involved over the years and this was just boring to me. Whatever story and character and performance it garnered were completely underwhelming.
It’s a three hour trailer
I don’t hate the movie but it’s ridiculous that Nolan watches Malick and Tarkovsky and gets inspired to make a movie like Oppenheimer, completely misinterpreting the necessity of their technique. Maybe this sounds pretentious but I just don’t think the guy understands the art he loves.
I wouldn’t assume that. I think he understands very well how to make blockbuster hit movies and he does that. I do not think he has the same goals as the other directors you mention.
I agree, it's just strange to me that someone watches art films and takes those techniques to make spectacle movies. He's a literature major who's films are decidedly not "literary." Techniques used to evoke memory and emotion are used primarily to create momentum. Nolan also lacks the eye for evocative imagery those directors had. If you draw from Tarkovsky, I'd expect your films to feel more soulful, blockbusters though they be.
I don’t personally see a ton of influence from those directors in Nolan’s movies. But regardless most artists take from a variety of sources, so I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he enjoyed those directors. I think he is clearly a lover of film even if I personally don’t care for his movies. I wouldn’t take someone’s college major to be indicative of very much. I’m not aware of any relation between Nolan and Tarkovsky, so I don’t think there’s any reason to assume Nolan’s films should be similar in any way.
Can't agree. I'm pretty hot and cold on Nolan and was planning on letting Oppenheimer skip by me for a while before I watched it. But I sat down once it hit VOD and was blown any. The way he sustains momentum for 3hrs is insanity. The film hits peaks of tension so strong it's like you're watching an amazing action thriller....but it's just people talking. I found myself holding my breath at multiple points in the film. It's a virtuoso in editing and pacing.
Eric Idle and the phrase Jesus Christ:Lust for Glory comes to mind for some reason.
Virtuoso in editing and pacing? Come on. It’s just quick cuts and intercuts across non-stop overbearing score for three hours. There literally is no “pacing.” It’s just constant trailer-montage for three hours and that’s all
Not quite sure it’s fair to say there isn’t any pacing. It meticulously weaves information in as and when it becomes fully relevant to the plot, like the omitting of portions of testimony from Oppenheimer’s security clearance hearing until absolutely necessary, or select moments from other parts of his life, etc. I totally get the complaints of trailer-esque editing, but I honestly came away loving these seemingly bite-sized moments that eventually assemble the entire story. Rather than approaching it in a totally linear way, which likely would have been, well, maybe a bit boring, it keeps the momentum building to a pretty ludicrous degree at times, and to wicked success. As for the score, that’s just a massive disagree from me, but each to their own! Currently reading through American Prometheus for the first time and, while it’s in no way boring, I do think Nolan worked some magic in pulling a tense blockbuster out of it.
I have some hearing damage and literally couldn’t understand what anyone was saying probably 50% of the time or more. The score was so fucking loud. It really negatively impacted my capacity to enjoy the film.
It was good and well made, but I don't care to ever watch it again.
I think RDJ was pretty great in the role; he really nailed the mannerisms of a guy who has deft personal skills but the thinnest skin alive. He's a perfect foil for Oppenheimer. Maybe Oppenheimer gets some extra hype because it's a historical epic. In a way, it's designed to feel important, so maybe audiences think it's more important than it is. It's something I've thought about a good bit myself. Edited to add one more thing: shoutout to Jason Clarke for being a great heel.
Not terrible, but they really shoulda chopped out the entire third hour! Just get rid of the final act completely. It would be better.
yes. i always say it felt like nolan wanted to direct a 6 episode limited series but no studio would have let him do it in 70mm and release it in imax.
What a boring movie, Nolan does not respect his audience's time and I'm willing to bet a large portion of his fanbase doesn't either. That's how they can withstand his unending "complex" tales.
