My "Critically Acclaimed - Sorry I Didn't care for it, or it's terribly overrated" List
I'm sure there are gonna be some detractors. Surely everyone will LOVE at least one movie on this list. Making a list like this isn't going to win me any friends, but I'm still entitled to my opinion. I can honestly say that I didn't "love" any film on this list. One theme you'll see a few times on here are movies about movies. The industry seems to think highly of itself. For the rest of 'em, a bunch of pretentious, boring, depressing crap. No offense. I can enjoy the true 'art' of film-making without having to agree with the critics on these films. There are many 'beautiful' films out there - that doesn't automatically make them great. Same goes for films with great acting - it doesn't make them entertaining. I don't have to 'get' the point, or understand the word metaphor to gauge a film. I rated everything on this list at 6 or below with the exception of "Inception" and "Inglorious Basterds", which I ranked 7, but thought those two deserved to be on here because they are not nearly as good as their critical reviews would indicate. I bet for every movie on this list I can give you another movie that is similar that I liked. It's not that these are TERRIBLE films, but I didn't think they stood up to the critical hype.
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- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsTom CruiseJason RobardsJulianne MooreAn epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.Good acting. I'll admit. Problem is this film is a huge bore, and then we have the whole frog issue that all of these critics and religious fanatics want to explain to me. No thanks.
- DirectorTerrence MalickStarsJim CaviezelSean PennNick NolteAdaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.I excluded Mallick's "Tree of LIfe" because I thought it was so different and slammed by the masses that it didn't deserve inclusion. Now this pretentious piece of crap is something else altogether. I admit the cinematography is amazing, but they should play this in pre-school at nappy-time.
- DirectorTim RobbinsStarsTim RobbinsGiancarlo EspositoAlan RickmanA conservative folk singer turns his hand to politics, running for the US Senate. He is not above dirty tricks and smear campaigns to gain an advantage over his opponent.Don't get me started on this one.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittCate BlanchettTilda SwintonTells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with consequences.I love P.T. Anderson and included Magnolia. I love many of the directors that have films on this list, but it goes to show you nobody is perfect. Another one here. Great director. Let's make a over-dramatic, unbelievable love story, and make it slow to boot - shall we?
- DirectorSpencer SusserStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittDevin BrochuNatalie PortmanA young boy has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher who manages to make his life even more chaotic.This is a sub-genre that is growing. Make a drama that is neither dramatic or important, and film it in California, and everyone will love it, right? Wrong! Good performance by Levitt, but a very average movie.
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsWilliam HurtKathleen TurnerGeena DavisAn emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.The accidental rental.
- DirectorDan RushStarsWill FerrellRebecca HallChristopher Jordan WallaceWhen an alcoholic relapses, causing him to lose his wife and his job, he holds a yard sale on his front lawn in an attempt to start over. A new neighbor might be the key to his return to form.Here we go. ANother film about nothing. No climax, and very little dialogue. Probably set in California. I'm sorry, what was the meaning of this?
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsMorgan FreemanJessica TandyDan AykroydAn old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.I guess it's great because it's about racism, and I'm sure that statement makes me a racist too. Oh, it's great because of the two leads(and they are good no doubt), but this should have been called "Driving Me Crazy". you don't HAVE to like movies because of their subject matter.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.The worst of the Best Picture winners of my lifetime.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsStephen DorffElle FanningChris PontiusAfter withdrawing to the Chateau Marmont, a passionless Hollywood actor reexamines his life when his eleven-year-old daughter surprises him with a visit.Another pretentious Hollywood piece of crap. Oh look at me - I'm so popular and rich. This movie stunk!
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsHilary SwankClint EastwoodMorgan FreemanFrankie, an ill-tempered old coach, reluctantly agrees to train aspiring boxer Maggie. Impressed with her determination and talent, he helps her become the best and the two soon form a close bond.I love Clint Eastwood. I have a huge Clint collection of 30+ of his best films. He's a bit over-rated as a director though. If you want to shoot yourself - watch this movie. If you want to watch a movie you'll never watch again - watch this movie.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanEthan HawkeAlbert FinneyWhen two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife barreling towards a shattering climax.Looks like a made for tv movie, and that's about how much I enjoyed it.
