Went to see it on a whim with mates, was pleasantly surprised on all fronts but didn't hear much about it, it's panned online by Americans but I have a slight feeling it's because Americans are out of touch with the great sort of comedy they used to make?
There's The Nice Guys as another example of a movie that to us seemed right on the money but apparently got a lot of flak in the U.S
Ofcourse I know generalising doesn't do something like this justice but it's just how the culture has changed I guess.
I considered adding The Nice Guys to my list, but it seemed to be well received generally, albiet not a breakout hit. Still, if it counts as overlooked, I'll add my 2 cents and tell everyone they should see it, because it's blood hilarious.
I considered adding The Nice Guys to my list, but it seemed to be well received generally, albiet not a breakout hit. Still, if it counts as overlooked, I'll add my 2 cents and tell everyone they should see it, because it's blood hilarious.
Just about every scene in The Departed is far less tense than Infernal Affairs. For example, when the captain (Martin Sheen) bites it, not only in Infernal Affairs does the captain almost get away but there is more on the line because the captain is the only one that knows who the undercover cop is. Whereas the existence of the Mark Wahlberg character is only there to give a "happy" ending to the movie. That love triangle was not at all needed and the Jack Nicholson character got more screen time than required because they got Jack Nicholson basically. Infernal Affairs was so focused on the core element of the movie. The one thing I think sorta speaks volumes (to an extent) about the 2 movies is that seeing Infernal Affairs first makes nothing in The Departed unexpected but Infernal Affairs will surprise someone that saw The Departed first. I still remember seeing Infernal Affairs for the 1st time actually renting the DVD from the freaking library thinking it was some typical Hong Kong action flick as this was the cover [https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YGGXV9AJL.jpg]. I was initially pretty disappointed at the lack of action and even more disappointed that it was a crime/gangster type movie, which I almost always find boring. But not too long after that, I was totally sucked into the cat and mouse game between the two leads and instantly became a classic as the credits rolled. I guess The Departed basically inserted all the stuff I find boring about the vast majority of these types of movies compared to how lean and mean Infernal Affairs is (I would say the Infernal Affairs sequels having those "boring" aspects).
"UHF." Written by, produced by, and starring Weird Al Yankovic. It's actually a wonderfully funny movie with tons of heart. Nobody knows about it because it released on the same weekend as "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Just about every scene in The Departed is far less tense than Infernal Affairs. For example, when the captain (Martin Sheen) bites it, not only in Infernal Affairs does the captain almost get away but there is more on the line because the captain is the only one that knows who the undercover cop is. Whereas the existence of the Mark Wahlberg character is only there to give a "happy" ending to the movie. That love triangle was not at all needed and the Jack Nicholson character got more screen time than required because they got Jack Nicholson basically. Infernal Affairs was so focused on the core element of the movie. The one thing I think sorta speaks volumes (to an extent) about the 2 movies is that seeing Infernal Affairs first makes nothing in The Departed unexpected but Infernal Affairs will surprise someone that saw The Departed first. I still remember seeing Infernal Affairs for the 1st time actually renting the DVD from the freaking library thinking it was some typical Hong Kong action flick as this was the cover [https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YGGXV9AJL.jpg]. I was initially pretty disappointed at the lack of action and even more disappointed that it was a crime/gangster type movie, which I almost always find boring. But not too long after that, I was totally sucked into the cat and mouse game between the two leads and instantly became a classic as the credits rolled. I guess The Departed basically inserted all the stuff I find boring about the vast majority of these types of movies compared to how lean and mean Infernal Affairs is (I would say the Infernal Affairs sequels having those "boring" aspects).
I really liked Super. It got pretty massively overlooked, I think because it came out around the same time as Kickass and that got the buzz. As a deconstruction of the genre it's great. It'll make you laugh and then it'll make you feel like a piece of shit for doing so. Definitely not boring.
