OK so now I'll continue with my top 10 list of the most (or well some of the most!) underrated movies out there. Again these are just my opinions so if you think they aren't well that's fine and again they might not necessarily be in any kind of order of quality or preference (although the odd might be). So let's take a look.....
5. Surrogates
OK this is one that's kind of out left field and
most likely went unnoticed but Surrogates is actually a really
entertaining and suspenseful sci-fi action film which is worth checking
out.
The story itself follows an FBI agent, Tom Greer
(Bruce Willis) who in future lives his life from home and rather than go
outside he controls remotely controlled android called a surrogate and
this is now a common place in the world as people use surrogates to
carry out most functions of their lives. The added plus of using the
surrogate comes from its operator being unharmed if the surrogate is
damanged. However Tom has a strained relationship with his wife Maggie
(Rosamund Pike) who never comes out of her room or from her surrogate
due to their son's death years ago. Tom however is soon assigned to
investigate the deaths of two people who were killed when their
surrogates were destroyed at a club. And from here Tom discovers that
foul play is afoot as someone has been able to devise a device to
override the surrogates systems and kill their operators and he tries to
track down who is behind it.
While its not an outright
classic, Surrogates is a film that has alot going for it as the concept
of the story is quite intruiging although its not entirely original (The
Matrix anyone??) it still makes for a good sci-fi thriller. Bruce
Willis also manages to put in a good performance here as well as the
middle aged FBI agent Tom Greer who like everyone operates his surrogate
from home but later is forced to step out his home and do his job as he
uncovers who is behind the operator killing.
Director
Jonathan Mostow (who directed Breakdown and the also underrated
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) who is one of Hollywood's most
underrated directors does a good job here again and as the film is just
under 1 hour and 30 minutes it never lags or feels like it outstays its
welcome.
So Surrogates is well worth checking out as its
one of the films that is likely to pass many people by but if you can
dig it out it might just be worth seeing and that's why its on here.
4. Jackie Brown
At No.5 is Jackie Brown, which remains probably as Quentin Tarantino's most overlooked film and its not like its overlooked on a quality basis so much its more like the Tarantino film you would just leave in the cupboard to gather dust. But Jackie Brown really is an excellent Tarantino film and as such one of his most underrated.
As for a little about its plot well the film's story is about its main character, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who is a middle aged air stewardess who get's involved in a scheme to smuggle in $500,000 to the US for a gunrunner and small time crook, Ordell Robbie (Samuel L.Jackson). Jackie however is arrested by ATF agents and is forced to co-operate with them and at the same time Jackie plays both the agents and Ordell as Jackie also becomes interested in a bail bondsman, Max Cherry (Robert Foster) and she tries to get him invovled in the plan as well.
With Jackie Brown it has to be said its easy to see why it wouldn't stand out as much as Tarantino's more obvious famed movies as it is a film that is less reliant on its action and more on developing its characters but it still has alot going for it as its script is very well written as are the characters. And unlike most of Tarantino's other films there is very little onscreen violence either as it takes a back to seat to the characterisation, which for a QT film is a breath of fresh air. The performances are also excellent especially Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson who just chews up his lines and delivers them with plenty of relish and Sam must be one of the few actors that can say "motherfucker" quietly and make it both funny and threatening! Robert Foster who was a little known actor then also rebooted his movie character here with Jackie Brown and it showed again Tarantino's eye for casting actors.
So I think Jackie Brown definitely deserves a place on this list as Tarantino's most underrated film which next to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, appeared to slip under the radar but it deserves just as much credit.
3. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Next up is the last Star Wars prequel Revenge of the Sith, which in some quarters has been lumped in with the first two films just because it is part of the prequels it must be a stinker. However Revenge of the Sith remains a really good film and the one saving grace of the prequels, which saw the prequel trilogy finish on a high note.
And we all roughly know the story but as a quick reminder it follows Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) who becomes haunted by dreams of his wife Padme (Natalie Portman) dying in childbirth. Anakin confides in Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) about his nightmares who discreetly reveals to him that he is in fact a Sith lord who has the power to prevent Padme from dying. Anakin at first however tells the Jedi master, Mace Windu (Sam L. Jackson again) of Palpatine's true nature and Mace goes to arrest Palpatine but out of desparation to save his wife, Anakin stops Mace from killing Palpatine who ends up killing the Jedi master. After Anakin turns to the dark side and does the evil bidding of Palpatine who turns the clone army against the Republic and from here it all goes downhill....
It did take George Lucas three films to finally get the right mix for the prequels and Revenge of the Sith ends them in style. The film has a really dark tone unlike the previous two and the sense of foreboding over Anakin's turn to the dark sides makes it quite a powerful film to watch at times. And Lucas actually scores in the film's quiet scenes particularly where we see Anakin's torment and later on also when we see Anakin's emotional turmoil after he turns to the dark side. The film also features some great scenes and the standout one is the opera house scene where Chancellor Palpatine tells Anakin of a fable of a former Sith lord and how he had the power to stop people from dying.
The film however also has some fun moments as well such as Obi wan fighting General Grievous and he finally kills him off using a blaster and Obi wan casually throws away the blaster afterward saying "So uncivilised!". Then there is Yoda's fight scene with Palpatine (after he has become the Emperor) and the hilarious moment where Yoda uses his force powers to knock out two of Palpatine's guards before they engage in a fierce lightsabre and force lightning contest.