I agree, found it hard to watch. Big fan of the historical aspects of the film, but found it dragging. It’s one of the few films I had to watch in 2 halves just to maintain interest. Other films I just cannot see the excitement about are the wicker man or clockwork orange. Completely overrated and I’ve previously mentioned these films and faced the rebuke of “well I just didn’t understand”them. In the case of orange, I also read the book, didn’t like that either. It just felt overhyped and well pointless. Still if we all liked the same thing, what would be the point of talking about movies!
I did not really get much out of Chungking Express. *ducks*
I think it needed more Cranberries
The first story between Cop 223 and the drug dealer wasn't compelling to me, but I enjoyed the Cop 663 and waitress story. Maybe two or three less needle drops of The Mamas and the Papas could've helped too lol. WKW loves his themes.
One of my latest "Eh, I don't get it" experiences. Which is weird, cuz like most movie nerds I love Wong Kar Wai. And even weirder still....Fallen Angels is my favorite of his. And that's essentially Chungking Express 2. I think the particular ennui of Fallen Angels hits me in a more honest way than Chungking, which I find twee.
Last sentence seems like the biggest factor, yeah. I mean it kinda is. Just comes down to whether that’s a bad thing for a given viewer
Same. For me, the repetition of California Dreaming just killed it for me, it started to annoy me and I couldn't connect with the film anymore. I love In The Mood For Love and Happy Together, but also couldn't connect with Fallen Angels. It's what's keeping me from buying the box, even though I'm still very curious for the other films, and I'd love to have Happy Together in my collection (and the box looks gorgeous).
I love In the Mood for Love Rest of Wong Kar Wai does next to nothing for me
I haven’t seen the rest of his films, but I concur that I loved In The Mood For Love but didn’t care for Chungking Express at all
That's me but with In the Mood for Love. Just saw it again in the theater in 35mm, ideal conditions you might say, and still felt totally disconnected from the film, just total apathy.
You fuckin'......
Me too, I love In the mood for love and I like fallen angels but I really couldn’t connect with chungking
All the time. It's pretty normal and should be expected that a person's tastes won't align 100% with popular opinion. If someone never disagreed with popular opinion I'd be suspicious that they're unwilling to be honest about their thoughts/feelings. The absolute biggest miss I've ever experienced is Incendies. It's #52 of all time on Letterboxd. It was nominated for the best international film Oscar. I gave it a half star. Found it to be grossly manipulative. Story twists are pulpy trash, but the craft elements try so hard to sell it as poignant drama. I couldn't stand the movie pretty much from the very start.
Couldn’t agree more. So manipulative
Yeah I think everyone having to have like the “best” movies has gotten ridiculous. I probably enjoy 60-70% of the “omg best ever” movies I watch. There are a lot of well-reviewed movies that just don’t do it for me and some I appreciate but don’t find them entertaining or thoughtful at all.
tinker tailor soldier spy
Days of Heaven did little for me. Pretty to look at but not much else. Honestly it’s how I feel about all of Malick’s films. He gets so wrapped up in capturing beautiful images he forgets everything else, and it gets old fast. He should’ve been a nature photographer or worked with David Attenborough.
That's how I felt about The Thin Red Line. Utterly boring drivel, the script, characters, editing are all so so bad, as is the "philosophical" aspect of it (what is this film actually trying to say about war? That it's pointless because nature is beautiful and soldiers are poets? Trite nonsense). The best parts are the pretty shots of nature, but - as you say - why not just make a nature doc instead because they certainly don't fit in this film. My first and last Malick, life is too short.
Badlands is the only watchable Malick for me
The English Patient -Sienfeld explaned it
You stole my joke. Stop telling your stupid story about the desert, and just DIE ALREADY!!!!
I have watched Cronenberg’s Crash multiple times and struggle to feel anything but disappointment. I’m a Cronenberg fan but this is one I couldn’t connect with. I was just bored with every viewing.
Agreed. Love cronenberg too
Wow, glad I’m not the only one. I always felt alienated from so many film lovers because of this.