- DirectorNora EphronStarsAmy AdamsMeryl StreepChris MessinaJulia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.Even the wife thought this was a total letdown.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSusan SarandonGeena DavisHarvey KeitelTwo best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two women escape for the crimes they committed.Girl power - great now I'm a sexist too. Completely average flick.
- DirectorJohn JeffcoatStarsJosh HamiltonAyesha DharkerAsif BasraAfter his entire department is outsourced, an American novelty products salesman (Hamilton) heads to India to train his replacement.One great line about being able to call someone in the u.s. but having to pay three times as much, but past that this is a dull, cheap, poorly acted piece of trash.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsSean ConneryRob BrownF. Murray AbrahamForrester, the author of a famous book, decides to help Jamal, a 16-year-old student, discover his writing prowess by mentoring him and enrolling him into a prestigious private school.Why so many films about writers?
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsEwan McGregorPierce BrosnanOlivia WilliamsA ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.Probably my favorite director. Everyone was a-buzz on this one so I rented it. Dull.
- DirectorDaniel MyrickEduardo SánchezStarsHeather DonahueMichael C. WilliamsJoshua LeonardThree film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.Proof that being the most profitable movie of all-time(%wise) doesn't make it a good movie. Average flick.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.In somebody's dream is one thing. In somebody's dream, who's in someone elses dream, who's in their dream, fixing their dream..... blah, blah, blah blah.... Terribly overrated flick.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsBrad PittDiane KrugerEli RothIn Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.Tarantino could remake Ishtar and it would get rave reviews.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsEdward NortonBarry PepperPhilip Seymour HoffmanCornered by the DEA, convicted New York drug dealer Montgomery Brogan reevaluates his life in the 24 remaining hours before facing a seven-year jail term.Maybe his worst film.
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsSeth RogenJames FrancoGary ColeA process server and his marijuana dealer wind up on the run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after he witnesses his dealer's boss murder a competitor while trying to serve papers on him.Make a movie about pot and everyone will love it, obviously. The films first 30minutes is pretty good, but then it gets overly violent and stupid for no good reason.
- DirectorMichael TollinStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Ed HarrisDebra WingerThe story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man who he took under his wing.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsHarvey KeitelWilliam HurtGiancarlo EspositoA Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.My Dad and I saw this in the theater, and should have walked out. Boring and pointless.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsTom HanksTyler HoechlinPaul NewmanA mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsRobin WilliamsNathan LaneGene HackmanA gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.Oh no... now I'm homophobic too! Occasionally funny, but overrated.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsKeira KnightleyJames McAvoyBrenda BlethynThirteen-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.Beautiful. Pointless and depressing.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsGene HackmanGwyneth PaltrowAnjelica HustonThe eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.Love Wes Anderson movies, but can't stomach this one, or Darjeeling.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsBrad PittFrances McDormandGeorge ClooneyA disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.Brad Pitt is hilarious here, but this film is stuck in genre purgatory, and gets worse as it goes.
- DirectorM. CahillStarsMichael DouglasEvan Rachel WoodWillis Burks IIAn unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there's Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.See... put California in it and the critics will love it.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsSheryl LeeRay WiseMädchen AmickLaura Palmer's harrowing final days are chronicled one year after the murder of Teresa Banks, a resident of Twin Peaks' neighboring town.The critics love anything weird - even when it stinks.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsBob GeldofChristine HargreavesJames LaurensonA confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.Just listen to the album.
- DirectorTodd SolondzStarsJane AdamsJon LovitzPhilip Seymour HoffmanThe lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.expect the opposite.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsMel GibsonRay WinstoneDanny HustonAs homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the murder of his activist daughter, he uncovers a corporate cover-up and government conspiracy that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.Ranks negative on the believability meter.
- DirectorPatty JenkinsStarsCharlize TheronChristina RicciBruce DernBased on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.You see a lot of these movies too. Take an actor or actress and make them super thin or super ugly(when they're not) and you'll get rave reviews everytime.
