Pleasant Suprise Movies

[lifesizehobbit]

Occasionally, I'll stumble across a movie or two that surprised me in a pleasant way, not only for the acting but for solid story and where appropriate, a well-hidden twist.
Some recent offerings:

Chef

Rudderless

Hello, My Name Is Doris

 

[jackswilling]

Captain American Civil War was better than expected, and I expected it to be great. I watch the low-brow genre. I do see that Hello, My Name is Doris got good critic/people reviews/ratings. The "people" liked Rudderless. Chef was liked by critics and audiences alike. Of the three, I would be most likely to watch Chef.

 

[lifesizehobbit]

And lest I be vague; please feel free to join in with your list of surprise movies. You might help us find another gem.

 

[hakchuma]

Dead Man starring Johnny Depp. "Got any tobacco?" -Nobody

 

[tuold]

"Departures" or "Okuribito" as it is called in Japanese. It won and Oscar for best foreign language film in 2009, yet almost nobody I know has seen it. One of the most moving, gentle and humorous movies I've ever watched.

 

[jackswilling]

"It won and Oscar for best foreign language film in 2009, yet almost nobody I know has seen it."
Might I recommend Captain America Civil War. That is a movie that almost everyone has seen. Great, great movie.

 

[tbradsim1]

Movie Remember, good plot and twist at the end. In The Heart of The Sea. True Story that moitaviated Herman Mellville to write Moby Dick, directed by Ron Howard.

 

[foolwiththefez]

"Departures" or "Okuribito" as it is called in Japanese. It won and Oscar for best foreign language film in 2009, yet almost nobody I know has seen it. One of the most moving, gentle and humorous movies I've ever watched.

I've seen that. It is quite good.
Let me recommend "In the Electric Mist." It a tragically under seen Tommy Lee Jones movie based on a really excellent series of books.

 

[fishnbanjo]

One of my favorites was Red Cliff I & II, at times the acting was so good I knew what as being inferred w/o assist from the subtitles (it was in Chinese). Directed by John Woo there were brilliant uses of drawing one into a scene like the late John Ford was great at doing. I'm a sucker for well done, intelligent acting and the rapport several of the actors had was fantastic. If you've never seen it I think you're in for a treat, cheers.

banjo

 

[agnosticpipe]

Idiocracy is a movie that when I first decided to watch it a few years ago I wasn't expecting much, and though it would be just another stupid movie. Well it was, but not how you think. I thought it was funny and entertaining, but was very relevant too. I ended up buying it and watching it at least once a year only to find it's becoming more relevant every year! Sadly, many people seem to be getting dumber and dumber. Not everyone, but far too many. Pretty soon it will be viewed as being a documentary... :mrgreen:

 

[fnord]

LSH: I've been a fan of Jon Favreau since "Swingers" and his direction of and acting in "Chef" was a real treat. I do admire his versatility.
Bradley: You're the only other guy I know who read and liked Louis L'Amour's "Last of the Breed." If "In The Heart of The Sea" got you I know I'll like it as well.
Fez: Started "Into the Electric Mist" the other day and loved the opening scene with TLJ. Got interrupted and will finish it Saturday after the KC Pipe Show. Several Jones films to add here: his very personal - filmed on his Wet Texas ranch - "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," "The Homesman" and "The Company Men."
Fish: Thank you for the heads up on John Woo's "Red Cliff" films. I only know his English language films and I'll have fun hunting these down.
What a cool thread, LSH.
Fnord

 

[lohengrin]

Two recent movies I have seen and appreciated more than my expectations are
Colonia and Sicario

 

[lifesizehobbit]

You're the only other guy I know who read and liked Louis L'Amour's "Last of the Breed."

fnord - add me to the list; Joe Makatozi was a great character.

 

[brian64]

Probably my favorite genre is "film noir" (defining the genre loosely). One of my favorites that did not receive much attention is After Dark, My Sweet with Jason Patric, Rachel Ward and Bruce Dern, based on a Jim Thompson novel. Brilliant script, directing and performances imo. Another that is almost as good is The Grifters, also based on a JT novel.