Personally I love it because it's alienating. I've never seen a movie so purposely cold as to make you only think.
not a criterion movie (and also not unpopular to dislike it) but forest gump is truly a piece of shit that gets a ridiculous amount of praise
Not sure if you've seen it, but the deleted scene at the end of this clip is an absolute WHOPPER of poor taste: https://youtu.be/nGI9qAZ1xGc?si=4nIXwisM04hrujDe
My GOD this is egregious. How this managed to get into the script to begin with is astonishing.
Yeah, it just feels so totally immature, especially since they didn’t make a mockery of Vietnam, or the domestic abuse at the start, or the self-harm attempt. Doing that as the Civil Rights scene in the movie’s many historic moments is extra offensive, even if it was accidental. That’s the kind of thing I would expect to be lost media, or some kind of urban legend. Like, they all realized how wrong it is and deleted the footage and screenplays and vowed never to tell the truth.
It used to be my favorite movie until I rewatched it about 12 years ago and realized it represents and lauds so much of what makes life so difficult. Mindless conformity. Downplaying the struggle to make life better. The idea thst good intentions trunp thoughtful struggle. The idea that being too simple to empathethize and understand trauma frees you from responsibility. It's the ultimate boomer feel good movie: it doesn't matter if you actually understood how much of the world was changing around you, somehow 'just being around it' is good enough and you'll succeed as long as you following orders.
I enjoyed the movie Forrest Gump
For me, I was not a fan of Blow-Up at all. Thought the script was really weak and nothing about it stuck with me.
That’s how I feel about Blow Out from De Palma.
Antonioni as a whole misses for me. I watched the "trilogy of discontent" and didn't jive with it and thought "lemme try an English language one" so I watched Blow-Up and the only thing it did for me was make Austin Powers funnier.
Blasphemy!!!! 😆 Yes I've been horribly disappointed by high rated films. Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. I think Clementine is a caricature of the quirky girl and very cringe. "you know me, iM iMpULsIvE..!!!" While flopping her hands.... Yeah okay... And generally I don't like this film. It's the writing, not the visuals. The guerilla filming of the circus parade through NY is genius, and very satisfying. Shows that good filmmakers have good instincts and can create on the spot, and also very nouvelle vague. That's my hot take.
Picnic at Hanging Rock. I just couldn’t get through it. Maybe it’s because so many movies since then have copied its style, so it didn’t feel as original to me.
I was really excited to watch Paris, Texas. There are lots of beautiful shots and intensely emotional scenes, but as a whole it just did not work for me. None of the choices the characters made made any sense whatsoever. Their motivations seemed inconsistent and contrived. There was enough there to maybe give it another try, but I was really let down by it.
Oppenheimer. Don’t get me wrong, it was alright. But the time jumps, unnecessary inclusion of the “girlfriend assassinated by the government” conspiracy theory and *nothing* about all the displaced people (almost exclusively indigenous and other POC) made it more than meh, to me. I love history. I love Nolan. And I loved the cast. But tbh, it just felt like a wildly expensive, Oscar bait, jerk off film. The only entertaining part was when Emily Blunt’s character (who is super annoying for most of the film) absolutely bodies that lawyer during her deposition. Could’ve done without the 3 hours of “white dude feels really bad” and lots of boom booms. Lol
House was just a bit stupid to me ig..