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsBruce WillisHelen MirrenMorgan FreemanWhen his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last-ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants.This would rank in the middle of the 100 films I saw in 2010. Not nearly as good as we were led to believe.
- DirectorJane CampionStarsHolly HunterHarvey KeitelSam NeillIn the mid-19th century a mute woman is sent to New Zealand along with her young daughter and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a farmer, but is soon lusted after by a farm worker.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
- DirectorAnand TuckerStarsSteve MartinClaire DanesJason SchwartzmanA film adaptation of Steve Martin's novel about a complex love triangle between a bored salesgirl, a wealthy businessman and an aimless young man.
- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsQuinton AaronSandra BullockTim McGrawThe story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.Best actress? Come on now.
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanDwayne JohnsonDisenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music executive on the way.Here they go again. Hollywood.
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsChristina RicciSamuel L. JacksonJustin TimberlakeA God-fearing bluesman takes to a wild young woman who, as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, looks everywhere for love, never quite finding it.I moaned alright.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoDiane KeatonAndy GarciaFollows Michael Corleone, now in his 60s, as he seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor to his empire.
- DirectorGurinder ChadhaStarsParminder NagraKeira KnightleyJonathan Rhys MeyersTwo ambitious girls, despite their parents' wishes, have their hearts set on careers in professional football.This was no better than many other films in the genre - yet many make this out to be a masterpiece of some kind.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDjimon HounsouMatthew McConaugheyAnthony HopkinsIn 1839, the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured off the coast of Long Island. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free.Amisleep?
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsHarrison FordMichelle PfeifferKatharine TowneThe wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.The answer: nothing.
- DirectorJohn SingletonStarsSamuel L. JacksonVanessa WilliamsChristian BaleNew York City police detective John Shaft (nephew of the original 1970s detective) goes on a personal mission to make sure the son of a real estate tycoon is brought to justice after a racially-motivated murder.i got it.
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsTerrence HowardLudacrisAnthony AndersonWith help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsJohn LoneJoan ChenPeter O'TooleBernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning dramatisation of the life story of China's last emperor, Pu Yi.
- DirectorMarc RoccoStarsChristian SlaterKevin BaconGary OldmanAn eager and idealistic young attorney defends an Alcatraz prisoner accused of murdering a fellow inmate. The extenuating circumstances: his client had just spent over three years in solitary confinement.
- DirectorSophie BarthesStarsPaul GiamattiEmily WatsonDina KorzunPaul is an actor who feels bogged down by his participation in a production of Chekov's play, Vanya.I love Giamatti, but I hated this movie.
- DirectorJan de BontStarsKeanu ReevesDennis HopperSandra BullockA young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.I lost all respect for Tarantino when he put this in his top 20 films of the last 20 years.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsMatt DamonGwyneth PaltrowJude LawIn late 1950s New York, a young underachiever named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.
- DirectorMcGStarsMatthew McConaugheyMatthew FoxAnthony MackieWhen a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive.Good thing they made a movie about the coach - now how about making one about the team? Oh no... now I'm a gravestomper... I can't win for losin' on this list.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsTim RobbinsGreta ScacchiFred WardA Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected, but which one?ANother Hollywood movie...ugh....
- DirectorBarry SonnenfeldStarsGene HackmanRene RussoDanny DeVitoA mobster travels to Hollywood to collect a debt, and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job.and another....
- DirectorChris KentisStarsBlanchard RyanDaniel TravisSaul SteinBased on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.I produced this, or could have anyway.
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsRyan GoslingEmily MortimerPaul SchneiderA delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.Oh my.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Val KilmerMichelle MonaghanAfter being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.Those were the two sounds heard from my bedroom after this movie.
