Thirty Movies I found overrated.
As always, I caution that I'm not suggesting that these are bad films and or that my opinion is anything more than just that. But for one reason or another, they all share one thing, that they didn't meet my expectations based on reputation or recommendation. And yes, some of them I absolutely hated. (They're marked as '1 star.')
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- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonA banker convicted of uxoricide forms a friendship over a quarter century with a hardened convict, while maintaining his innocence and trying to remain hopeful through simple compassion.Overly melodramatic to the point of being cloying and manipulative at times. 4 stars for good performances by the leads.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen a menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent must work together to put an end to the madness.An outgrowth, I think, of the notion that comic books are not just comic books any more, they're 'graphic novels.' Sorry, they're still just comic books. Grow up and read real literature.
- DirectorRoberto BenigniStarsRoberto BenigniNicoletta BraschiGiorgio CantariniWhen an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.Same comment as Shawshank. Plus, just not a fan of Benigni.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksRobin WrightGary SiniseThe history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.1 star. American flag-waving vomit. The whole premise was way too precious and I cringed every time the moron opened its mouth. THE worst movie ever to win the Best Picture Oscar.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsEwan McGregorAlbert FinneyBilly CrudupA frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.Random silliness and ultimately pointless. Burton oversteps his imaginative bounds and punts a loser.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.Stars awarded ONLY for Day Lewis's performance. Other than that, GOD, this was boring.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsRobin WilliamsMatt DamonBen AffleckA therapist counsels Will Hunting, a janitor with a genius IQ.Plays like what it is. First-time scriptwriting. And Williams winning an Oscar for his over-the-top performance is ridiculous.
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsHugo WeavingNatalie PortmanRupert GravesIn a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.1 star. Bad grab bag of stolen ideas from every dystopian society film ever made.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeJulie DelpyAndrea EckertA young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.Yawn fest, with no chemistry between the leads.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsTom CruiseJason RobardsJulianne MooreAn epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.Makes a lot of lists I admire, but at least an hour too long, and even then, not enough substance to fill a truncated version. Just boring.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsBill MurrayScarlett JohanssonGiovanni RibisiA fading movie star falls for a lonely young woman in Tokyo.HIGHLY overrated. Stars for Murray's performance only.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsAnton GlanzeliusTomas von BrömssenAnki LidénIn the late '50s, young Ingemar learns a lot about life and himself when he is sent away from his sick mother to live with his aunt and uncle in a town full of eccentrics.One of the first, maybe THE first, foreign film I ever watched, decades ago. Simply put, it bored me. The decades might have added a little sophistication to my tastes, so I may revisit this.
- DirectorJim SheridanStarsPaddy ConsidineSamantha MortonDjimon HounsouA family of Irish immigrants adjust to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child.Hackneyed immigrant snorefest. Especially puzzling in light of the fact that the same director made In The Name of the Father, a masterpiece.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsMark WahlbergJulianne MooreBurt ReynoldsAn idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.I wanted to shoot myself about the same time Macy's character did in the film. Great fodder for a movie, but didn't work for me at all.
- DirectorTroy DuffyStarsWillem DafoeSean Patrick FlaneryNorman ReedusTwo Irish Catholic brothers become vigilantes in order to try to wipe out Boston's criminal underworld in the name of God.Bad Pulp Fiction knockoff.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiThomas Haden ChurchVirginia MadsenTwo men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.What was the hubbub about this? Just boring. Hayden Church was good in it though, a surprise after his being associated with that sitcom set in a airport whose title I can't even remember.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsJohnny DeppLeonardo DiCaprioJuliette LewisA young man in a small Midwestern town struggles to care for his mentally-disabled younger brother and morbidly obese mother while attempting to pursue his own happiness.Been so long since I've seen this, can't comment. Just remember being deathly bored.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsJason SchwartzmanBill MurrayOlivia WilliamsA teenager at Rushmore Academy falls for a much older teacher and befriends a middle-aged industrialist. Later, he finds out that his love interest and his friend are having an affair, which prompts him to begin a vendetta.1 star. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Ugly, ugly movie.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsLeonardo DiCaprioKate WinsletBilly ZaneA seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.1 star. Bad chick flick disguised as an epic. Second-worst film ever to win Best Picture after Forrest Gump.
- DirectorsShari Springer BermanRobert PulciniStarsPaul GiamattiShari Springer BermanHarvey PekarAn original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.Movie about a dysfunctional piece of trailer trash. Who cares?
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsBrad DavisIrene MiracleBo HopkinsBilly Hayes, an American college student, is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison.Idiot tries to smuggle drugs out of a country that he KNEW he'd be in deep *beep* in if caught. ZERO sympathy for his plight.
- DirectorJon AvnetStarsKathy BatesJessica TandyMary Stuart MastersonEvelyn, an ordinary housewife, visits a nursing home and befriends the old lady Ninny. Together, they bond over stories from the past about two intrepid women of Whistle Stop Cafe.1 star. The single most boring chick flick of all time.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.So sad that one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema ends his career with this mess.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsMatthew BroderickReese WitherspoonLoren NelsonA high school teacher meets his match in an over-achieving student politician.Mean-spirited and tasteless. I hate movies where an innocent has to battle false accusations anyway.
- DirectorJim SharmanStarsTim CurrySusan SarandonBarry BostwickA newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.1 star. Garbage. Just garbage.