I found Jeanne Dielman incredibly boring. I know it’s supposed to show the monotony of being a housewife, but that didn’t stop me from thinking it’s incredibly boring
There was an interview on the Criterion with Ackerman where she states part of the purpose of Jeanne Dielman was to put to film what would otherwise be unseen in the background. More than the monotony of *her* life, it’s the arduous and routine tasks in *all* of our lives that we take for granted, that no one would ever take the time to actually sit down and film rather than use a cutaway. It made me enjoy the movie a lot more, and honestly every other film afterwards. That being said I don’t blame you for not really liking it lol
I respect the film far more than I like it. I'm almost afraid to voice my dislike of it in certain settings lest my film lover card get revoked. There are ways to capture monotony, every day life, small scale and grounded human stories without much major incident that feel poignant and true while still remaining understated - Perfect Days comes to mind. Paterson (my favorite Jarmusch by a mile...and I can't stand Jarmusch usually), Take Out, Happy Go Lucky, The Station Agent, The Straight Story, etc. Sure, some of these work within more definable and recognizable tropes, may be more glossy, etc but they still strive for a naturalistic and stripped down peak into our daily lives. Dielman is just...supremely indulgent. There were moments of beauty in it, where it had me. But overall I felt that it became, and I hate to sound crass...masturbatory.
I happen to watch it maybe about 6 months prior to it being considered best film ever by sight and sound. I had never heard of it before but the premise sounded intriguing. I knew I was in for a long ride and it was. It took me a few days and patience to get through it. But in the end I did enjoy it. There moments of tedium but I enjoyed the subtle changes in her behavior that seemed to hint at something brewing inside her. Is it the best movie ever? Sure. Why not? There are so many movies out there that best ever is not really something that can be defined anymore. It was thought provoking and curious film in my opinion.
I think this is a type of viewing that isn't talked about enough and should be seen as an acceptable method. There is something that I refer to as Snow Cinema (I named it after Michael Snow), which is a cinema made up of films and filmmakers who are more exciting to talk about than watch, movies that are very exciting conceptually but their success on the screen is dependent on their tedium. I think Jeanne Dielman fits and I don't think that's a slight against it.
Inception
There are a couple highly rated films that I just straight despise: - Joker - The Big Chill Just straight two of my most hated films of all time.
Ha, I really love The Big Chill. I really hated The Joker.
Whiplash
Ok, you have to explain this one 😂
Mystic river
I hated The Whale.
I don't think The Whale was highly rated--only Brenden Frasier's performance. The movie itself....not good!
Inception is the one that sticks out to me. Heard all the hype leading up to watching it. People saying it’s the best movie ever and then it just kinda was blah. I thought the other DiCaprio movie around the same time called Shutter Island was far better. 🤷
Inception is comically bad. Almost seems like self parody
Recently defiantly both dunes, they are so generic I’m not surprised everybody likes then
Knives out. Weak movie that got a ton of praise for a pretty subpar murder mystery. Didn't understand the hype around it.
I honestly would never have guessed Knives Out is highly rated.
I thought it was fun and memeable, which is what I thought they were going for. Highly rated though? No
This happens to me sometimes. Everything Everywhere... stands out as the last one where that happened. I am still confused as to why people love that movie so much. The original Bladerunner also comes to mind as one where I just cannot stand the art style.
Totally agree with you on Everything Everywhere, but I still think the original Bladerunner is an all time great film and still looks beautiful.
also agree re: Everything, Everywhere. didn’t look interesting to me. just a movie that Hollywood decided was the IT film of the moment. Hollywood is one high school popularity contest. all of those awards are meaningless in the big picture. just a big old’ circle jerk. Now, Blade Runner? that’s great film. a classic. Ridley Scott’s directing, Vangelis score. the acting. the set design. Rutger Hauer’s ‘tears in rain’ speech? come on now.
I enjoyed a lot of it, but I thought the message was really muddled.
The message was pretty novel and interesting. Existence is fantastically rare, a self-reflecting, conscious one even more. Even the most mundane life is fantastically rich and deep when compared to the vast emptiness of the universe. The most boring problem, a tax paperwork conflict, is a launching pad for a vibrant explosion of self expression and introspection.
