Welcome all to a fresh new week. Did you have a good weekend? Mine was awesome as I went to the PAC festival yesterday (which one of the big cinema chains here organised). I saw Ides of March, Let’s Talk About Kevin, The Skin I Live In and Drive yesterday, so I had a great (although slightly exhausting) time. Also saw about 20 minutes of The Help, but the projector broke down unfortunately and couldn’t be fixed. Reviews of these movies will be up soon!
Last week I asked you which movies are your guilty pleasures, but this week I want to switch it around:
For which movies don’t you understand all the praise they get?
You know the feeling. When going through best of lists or reviews, some movies get glowing reviews or are considered classics, but when you have seen them you really can’t understand what the fuss is about or you even deeply dislike it. These are some of the movies where I had that feeling:
1. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
First of all, let me state that I’m not a big Wes Anderson fan. I probably like two of his movies, but most of them have characters and humour that I can’t relate to. The Life Aquatic is one of his movies where all my friends thought it was hilarious and I was just extremely bored with it.
2. Mulholland Drive
Yes, it’s a movie which you have heard me talk about several times, but what starts as a very interesting film suddenly becomes almost like a nightmare. One I wasn’t able to finish and don’t understand the praise it gets.
3. Annie Hall
This one I saw mentioned in some best ever rom-coms list. My expectations were high for this, but I felt disappointed. Maybe it’s not my type of humour but I thought it was a weird movie.
4. The African Queen
I will admit that this isn’t a bad movie, but I really can’t understand why this one is considered a classic. It’s an entertaining adventure movie, but not much more than that.
5. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Now this one I have mixed feelings about and probably should rewatch as I normally like Will Ferrell, but it just didn’t make me laugh.
For which movies don’t you understand all the love they get?
I haven’t watch the movies you put except Annie Hall. I also did not get that movie’s compliments. I also didn’t get the praise for the truman show and ferris bueller’s day off.
I’m with you on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I watched that very recently and was surprised that this movie was loved so much. It probably would be different had I seen it when it came out…
Can’t remember much of the Truman Show…
Mulholland Dr is one of my ten all time favourites, but I can easily understand why someone wouldn’t like it. There are a lot of movies I don’t get the appeal for, such as the Twilight and Transformers movies. Also, about Annie Hall: I think it’s a masterpiece but I showed it to my dad and he hated it, so you’re not alone.
I watched it with one of my friends who really loves those type of movies, but he didn’t like it either. I think it’s just whether someone connects with something or not…
Hmmm I love this post Nostra. There are many films I don’t get the appeal for and a lot that get slated that I actually love.
I guess I am just not a great critic.
You got me thinking.
Well, we usually like the same movies, so I don’t think that’s true! If people know what to expect from a critic they can decide based on his personal taste if they would enjoy such a movie.
Out of those four films, I’ve only seen ‘African Queen’. I think some of that movies lore has to do with how long it was out of print and the actors that were in it.
Some people just love Wes Anderson. The only movie of his I feel that way about is ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’.
Looking forward to hearing about ‘Let’s Talk About Kevin’.
I guess it’s something like that as no one really has been able to explain the appeal of that movie.
I’m not a big Anderson fan, but I liked Fantastic Mr. Fox as well and thought The Darjeeling Limited was alright as well.
Will need to sit down to write the review and put it up before the ones that are currently planned!
Hi, Nostra and company:
Excellent question and post!
I never understood all the hoopla and accolades attached to two of Dustin Hoffman’s earliest works, The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy.
The former is a comedy very much of its time. With a decent screenplay by Buck Henry and quick, punchy jokes (“Plastics!”) that worked so well in the late 1960s and 70s. Yet fall flat today.
Midnight Cowboy is a gritty slice of New York street life from 1969. With wide eyed naivete, Jon Voight under the wing of a scuzzy, slimy, afflicted lower tier hustler, Hoffman. Some excellent on location shots by director, John Schlesinger, but I still prefer a young Al Pacino as a junkie in Jerry Schatzberg’s The Panic In Needle Park two years later.
