My Favorite Movies That Nobody Else Like
1997’s A Life Less Ordinary
Plot summary: A cleaning man(Ewan McGregor) takes his boss’ daughter(Cameron Diaz) hostage after being fired and replaced by a robot. Meanwhile two angels(Holly Hunter & Delroy Lindo) try to get this unlikely couple to fall in love.
Why I like it: What a great cast. Besides McGregor, Diaz, Hunter and Lindo you also get great character actors Dan Hedaya, Stanley Tucci, Ian Holm and Tony Shalhoub. All under the watchful director’s eye of Danny Boyle who later went on to direct 127 Hours and the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. Cameron Diaz gives the best performance in the movie as the spoiled rich girl who is capable of anything. The soundtrack is another part of the movie that I like very much. A quirky movie that I never could figure out where it was going….but I enjoyed the ride.
Why people do not like it: The angels are some of the strangest angels to ever appear on movie screens. The movie does not seem to know what kind of movie it is….sometimes it is a comedy, sometimes it is a fantasy, sometimes it is a drama, sometimes it is a musical, sometimes it is a claymation movie and sometimes it is a Pulp Fiction clone. Put altogether you end up with a very bumpy movie ride. A Life Less Ordinary earned only 4.7 million in worldwide box office.
1985’s Fandango
Plot Summary: Five college buddies from the University of Texas circa 1971 embark on a final road trip odyssey across the Mexican border before facing up to uncertain futures, in Vietnam and otherwise.
Why I Like It: The performances of Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson and Chuck Bush as Dorman. Movie has some interesting scenes that include a firework cemetry scence, a tie a car to a moving train scene, a parachute scene and a very humorous last minute wedding. The director, Kevin Reynolds, and Costner went on to make more movies together…Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Waterworld. Soundtrack is filled with many classic songs. One of the few Kevin Costner movies I actually like.
Why people do not like it: After seeing Kevin Reynold’s college short film, Steven Spielberg provided the money for this movie to be made into a feature film. After seeing the results, Spielberg wanted nothing to do with the movie. Fandango grossed $91,166 dollars in North America.
2004’s Wicker Park
Plot Summary: A young Chicago advertising executive(Josh Hartnett) believes a woman(Diane Kruger) he sees in a café is his long-lost love. His conviction leads to obsession, as he puts his life on hold to trail her.
Why I Like It: I love a movie that makes me think, this movie is guaranteed to make you think. The plot twist about halfway through the movie takes a movie that was very confusing and helps explain things in a very original and memorable way. Hartnett and director Paul McGuigan would later make another favorite of mine, Lucky Number Slevin.
Why people do not like it: A very confusing movie. It took me three attempts to watch this movie until it’s conclusion. I can easily see many people giving up on this movie and saying it was one of the worst movies ever made. But remember patience is a virtue. Wicker Park earned 12.83 million during its box office run in North America.
1994’s Fresh
Plot Summary: Michael/Fresh(Sean Nelson) is a 12-year-old drug pusher who lives in a crowded housing project with his cousins and aunt. His father has become a street bum(Samuel L. Jackson), but still meets with Fresh on occasion to play chess. Fresh’s sister is a junkie who sleeps with the dealers who Fresh sells for. As the story progresses Fresh realizes that he doesn’t want to sell drugs anymore, he wants out.
Why I like it: Sean Nelson gives one of the best child performances ever. I would put his role in Fresh up against Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense, Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun, Natalie Portman in The Professional, Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver and Ivana Baquero in Pan’s Labyrinth. Samuel L. Jackson as his chess playing father, is also outstanding in a small but important part. I like how we watch Fresh go from a child with little choices to a child with a master plan that he carries out with brutal consequences.
Why people do not like it: Simply put….. Fresh lives in a very brutal world. It is not a fun movie to watch. It is a brutal world filled with lots of violence, drug use and cruelty and is not a movie for everyone. But if you want to watch one of the best child performances ever check out Fresh. Fresh grossed just over 8.00 million during it’s release in North America.
Ok I have seen none of these either. I’d like to check out Wicker Park. I really want to see Fresh – but I can’t make myself see it. I volunteered at Juvy Hall here and it breaks my heart knowing much of that stuff is reality. Is there at least a happy ending to that one??
Hey RealHousewife….I think you would like Wicker Park…but it will keep you thinking and confusing you along the way….but the twist is very unusual. I will say this much…rarely do you watch a movie that it takes almost half of the movie to find out who the star of the movie really is…..as for Fresh…mmmm a happy ending? If a happy ending is the bad guys get whats coming and the hero survives…then yes it is a happy ending…but he still lives in the same place at the end of the movie that he does at the beginning of the movie…..thanks for the comment.
Never heard about any of these films, I’ll keep them in mind for next time I want to clear a room 😉
Hey Princessa….thanks for stopping by…a very funny comment….I bet if you watched all five of these movies….at least two you will really like….that would only leave 3 really bad movies to watch.
FayPax
Well, I’ve seen “Swimming” and somewhere in the back of my mind I’m thinking I might have seen “Fresh”. The others, I’ve never even heard of! 🙂
Hey Fay Pax….well I guess the big question is…did you like Swimming With Sharks? I think you would like Fandango the best of the remaining movies. Thanks for the visit.
Well now I have trio check out all these movies.. thank you for sharing and thank you Colin for posting this on Facebook I would not have seen it otherwise.
Voted way up
Blessing today
Debbie
Hey Deborah B….thanks for checking out my movie page. I am so thankful for Colin and the fact that he is one of these pages biggest supporters
….well I always love your ‘personal’ film hubs – they’re educational, enlightening and always fun to read – I am going to try something a little different here my friend and instead of posting this to my Facebook page I will post it to my new Facebook group (of which I have invited you and someone of your fine pedigree would be most appreciated there) LET’S JUST TALK MUSIC OR CINEMA ……(with a direct link back here)
lake erie time 12:14pm – Flora is there, and I am trying to get Robwrite too, any suggestions or other people – please let me know
Hey epigramman…I appreciate the invite and I will be headed there soon to join and check out the new Facebook page. Thanks for adding this link as well