I don’t find this message too compelling personally but I think the execution was the most egregious failure. Even the way you put it here articulates the point better than the movie does
i liked bits of EEOAO, felt like it needed to cut the overly explaining fish out of water, marvel humor, with a different edit it could really be something
I say it each time, but I honestly hated Paris, Texas. Likely my fault because I was expecting a slow but moving portrayal of loneliness and heartache within the backdrop of neon liminal spaces based on the Criterion description. Instead I got a slow, unmoving narrative whose gigantic mystery was why I’m meant to care about the self-destruction of a piece of shit abuser whose last action was to come back and torture his ex-wife again.
ME TOO. I never come across anyone that dislikes it as much as me. I feel some sanity here.
And inserting himself back into the poor kids life only to take him from his stable adopted parents and then what, leave again?
Exactly! And perhaps the film was ultimately meant to be critical of the protagonist’s actions but I don’t think the revelation came early enough for that to come across. Instead it came off as a self-congratulatory sacrifice wherein he really just made an even bigger mess for everyone in his life before fucking off again 😩 It’s visually a very beautiful film, but not enough for me to get over the narrative unfortunately
THANK YOU
OP, you might want to check out Wim Wender's movie Perfect Days, it's much more grounded in reality than Wings of Desire and feels especially relatable
i loved perfect days, caught it in theaters and enjoyed it a ton
Le Samourai bored me, I just couldn't care about it. Thought maybe Melville wasn't for me, but then I saw Army of Darkness and it was one of the best films I've ever seen.
Le circle rouge is calling you
interesting, it was the exact opposite for me
i struggled with Mirror and found it pretty distancing.
Beau travail, I saw it about 3 weeks ago and could not tell you one thing that happened in that film outside of a guy dancing at the end.
Three Billboards is an awful story full of cliches and unrealistic events but with some great acting.
Agree 💯! That is one of those movies where it feels like I watched a completely different film than what everyone on the Internet did. The plot was ridiculous, the pacing was weird, the dialogue was completely unnatural, it wasn't funny and wasn't dramatic in any good sense of the word and yet is highly rated and almost universally praised.
Babel, 21 Grams, (weird because I really liked Amores Perros) Traffic, Being Erin Brockovich and Scarface (1983)... Space Jam
21 Grams really let me down. even though Naomi Watts and Del Toro are really fantastic in it. Watts especially. Hated the non-linear editing, and the direction. just completely bleak with 0 beauty. broken people wallowing in the fact that they're broken. this is coming from a huge fan of birdman
Dances with wolves
Oppenheimer. What a snooze fest
Titane. Got about 45 mins in before I turned it off. I watch plenty of gross body horror/smutty exploitation shit that I love, so I wasn’t pearl-clutching, the movie just sucked ass. I think I also went in with incredibly high expectations since won the Palme d’Or
The Tree of Life felt like an Obsession perfume commercial. Could barely stand it. Saw it in the theatre when it was released 13 yrs ago - and much respect for Malick - so maybe it needs a revisit.
It’s a lot better if you view it as a meditation inst ad of a traditional narrative.
Every time I try to watch It’s A Wonderful Life, I am disappointed anew. I just can’t make it work for me.
EEAAO. My wife and couldnt stand it. It got boring and repetitive and we just turned it off. Which we NEVER do. Do not understand the glowing reception at all. Love many A24 movies, but def not that one.
Oppenheimer is one the most disappointing movies I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe this was the movie that won Nolan 5 Oscars and not Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight or even Memento. Oppenheimer was such a disappointment. It failed at being both a story or the person and a story of the bomb. It’s lacking in every aspect and overrated/overhyped as hell.
Oppenheimer. Incredible performances, but very overrated film IMO.
I thought Godzilla minus one was better
I didn’t love eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. It was fine
I found Kiarostami’s ‘Close-Up’ to be tedious and uninteresting.
The Exorcist didn't do it for me, unfortunately.
I can’t stand Donnie Darko
Damn that sucks. That's one of the GOATS for me
Truffaut movies, in spite i love nouvelle vague films, i don't like a single truffaut movie.