Never got the popularity of Love Story, either. When The Sterile Cookoo from a year earlier is so much better!
Hey Jack, thanks. I’ve seen both The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy, but wasn’t amazed by them either. As you say they are obviously products of their time, which results in a different experience if they are watched now.
Have seen neither Love Story or The Serile Cookoo, but assume the last one is worth checking out?
When I saw the question my immediate answer was Anchorman. I’ve tried to watch it several times and given up each time. Find it painfully unfunny. Was pleased to see I wasn’t alone.
I’m happy to see you think the same way about it. I usually don’t change my opinion about a movie, but sometimes do try rewatching something.
Nice post! Of the ones you listed, I’d say that I find Mulholland Dr. and Annie Hall to be good, even though others seem to have way more affection for them than me. I can see why they feel that way though, so that’s fine. Anchorman is a film I find quite hilarious. The other two are still unseen by me.
As for films I struggle to understand the love for… Clerks is a big one. I really didn’t find it funny, the acting is really poor and I find nothing recognizable about the situation portrayed, which is something I often hear people remark about.
Another one is the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Yeah, Johnny Depp is fun in it, but the movie is so bloated and dull! Very disappointing, and the second one is even worse. I gave up on the franchise after those two.
I’m Not There, the Bob Dylan biopic. Maybe it’s because I’m not very familiar with the life of Mr. Dylan, but this one just felt like a mess to me.
There Will Be Blood. This one might get me lynched, but I found this one really boring and lacking in all things I love about film. But I didn’t watch it under ideal circumstances, so I owe it a rewatch at some point.
I haven’t seen There Will Be Blood but it does look quite tedious from the trailer. I’m still curious to see Day-Lewis’ performance though I think I might be put off by the violence (I did glimpse at the bowling scene but couldn’t continue watching the clip!)
Ruth…You have to watch ‘There Will Be Blood’ atleast once. The bowling scene is the most intense sequence in the whole movie and I’m sorry if you’ve seen that scene since it actually is the ending of the film. Day-Lewis is other worldly in that role and his performance holds up as one of the best in the decade.
I agree. Ruth, at first I wasn’t interested in TWBB when my roommate at the time brought it home. After 20 mins of reluctantly watching it with him, I found that I needed to finish the film. DDL was amazing in it!
I think Clerks is loved so much because it was made on no budget and became a sensation together with work directors like Tarantino and Rodriguez were doing. I quite liked it, but wouldn’t say I love it.
Yeah, I’m the same as you when it comes to the Pirate movies, only saw the first two, but never really couldn’t get into them.
Have not seen the Bob Dylan movie, but I guess if it feels like a mess it must have not been a very good movie. A good movie should be able to make anything interesting to see.
I can understand why people love There Will Be Blood, but I thought it was way too long and there were long stretches where not much seemed to happen. Day Lewis was amazing though (as always)
Great question as always Nostra! Well for me the first thing that came to mind is The Hurt Locker. I mean I thought it was good but not GREAT, so I was puzzled that it won an Oscar! I even made a post about it asking the same question you did here.
I think Wes Anderson is sort of an acquired taste if you will. I like The Royal Tennenbaums but I haven’t seen other stuff he did and I don’t know if I’ll like them as much as people do, to be honest.
I really liked the Hurt Locker, just that feeling of paranoia these soldiers were experiencing while performing their job. To me it made it a bit more understandable why crazy things happen in war.
Yes, perfectly described…he is an acquired taste. Fantastic Mr.Fox is worth checking out, although I read that he wasn’t involved as much as with his other films.
I think it had more to do with what ‘The Hurt Locker’ was and it’s competition compared to how good a film it was. I enjoy ‘No Country for Old Men’ far more than both ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Hurt Locker’, but they had much weaker films in each of those years. If nothing else though the sound design in ‘The Hurt Locker’ is really good.
Hi, Ruth and company:
Excellent points regarding The Hurt Locker . It’s a good film that put Jeremy Renner on the map. Kudos to Kathryn Bigelow for her filming style, maintaining suspense and orchestrating some wicked actions sequences.
Does that add up to an Oscar?
