A Few Recent Favorites

Here's a few of my favorite underappreciated films of the past few years:

Overall, I think the past 2 or 3 years have been very good. Among the successful films that I have liked are 300, Knocked Up, Ratatouille, Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, The Prestige, Borat, The Departed, Sin City, and others. However, there has been plenty of recognition for these film. I want to give some recognition to a few that deserve it equally.

2005 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
I LOVE this movie. Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr have some serious chemistry going. Michelle Monaghan is very easy on the eyes. This is an action/comedy on par with pretty much anything that has come along. It was written and directed by Shane Black who is most famous for writing Lethal Weapon. This is his directing debut. The story revolves around a small time crook from New York who is shipped off to LA to learn how to play a detective for an acting job he accidentally stumbled across. Kilmer is the private investigator that he is tagging along with, nicknamed Gay Perry. This movie could have easily been a huge hit. I am hoping that its popularity eventually picks up through DVDs, but it hasn't yet. I would classify it as a comedy first, and a crime mystery second. It's definitly a film that you can watch repeatedly, and is very quotable...If only more people had seen it. Downey Jr and Kilmer are flat out hilarious in their interactions.

2006 - Brick
Brick will appeal to a smaller audience than Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but I hold it in equal regard. The film takes a classic film noir story and places it into a modern high school. However, all the characters speak and act as if they were in a classic noir, and somehow the whole thing works. It might take a little patience, and I definitely had to use the reverse button on my dvd remote a few times to make sure I caught some of the best dialogue, but it's a knock-out film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Lookout, Mysterious Skin, 10 Things I Hate About You, 3rd Rock From The Sun) should be a leading man within a few years...think the next Heath Ledger.

2005 - A History of Violence
This got a little more publicity than the first two and even received an oscar nom for best supporting actor. Nevertheless I would still classify it as underseen. It's about a family man in a small town who's life is turned upside down after foiling a robbery attempt in his diner. His face is put on tv as a hero and some mysterious men show up in town claiming that he is not who he says he is. I had never seen a Cronenberg film before and didn't really know what to expect. What I found was beautifully subtle, yet intense direction. He keeps your eyes glued to the screen and doesn't let you off until the credits roll. Viggo Mortensen, Mario Bello, William Hurt and Ed Harris are all great. I can't wait for his follow up, Eastern Promises.

2006 - The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
By far the most obscure title on this list, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is a Romanian film about the last night of Mr. Lazarescu Dante Remus's life. It is a heartbreaking film about a sick old man and a terribly screwed up health care system. He is carried by ambulance from one hospital to the next as his condition worsens. Similar to Apocalypse Now's voyage into madness, this film's trip into sickness is marked by progressively worse conditions at each stop. I normally shy away from subtitles, but I would whole-heartedly recommend this film to almost anyone. It is an examination of human selfishness and the bounds of how far people will go to help a stranger.

2006 - Wordplay
If anyone that enjoyed 2003's minor hit about the spelling bee, Spellbound, hasn't seen this, they should really do so immediately. And if you haven't seen either, try one. It's a documentary about crossword puzzles.

Hopefully this gives you a little more insight into my tastes. Eventually I will make a list of my favorite films to give you an even better idea, but that list will look a little more standard. These choices are a bit more exotic.