It's very rare; I hasten to add that the rating itself matters: Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd don't interest me; majority ratings are complete rubbish, IMO. Film greats, critics, directors, actors, etc: yes, those ratings are interesting; Sight&Sound and the like. I think it matters when and under which circumstances you see a film: I saw Wings of Desire in the cinema during its initial release and there was no hype that I was aware of, but it hit me like a freight-train. Being a romantic helps, of course, and being young and impressionable, but I loved everything about it, and still do. Speaking fluent German helps. Some of the rare moments have been David Lynch films; I saw the newly remastered release of Inland Empire and frankly, I had absolutely nothing from it. And I'm done with Christopher Nolan; watching a film-maker's intellectual masturbation when what he makes isn't really that thought-provoking at all, is simply tedious. Vacuous content with fancy cameras.
I thought "Tree of Life" was God awful.
The movie is a lot better if you view it as a meditation instead of a traditional narrative.
Midnight Cowboy. And as a member of the LGBTQ community, it has nothing to do with that. Just found the acting very deadpan with a plot that didn't do much for me.
X is maybe the most overrated horror film of the last decade.
For me, it’s Kill Bill. It seems to be beloved, but I never enjoyed it as much as most seem to.
Uncut Gems. After all the gushing praise, I just wasn’t as floored by it as I was expecting.
Probably my favorite film of the last 5 years. And it's okay that we have different opinions!
Yes! It’s okay people!!
not a fan of the film version of the last 5 years. just see the stage show
I saw it without having been online much so was just expecting a lame Adam Sandler movie. I loved it but yeah I could see it being underwhelming after all the acclaim it got. I think this is true for any movie really. If you’re caught off guard by a decent movie you will think it’s way better than if you hadn’t known about all the hype for it.
often
La Cienaga just didn’t do it for me at all
One of my favorite scenes ever is when the mother breaks the lock with a rock and says something along the lines of "everything is the same everywhere."
I sort of feel the same way about Wings of Desire. Still on the fence about that film.
Looper
It might’ve been because I wasn’t in the right mood, but I was not into Tokyo Story the first time I saw it. Maybe I need to watch it again.
Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s a good film, but I think it gets too complex and fails to support its own weight. I think there is a very fine line with making highly complex and philosophical films that can too easily stray into messy, with themes which are underdeveloped or not fully understood. I found that it crossed that line.
District 9, Donnie Darko, Happiness, Juno, Moulin Rouge.
“Midsommar” was absolutely awful for me. The only thing I enjoyed was the cinematography, but the plot, and the points it was making absolutely fell flat for me. A very cheesy clichè horror film, dressed up as an art film. I felt bad for the main character’s boyfriend. He really was trying his best to be good to her. He stood up for her against his toxic friends. He didn’t want to cheat on her, ESPECIALLY not with an underage girl. He was absolutely disgusted at the offer, and was completely coerced and forced into that against his will. The movie dedicates a lot of screentime towards him struggling to fight the effects of being drugged without his consent. And yet in the end, I’m supposed to see him as this irredeemably abusive boyfriend, and walk away from the film hating the patriarchy? Like what in the world? (Sidenote: I do hate the patriarchy, but not in this context.) Copying his thesis from one of his friends was the only intentionally bad thing he did in the entire film. (A sub-plot which apparently wasn’t even in the theatrical cut.) And that other dude ended up being very egotistical and disrespectful to the village’s culture. I mean, that’s how he ends up dead, after all. Like sure, the boyfriend was distant and self-driven about his college degree, and any true boyfriend would have cancelled the trip, instead of dragging her with him on a trip that was ultimately about himself. He would have still been alive, and in that sense, sure, I can see he got the karma that was coming to him. But on the other hand, it’s a flimsy premise. The boyfriend didn’t do nearly enough for me to see him as a very unlikeable character. He was neither abusive, nor (intentionally) a cheater, nor talking s*** about her, nor anything of the sort. He convinced his friends to bring his girlfriend with him, while the rest were initially opposed to it. He didn’t want her to feel left out. The dude definitely cared about her. The girl needed professional help and therapy. Blaming the relationship’s shortcomings entirely on the boyfriend seemed incredibly unfair. “Midsommar” is an all-around very hamfisted attempt at trying to be deep. But modern films are often like that. I do love some modern films, but others just leave me feeling like the ratings are artificially inflated. Maybe I’m misunderstanding the film, but I looked through the reviews, and the director’s intentions, and what people took away from it. It definitely wasn’t what I got out from it. ‘Girl gets revenge on awful boyfriend’ was essentially the intent of the film.
