Even More Unappreciated Classics...

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Friday, November 20, 2009

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Pop culture meditations from Jared Bentley

Published Wednesday, August 12 2009 - (0) Comments

So, it has been quite a while since I blogged, and probably for good reason, but I have received a few emails and facebook messages from folks asking if I had any more movie suggestions. I thought I would take the opportunity to share those suggestions with the world.

Here you go:

The Million Dollar Hotel:

Mel Gibson, Milla Jovovich, Jimmy Smits, Peter Stormare, Amanda Plummer, and the always amazing Jeremy Daies star in this Wim Wenders film that is equal parts murder mystery, love story, freakshow, comedy, ensemble drama, and arthouse cinema. I love this movie, and it has gone largely unnoticed. Mel Gibson is at his finest, and the rest of the cast (especially Davies and Stormare) are exceptional. Check it out.

The Missing:

Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett both turn in amazing performances in this Ron Howard movie that should have gotten much more attention than it did. This film seems so realistic, even with its surrealistic plot devices, and it moves at a brisk pace without sacrificing any of the story. Great villains and beautiful settings - a treat to watch.

Nightwatch/Daywatch:

Nightwatch and Daywatch are two films in a proposed trilogy from Timur Bekmambatov, a Russian director with a flair for the visually impressive and the dramatically odd. These films are amazing, and led to him directing Wanted last year. Check them out, and be prepared to be blown away.

The Crimson Rivers:

Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, who went on to make Babylon A.D. - this French movie is head and shoulders above that one - and starring Jean Reno and Vincent Cassell. Some of the visuals in this film are a little hard to stomach, and the story can be difficult to follow at times, but this movie is inventive, smart, and visually stunning. Good stuff.

Dead Man's Shoes:

Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows made this British film for next to nothing, and it is all on the screen. A great performance that earned Considine comparisons to DeNiro in Taxi Driver, this is a violent and touching story of loyalty and a brother's love. I cry every time I see it.

Brotherhood of the Wolf:

Christophe Gans directed this, another French film for the list, and it set him up to fail miserably in his future endeavors - hard to live up to this sort of promise again. This movie is so beautifully done, and the surreal aspects of the story and performances helped to make this film the stuff of cinema legend throughout Europe. A wonderful film - again, with a little violence and risque plot points thrown in. Vincent Cassell is in this one as well, as is the beautiful Monica Belucci, Samuel le Bihan, and Mark Dacascos, who turns in a performance that will allow you to completely forget the "iron chef" ridiculousness that he is now known for. Good stuff - check it out.

That's my latest list. Hope you find some of these movies worth watching, and you enjoy them tho the fullest.

Thanks for reading.

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