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'The Pope Of Greenwich Village' is a film panned by critics but loved by audiences, scoring 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Love this flick, ridiculously underrated but a complete blast from start to finish.
"The Stunt Man" is on TCM tonight, in their "30 days of Oscars" feature. In that case I take it back, it is not underrated! Except it is not as widely known as I'd like it to be...
but I guess "underrated" is a relative concept.
"Smoke Signals" with Adam Beach; two young American Indian men on a journey. A sweet, funny and profound movie about fathers and sons.
"Local Hero" with Burt Lancaster, set in Scotland, I think, about tradition vs.development (one way of putting it).
Yes, underrated (just like overrated) is subjective.
I've seen most of the movies in this thread, and I think that's partly because I'm well over 50.
But Local Hero is my all-time *favorite* movie (why no Criterion Collection treatment??!) and it is what I came here to post. It was filmed in different locations in Scotland but yes the scenery is gorgeous. Director Bill Forsythe was doing quirky when Wes Anderson was still in kindergarten. I watch this brilliant movie at least once a year.
Smoke Signals is superb and helped me discover the author Sherman Alexie.
I will offer this film, which was huge in France but perhaps not all that well known in the USA:
The movie takes place in France a few years before the French Revolution. It is fancy people who ridicule others and are ridiculous themselves.
As written by Remi Waterhouse, who draws on real historical detail here, ''Ridicule'' satirizes this world of absurd protocol while it proves that skewering fatuousness and snobbery, however obviously, is never out of style.
Among the film's more piquant historical touches are a scene in which deaf-mutes mocked by these aristocrats wind up having the last laugh, and another in which a visit is paid to the French court by an American Sioux warrior, whose regalia is duly criticized. ''And yet, he almost makes us look ridiculous,'' one of the film's foppish characters observes. No one really listens.
I don't think this one got nearly the attention that it should have: Waking Ned Devine (1998)
A lottery winner dies of shock when his numbers are called, and the townsfolk scheme to get his money. Filmed on the Isle of Man even though it's supposed to be Irish.
This is a foreign film, but it is hilarious. The humor is subtle which makes this movie darn near perfect. It takes place in 19th century Denmark. I won't ruin it for you, but it is fantastic.
Babette's Feast is one of the best movies ever made. IMO it always received deserved acclaim, in fact won the Oscar that year for best foreign film, much fuss was made about it at the time and it was a moderate box office success in a time when most foreign films were completely ignored.
Still, glad you mentioned it, in case the younger generation has missed it. It's a 'don't miss'.
The Red Violin (1998), travels through 3 centuries, multiple historic and modern countries and languages (Italian, German. French, Romani, Chinese, French-Canadian, British and American English). The foreign languages scenes have simple and easily-read subtitles, but the rest of the movie is in English.
Furthermore, there is a metaphysical thread running through the story, there's a mystery, a passionate affair, a con, a beautiful and moving musical score by violinist Joshua Bell, and a lot more...and it stars Samuel L. Jackson, of all people.
It came on Television recently. I think the Sundance channel and it was good. I remember when it came out I never went to go see it. I gave it a try when they showed it on t.v. and was pleased.
I forgot to mention Star Man. There was a foreign film made in Iran that I really loved. It got noticed internationally but not so much in the states. Another film is the IP Man. Very good movie that should have gotten more recognition in the states.
Out of the Furnace with cast Christian Bale, Forrest Whittaker, and Casey Affleck wasn't a gem but underrated. It's is a suspense and you need to think and use your mind to figure out the scenes of why it happened and what's going to happen. I don't think youngsters and juveniles can sit through it. It's probably too slow for them. But people who like thrillers and suspense may be patient enough to enjoy it and don't mind thinking a little to fill in the voids that the movie doesn't supplement with loud action and flashy effects.
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Except it is not as widely known as I'd like it to be...