Yeah OK it does however still feature a pretty wooden performance from Hayden Christensen as Anakin and his transition to the dark isn't so convincing. Christensen also still does get some awful dialogue here and there but in some moments he does show flashes of being an intimidating figure although that "NO!!!!" as Darth Vader at the end doesn't quite work for Vader does it?! The film also feels a bit slow paced at times and its opening sequence where Anakin and Obi-wan save Palpatine is a bit long winded (but let's face it, its awesome when Anakin takes down Count Dooku!).
Anyway so I think Revenge of the Sith deserves its place on here as it was a real glimpse of what the other two prequels could have been and did at least see the prequels end on a strong note.
2. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
At No.2 is a film that was almost criminally overlooked the year it came out in 2005, which is a clever comedy, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang about a small time thief, Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr) who unwittingly get's involved a detective case when he is sent out to LA after unintentionaly wandering into an audition for a movie. Out in LA Harry meets, "Gay" Perry (Val Kilmer) a private detective who is hired to help give Harry lessons in how to act like a detective but instead they get involved a case when Harry bumps into a childhood friend of his Harmony (Michelle Monaghan) who is trying to make a career in acting and she mistakes him to be a PI and asks him to investigate the death of her sister. What ensues is a funny comedy of errors and crime with Harry ending with more than he bargained for.
There is not much doubt Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is very intelligent and funny comedy film, which was written and directed by Shane Black (writer of the original Lethal Weapon). Downey Jr and Kilmer also make for a great comic duo as the two of them play off each other very well and share some of Black's great dialogue. And the film features great one-liners such as when Harry asks Perry "So Gay Perry? Are you still..." and Perry finishes his line "Gay? No I'm knee deep in pussy I just kept the name because I like it!". And later when they two of them argue after Perry tells Harry he didn't get the part he was put up for and he was just being used and Harry says to him "Don't give up your gay job!". Then there is the scene where Harry is about to interrogate a henchman and he loads one bullet into the gun to play a game of Russian roulette but he ends up pulling the trigger and it fires the one loaded bullet, killing the man. And Perry says "Did you put a live round in there?!" and Harry says "Yeah but just one in six, that's just an 8 percent chance right?!" and Perry bemused "8 percent?! WHO TOUGHT YOU MATH??!!".
The film also has two really hilarious moments in it such as the scene where Harry goes for a piss and in his hotel room only to find in the bathroom next to him is the body of a dead woman and he accidentally turns and pees on it! And later Perry tells Harry they must get rid of the body and they cover it up and try and dump it off the roof into a dumpster but instead the body bangs off the side of the dumpster and lands on the ground below!
Yeah OK to be honest there are still some moments where you feel film is trying to be a bit too clever and its almost smug in knowing that it is clever which can make it a bit annoying. But the witty script, performances of the two male leads and Michelle Monaghan's excellent performance make up for any niggles the film might have.
So Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang sure deserves a spot on here as an underrated classic.
1. Eyes Wide Shut
Anddddddd at No.1 on the all time most underrated movies list is Stanley Kubrick's swansong, Eyes Wide Shut, which is generally regarded as one of his least well considered films, which in a way is a bit of a crime given that it is a quiet and absorbing drama with excellent performances from both Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
As for the story itself it focuses on a happily married couple, Dr Bill Hartford (Cruise) and Alice Hartford (Kidman) who one night go out to a party hosted by one of Bill's patients, Victor Ziegler (Sidney Pollack). At the party both Bill and Alice go off flirting with other people but ultimately it leads to nothing and they go home together later. The following night Bill and Alice share a marijuana cigarette which sparks a row between the two of them when Alice grows angry after Bill says he thinks women are more faithful than men. And Alice then shares with Bill a fantasy she had about a naval officer she once saw when they were at a hotel together, which leaves Bill shaken. Bill however is soon called out to see a patient, Marion Nathanson (Marie Richardson) who's father has just died and out of grief and confusion throws herself at him but Bill reasons with her that she is just upset and leaves. And from here Bill starts to let his jealous emotions get the better of him as he spends the night out which leads to him dark and seductive places.
Eyes wide shut was a fine end to a great career for Stanley Kubrick who sadly passed away not long after the film's release but as far his career goes this is seen as one of lesser films despite receiving good reviews its often not considered among his best. But the film itself is a compelling drama and its psychology of the two main characters and how it unravels make this a fascinating film to watch and it is among Cruise and Kidman's best work of their careers. It also features good performances from its supporting cast particularly Sidney Pollack as the wealthy Victor Ziegler who reveals a secret later on.
The film however does have some problems such as the annoying over use of that bloody piano track and also the film's so called erotic scenes are a bit of a joke and pretty clinical. The film also moves at a snail pace at times as well and some of the scenes are stretched out to bursting point particularly the scene near the end when Bill takes to Ziegler at his home which seems to just go on forever and ever! Also in the end you feel the whole mystery of the film doesn't really amount to a great deal by its conclusion like its a case of "well something ALMOST nearly happened!".
But any problems that film has outweight its qualities as it still remains an engrossing and entertaining end to a great film career and as such given how it doesn't remain an audience favourite as such, Eyes Wide Shut sits at the top of the underrated movies.
Soooo that's it for now and I will be back soon with another review of something.
Till then bye for now!
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