Overlooked films are kinda hard because I guess once a movie becomes a cult classic, I think it ceases being overlooked as I think the majority of people become aware of it. I don't think stuff like Big Trouble in Little China to the more recent Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World's End) would be considered overlooked anymore. I also think a lot of people are aware foreign movies nowadays like The Raids, Battle Royale, Drunken Masters, etc.
-The Brothers Bloom
This is just a great little con movie. It has a stellar cast of Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, and Rachel Weisz. And the one that steals every scene is Rinko Kikuchi (from Pacific Rim) and she hardly has a line, she's always doing something interesting on camera and focusing on her in pretty much every scene is probably the best way to watch the movie.
-Mr. Right
I think the best way to describe the movie is an action romantic comedy. It's about an eccentric hitman (Sam Rockwell) in his prime with some over-the-top hitman skills getting into a relationship with a woman played by Anna Kendrick. The action scenes are pretty fun, they are different and creative enough to keep your interest. Sam and Anna have good chemistry. And, I guess you kinda know what movie to expect when RZA plays a character called Shotgun Steve. Lastly, the film has a great soundtrack, I discovered Paloma Faith (great debut album) due to this movie.
-Everly
Just a great action genre movie. The movie stars the still gorgeous Selma Hayek as a prostitute working with the police to take down her overlord, which is of course discovered so that the action can commence. The interesting concept of the movie is that all action takes place in the same apartment room and the aftermath of each scene then plays into the next scene. The movie is pretty video game-y in the sense that an escalating series of foes is sent Selma's way to dispatch in gory delight.
-Lucky Number Slevin
This movie seemed to get tagged as a poor man's Tarantino movie as it is similar in style and subject manner. I just adore this movie which has a great cast starring Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Ben Kingsley. Josh Hartnett's character is seemingly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time with 2 crime bosses interested in him. The plot twists and turns a bit slowly revealing itself. I found it to be a real fun movie with some great characters and humor.
-Fantastic Mr. Fox
Just a great stop-motion animated movie by Wes Anderson starring a family of foxes starring some great voice talent like George Clooney and Bill Murray. George Clooney is the father of the family and must go on one last epic heist to save his family.
-The Prestige
I guess it's kinda hard to make a case for any Christopher Nolan movie being overlooked nowadays, but The Prestige is possibly my favorite movie of all-time and I don't even like magic much. The movie is basically Batman (Christian Bale) vs Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in a very complicated game of magic. The movie features the great David Bowie as Nicolai Tesla. Saying anything more about the plot basically runs into spoiler territory. I feel The Prestige is Nolan's best movie and perhaps his most overlooked movie (this or Insomnia) as everyone knows about Momento, Inception, and his Batman Trilogy.
-Cabin in the Woods
I'm not sure if this qualifies for overlooked especially on a forum like this but Cabin in the Woods is so awesome just go see it if you haven't. It's a deconstruction of horror movie tropes in probably the most humorous manner possible and it was written by Joss Whedon.
-Infernal Affairs
If this movie wasn't overlooked before, it definitely is now because of the horribly inferior remake Scorsese did called The Departed. The premise is that a undercover cop in a gang is tasked with finding a mole (from that gang) in the police department while that police mole is tasked with finding the undercover cop. The movie is basically a series of high tension scenes of cat and mouse between the two main characters. The problem with The Departed was that it lowers the tension dramatically in every scene while adding in so much filler like a stupid love triangle while ruining the ending. Infernal Affairs has such focus on the core of the movie that there's no filler, every moment is purposeful, and accomplishes so much more tension and character development than The Departed while being 50 minutes shorter.
-Survive Style 5+
If there's just one weird Japanese movie you ever see, make it this one. It's a movie hard to explain since it's a "weird Japanese movie" but it's one of those movies with several (in this case 5) interconnected storylines. Really, all I can say is that the Japanese humor translates really well to other cultures and it's just a joy to watch. And Vinnie Jones is in the movie yelling at Japanese people along with a piece of broccoli, "What is your function in life?"