- DirectorWill GluckStarsEmma StoneAmanda BynesPenn BadgleyWhen Olive lies to her best friend about losing her virginity to one of the college boys, a girl overhears their conversation. Soon, her story spreads across the entire school like wildfire.I love Emma Stone, but this was terribly over-rated.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsAngelina JolieColm FeoreAmy RyanAfter Christine's son goes missing, she reaches out to the LAPD to find him. But when they try to pass off an impostor as her son to quieten public protests, she refuses to accept him or give up hope.Starting to feel bad about having all these Eastwood movies on the list.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsBilly CampbellJennifer ConnellyAlan ArkinA young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high-flying masked hero.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsRobert De NiroKevin BaconBrad PittAfter a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard gives them a chance for revenge.An accurate description of the audience in the theater.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsKeira KnightleyMatthew MacfadyenBrenda BlethynSparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsMorgan FreemanMatt DamonTony KgorogeNelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.Act clint, ACT!
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.This is not gonna endear me to anyone. I love the second two, but the first film is really slow and dull imo.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsJude LawNicole KidmanRenée ZellwegerIn the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.I could have included every Nicole Kidman movie.
- DirectorAllison AndersStarsBrooke AdamsIone SkyeFairuza BalkA waitress lives with her two teen daughters in a trailer park in New Mexico. They all want a boyfriend.You may have spent your money for gas, food, and lodging on this piece of junk. I didn't.
- DirectorTrey ParkerStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneElle RussPopular Broadway actor Gary Johnston is recruited by the elite counter-terrorism organization Team America: World Police. As the world begins to crumble around him, he must battle with terrorists, celebrities and falling in love.This looked to be right up my alley. Not.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsMorgan FreemanEd HarrisCasey AffleckTwo Boston area detectives investigate a little girl's kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.Completely average.
- DirectorCharles ShyerStarsDiane KeatonSam ShepardHarold RamisThe life of super-yuppie J.C. is thrown into turmoil when she inherits a baby from a distant relative.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsBrad PittAnthony HopkinsAidan QuinnIn the early 1900s, three brothers and their father living in the remote wilderness of Montana are affected by betrayal, history, love, nature, and war.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsSean PennTim RobbinsKevin BaconThe tragic murder of a 19-year-old girl reunites three childhood friends still living in Boston--the victim's gangster father, a detective, and the disturbed man they both suspect of killing her.
- DirectorPeter HowittStarsGwyneth PaltrowJohn HannahJohn LynchAfter personal and professional setbacks, a woman experiences an alternate reality.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsMatthew McConaugheySandra BullockSamuel L. JacksonIn Canton, Mississippi, a fearless young lawyer and his assistant defend a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his ten-year-old daughter, inciting violent retribution and revenge from the Ku Klux Klan.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsCherNicolas CageOlympia DukakisLoretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, New York, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry.
- DirectorRandall WallaceStarsMel GibsonMadeleine StoweGreg KinnearThe story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.Hey, it looks good. I guess nothing else matters.
- DirectorRod LurieStarsJoan AllenGary OldmanJeff BridgesSenator Laine Hanson is a contender for U.S. Vice President, but information and disinformation about her past surfaces that threatens to derail her confirmation.
- DirectorLarry ClarkStarsLeo FitzpatrickJustin PierceChloë SevignyA day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.Here ya go. Another 'important' movie. I dug plenty of movies about this subject matter - just not THIS one.
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsNicole KidmanPaul BettanyLauren BacallA woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town she finds out that their support has a price.Don't get me started.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsDemetri MartinHenry GoodmanEdward HibbertA man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
- DirectorRamón MenéndezStarsEdward James OlmosEstelle HarrisMark PhelanThe story of Jaime Escalante, a high school teacher who successfully inspired his dropout-prone students to learn calculus.Monday afternoon Hallmark special starring Edward James Olmos.
- DirectorPeter GreenawayStarsRichard BohringerMichael GambonHelen MirrenAt Le Hollandais gourmet restaurant, every night is filled with opulence, decadence and gluttony. But when the cook, a thief, his wife and her lover all come together, they unleash a shocking torrent of sex, food, murder and revenge.I know... I didn't "get it" right? Don't want to.
- DirectorJaume BalagueróPaco PlazaStarsManuela VelascoFerran TerrazaJorge-Yamam SerranoA television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.The horror genre is starving, i know, but this is NOT the masterpiece that it was made out to be.