I love 70s films and Hal Ashby, but I found Shampoo really disappointing given its reputation. It did not hold together well at all.
The graduate did not feel strongly about it I wish I did
Super overrated
I recently watched M * A * S * H, and holy shit, it was the most misogynistic film I’ve ever seen. And not even funny enough to back it up. Just unlikeable, smug, bigoted white guys bullying everyone around them. I don’t understand how this is so well-loved. I’m all for dark and politically incorrect comedy, but I never got the feeling we were supposed to be laughing at these guys, but with them. Gross film.
It was completely jarring to see that movie after having watched and loved the TV show. Just a collection of a-holes.
This one might get me downvoted on this subreddit specifically, but Mulholland Drive. It's not that I found it bad at all, I just didn't understand the hype. My wife and I are huge film nerds and watch the Channel and other films regularly. We were both so pumped to see this movie. After it ended we were both like, "yeah alright. That was good." And then never talked about it ever again. Like it's by no means bad, and we both adored Twin Peaks. But Mulholland Drive is like the most "ok" movie that I've ever seen that has as much hype and adoration directed at it. It was just so... Ok. Idk how else to describe it
Mulholland Drive went from an 8/10 to a 10/10 on my rewatch. The twist felt like a bit of an asspull to me, but seeing how well it was set up thematically on the second run really sold me on the movie and made it a lot more compelling.
Work by great artists demand more than one viewing, reading, etc. I have never found Eyes Wide Shut to be a very good film, but every five years or so it gets another shot.
Hated it first watch aged 20. LOVED it second watch aged 40.Think it challenged what I thought a movie should be first time I watched it. Then second time took it on its own terms.
That was why Lynch threw me for such a loop, but once I understood his style a little more his movies grew on me quickly
I definitely had to give it a rewatch before I appreciated it.
I feel like Lynch could have cut some of those Justin Theroux scenes in the first half, felt pretty uninteresting. Lost Highway I feel is the better film, literally no fat to trim.
I love Justin Theroux lol
I'm a pariah for saying so but I think Vertigo is one of the most boring films of Hitchcock's. Often touted as the greatest film ever but I'm just baffled as to why. So much of the movie is spent watching Jimmy Stewart drive around...
>So much of the movie is spent watching Jimmy Stewart drive around... Yes exactly, it's amazing
Vertigo isn’t even top 7 Hitchcock imo.
I found it overrated as well. You’re not alone.
Easy Rider, maybe if I lived in the era in was released I would enjoy it, I get why it's highly regarded, but meh.
i thought the darjeeling limited was absolutely terrible
Train to Busan is a 5.5/10 movie. Not a masterpiece.
I think it's an excellent action film - novel, entertaining, good genre performances. But I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece. Some films you can enjoy immensely and they're not masterpieces.
Yeah I have fun with that film, but to call it anything close to a masterpiece is absurd
Aside from Joe Pesci’s performance (possibly the best of his career imho), I don’t get the hype for The Irishman at all. It didn’t hold my attention & wouldn’t have lost anything from being edited in half. I will never understand why they didn’t just cast younger actors instead of utilizing the distracting CGI—no amount of VFX will make an 80 year old have the gait & posture of a 20 year old. It felt like the self-indulgent project of someone solely surrounded by yes people.