Pallindromemordnillap said:
A film called The Fall by Tarsem Singh. Lee Pace and his amazing eyebrows are in the hospital with a broken spine, and he encounters the best goddamn child actor you are ever going to watch. He starts telling her stories to befriend her, since he has ulterior motives (non-paedophilic ones, thankfully), and we see the story from the point of view from her imagination and oh my god it is beautiful...
I've been meaning to see The Fall for a couple years now, I just never gotten around to it like a bunch of movies. It's just so easy (especially recently) to find a really good TV show and you do get more out of watching 2-3 episodes vs a movie that probably will disappoint as I just find so many movies to be OK to fine.
PsychedelicDiamond said:
Batman v Superman
I know I keep bringing this up but it's a misunderstood masterpiece and I stand by that. It's an astoundingly subversive critical examination of its titular characters and the current socio-political climatethey exist in. It does for the 10s what Watchmen back in the day did for the 80s. Telling a story about how american capitalism is inevitably leading into fascism, how justice becomes corrupted when men try to take it into their own hands, how the absence of god leads to the creation of idols and how twisted our worldview has become in the last 10 years. It salvages the the authoritarian fever dream that Nolan made of the Batman mythos by turning its grim, post Noland Batman into a standin for the increasingly radicalized american society, easily manipulated by the cabal of national-capitalist hatepreachers turning them against their fellow men and yet redeems him at the end. It's an amazing movie that went way over the heads of most critics.
I don't really see Hardcore Henry as being shaky cam due to the fact that the shakes were there because of the character's own movements (as the camera was obviously attached to his head) compared to say the Paul Greengrass Bourne movies. I really hate the shaky cam style especially throughout a movie (like the Bourne sequels) as I feel it works in only certain scenes.
I don't really see Hardcore Henry as being shaky cam due to the fact that the shakes were there because of the character's own movements (as the camera was obviously attached to his head) compared to say the Paul Greengrass Bourne movies. I really hate the shaky cam style especially throughout a movie (like the Bourne sequels) as I feel it works in only certain scenes.
The whole first person stuff kinda gave me a bit of a headache. Just a personal illness from the experience. That's all.
As for Bourne, yeah, I've never been a fan of that franchise. That climax in the new one was edited horribly with shaky cam to the point I couldn't tell what was happening.
Well, overlooked's surely like 'underrated' - massively subjective and ultimately meaningless.
I could say Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is overlooked---
---but I understand why so many would overlook it, given it is ostensibly a tone-poem, in her own words. Conventional it ain't.
I suppose Get Over It's another film I do tend to always say is overlooked/too easily dismissed:
Awful name, awful trailer, but a great cast, snappy dialogue, and some really affectionate, empathetic performances from Ben Foster and Kirsten Dunst. Martin Short has a standout role, too, as the haplessly name dropping drama teacher. Easy A tends to get all the hip teen comedy plaudits, but I feel Get Over It's fared better where the actual writing and characters are concerned.
...oh yeah, and probably one barely anyone else will agree with.
I reckon Quantum Of Solace is the best Bond film. Ever, I guess? I loathe the character and the series, mind, so to me Quantum is a brilliant departure that spends much of its time undermining the bland icon whilst allowing him to be more believably human.
It is genuinely well made, though (a gorgeous, often monochrome aesthetic presenting a world of absolutes which neither Bond or Camille fit into anymore), being an 'arty' Bond well before Sam Mendes unloaded the inane, sexist BS that was Skyfall on everyone. There are real moments of regret and loss, and Craig and Kurylenko make for an enjoyable wounded platonic duo (it may not be the last line, but the "I don't think the dead care about vengeance" moment's beautiful).
The prolonged sequence in the opera house is superb, too, and whilst some of the editing's a bit too harem-scarum, the hectic opening car chase in the DBS looks and sounds awesome.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