Most said ‘No’, but Hollywood said ‘Yes’. Due to its blind allegiance to Political Correctness and need for a ‘groundbreaking’ woman director that or any year..
I had to stifle laughs when Barbara Streisand presented Ms. Bigelow with her Best Picture award. Babs appeared seething with envy while the whole evening’s event seemed staged and light weight.
The same argument could be made for Denzel Washington and Halle Berry winning their 2002 Oscars for Training Day and Monster’s Ball. When Denzel’s performance as Malcolm X was infinitely better. While Ms. Berry’s limited talents are nowhere near Oscar caliber.
Although I like Life Aquatic, I with you when it comes to Anchorman. The most recent movie I don’t understand the praise for is Source Code. As for your festival outing… 4 movies back to back… Do I miss those days.
Well, it probably has to it probably has to do something with the fact that his previous movie was Moon. I liked the concept of it and didn’t mind its ending as much as others did, but wasn’t blown away by it.
I was a bit annoyed that I only saw 20 minutes of The Help, that movie seemed really interesting too! If there is another festival I’m sure I will be checking it out, really enjoyed myself.
Anchorman is a laugh riot. You definitely need to see it again 🙂 Mulholland Dr. takes a couple viewings and yea, it’s not for everyone. Personally, I loved it and think it’s the best film of last decade.
I’m not a big fan of rewatching something just to like it. In my opinion it means that it’s just not a movie for me and won’t force myself to experience it again. The only exception to that for me was Requiem for a Dream, which I couldn’t finish the first time I saw it. Upon the second viewing my thoughts changed about it. For Mulholland Drive though I’m pretty sure it won’t change…
Hmm… I didn’t find it hilarious but I did enjoy The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Annie Hall and Mulholland Drive I haven’t seen yet so I will get back about them 😉
This weekend I saw (500) Days of Summer – which I actually forgot about when I commented on Ruth’s post about her weekend viewing round up – and didn’t not think much of it. I was really, really bored by the end of it.
You didn’t like 500 Days of Summer? Surprised by that as I didn’t know anyone who did 😉 so I guess this is a good example. I liked its whole tone and its lesson about life and love. It was funny too with the Ikea scenes
Perhaps you didn’t like it because of Zoey Deschanel, Claire? I would’ve liked it a lot more if it weren’t for her. She’s supposed to be this likeable and cute girl but I just found her very, very annoying.
I didn’t mind her performance as it was the first movie I saw her in. When I saw her acting the same way in another movie I was very disappointed as I didn’t know that that is the way she acts….
This is a fantastic question. so many films get praise from people that others sit and scratch their heads over! haha
I’d probably add films like Anchorman, Harry Potter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Clockwork Orange, and Slumdog Millionaire.
that’s me though.
I still plan on revisiting Once Upon a Time in Mexico as I turned it off the first time I tried watching it, somehow nothing seemed to make sense and couldn’t follow its storyline. I stopped watching the Potter movies after a while, so I kind of understand that feeling. Haven’t seen Clockwork Orange yet. I thought Slumdog Millionaire was great and was glad to have seen it at the cinema.
Actually I expected to hate Anchorman but ended up thinking it was hilarious. But it reminded me of Dodgeball; all my friends told me it was ace, but I though it was completely unfunny and kinda sucked. I really didn’t like Up (hides head). The beginning was very poignant, but then I though that it just got silly, even for a Pixar cartoon.
Judging by some of the comments here, I maybe also need to add Fantastic Mr Fox. I liked the animation, but otherwise I though it was very confused, not confusing, just confused with itself.
I would recommend Clockwork Orange though. It is quite violent, but if you get past that the script is brilliant, and Malcolm McDowell is also brilliant.
I’m the other way around, I thought Dodgeball was very funny! Up was good, but I understand those feelings towards it, somewhere it turned into something else and felt just a bit too simple.
Liked Fantastic Mr. Fox myself, but with Wes Anderson movies I can imagine people feeling different about them as they have a very unique style not everyone will like.
I’m sure I’ll check out Clockwork as it is in the IMDB top 250 🙂