Comments on: The Most Disappointing & Overrated Films of 2009

By: john holmes

john holmes — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:02:53 +0000

Maybe a relatively well known director can't make a joke about directing a bad movie; Bad Lieutenant has some (I think intentional) plot holes but otherwise constructs rather efficiently its story. Herzog is a craftsman, he knows about narrative, Nicholas Cage overreacts in a non-stereotypical way, and the overall lack of respect for the audience (Herzog's aim is to displease viewers) make it one of the most interesting things to come out of hollywood 2009. But that's my opinion. It's not overrated, not everything has to be undergroundhipstercool, sometimes a good bad joke or a great movie crafted to be a really bad movie works. That's what it's all about.

By: jbaker475

jbaker475 — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:38:12 +0000

Thank you so much for including "Doctor Parnass." I actually liked some of the visuals (the woman whose fantasy world involved designer shoes everywhere), but the script, specifically the opaque dialogue, did nothing to illuminate the already bizarre story.

That said, I'm not sure "Broken Embraces" deserves to be on here, simply because while it did receive mostly positive response, the general consensus was that it was lesser Almodovar, which I agree with. Parts were wonderful (visuals, Cruz, the score) but some of it dragged. The ending and the main flash-back sequences were what made the movie work; everything else felt a little unsure.

By: harrison_ormond

harrison_ormond — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:15:53 +0000

Public Enemies was thoughtful, powerful take on the gangster flick. The digital camerawork gave the depression-era scenery a documentary-like versimilitude, and as the conflicted FBI man Melvin Purvis, Bale finally showed some shades to the one-note gruffness he's coasted on since taking on Batman. A quiet gem in the middle of a Transformers crap summer.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:38:10 +0000

Looks like you were right, no one really agrees you about Parnassus.
Good thing you listed it last;)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:12:04 +0000

say what you will about public enemies, but michael mann will not regret shooting it in digital, this wasnt the first time he'd shot a movie like this, and he knew full-well what he was doing, going against the grain of what a period picture would normally look like, and he succeed imo in creating a period picture that does not feel like it is enclosed in a time capsule. you say it didnt work for you? fine, but michael mann is not gonna wake up one day and wish he shot it on 35mm. im gonna take it a step further (and i know im gonna catch some backlash) but i think the cinematography in public enemies was great, a lot better than most give it credit for

By: Pierre Massé

Pierre Massé — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:54:09 +0000

Okay, pretty good list, but I have to disagree about a few things.

First off, Avatar. Shoot me down for saying it was amazing and totally deserves all the praise it's getting, but it is. So maybe the BASE of the story is something we've seen before, and maybe the ORIGINAL characters are ones we've seen before, but the magic of Cameron's movie is that everything changes. The dilemma that arises when the protagonist chooses to leave his "real" life behind and join the Na'vi for good puts a great twist on the classic storyline. The characters evolve over the length of the movie, and by the time the final twist takes place, the stereotypes are almost all gone (except for that thinly disguised Bush symbolizing colonel). I'm sorry, but it's too easy to dismiss this movie as overrated. Just look a bit harder.

The second thing is Public Enemies. I can't believe you didn't enjoy that. Then again, it might have been a bit too slow for you North American types. It really was a European-constructed movie. Slow and steady (which you may call boring and tedious), the action taking a long time to slowly impose itself, letting the details and the context provide the suspense. For me, the impressive cast played a very solid performance, especially Depp, Bale, and Cotillard (although Christian, you could have worked a bit more on your accent). I found myself relishing in the details you didn't appreciate, and by the time the action tensed up and finally exploded, I was ready and it was really quite amazing.

Sorry, other than those two, that list is quite correct.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:53:53 +0000

500 Days of Twee

However, if these eleven or twelve movies were combined into one, it would be the best film of the year.

Nicholas Cage snorting cocaine. IN 3D. IN SPACE.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:13:28 +0000

broken embraces? bad lieutenant? fuck off

By: bonzob@earthlink.net

bonzob@earthlink.net — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:12:20 +0000

I agree with nearly all your choices, Playlist, and disagree with the ones suggested in the comments so far (An Education and A Single Man are great, 500 Days Of Summer pretty good).

The only one I'm sort of mixed on is Thirst. It's definitely overlong and tonally muddled, and it's certainly not a great film, but when it worked, it really worked.

Assorted scenes and moments from it have stuck with me even as films I liked better at the time have faded from memory. And the two lead performances are very, very good.

It's no Oldboy or JSA, but I liked it better than both Mr. and Lady Vengeance.

By: DanThron

DanThron — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:21:12 +0000

Cameron's film is certainly written broadly, but that hardly makes something bad. It's a way to make sure you connect with the maximum number of people. I would go so far as to say that making a film that everyone can find some enjoyment (even if it is a range of intensity) in is actually quite rare. Jaws, Star Wars, etc. Agreed the characters and story are stock, but there is a thoroughness to the storytelling that I thought was fairly rich, and produced some really remarkable imagery — the pieta-like shot of the giant alien holding him like a newborn for example, completes the 'everyone is born twice,' 'you are like a baby!' line. Sure it's not Last Year at Marienbad, but it's not like you find similar attention to thematic detail in 99% of similar blockbusters. Cameron even manages to link the technology of the film itself into his backbone concept: the main character 'jacks into' an avatar, the aliens jack into the planet, the marines jack into their exosuits, and the audience jacks into the film — even so far as to comment on the change in cinema: the first shot of the main character is a close up on a single eye opening (monoscopic), the last shot of him is both eyes (steroscopic, like the film you are seeing). Very clever, and shows that Cameron, for all his surface clunkiness, is a focussed, thoughtful craftsman. Avatar is through and through a deft, lovingly constructed piece of work, and is made to connect with all manner of audiences, which I consider, if nothing else, tremendously respectful. I know it's attractive to give into the 'the masses just want crap' mentality, because it makes us film nerds feel extra special about ourselves. But take into consideration that even the snootiest of critics have given it grudging respect (as trivial as they see it to be) – because it at very least successfully entertained them, even if it was simultaneously 'beneath' them. Such courtesy wasn't afforded Transformers 2, for example. This is because Transf.2 is a sloppy, dull film, even by it's own standards. The mass audience agrees, to a point, as well. They like big pretty effects enough to put up with everything else, but not so much as to give it the legs Avatar has. Avatar's effects and look ARE great, but 3 hours of gorgeous with boring storytelling, and people won't come back. Matrix 2 and 3 were beautiful looking. And bombs. Mass audiences will put up with crap in exchange for boobs, kung fu, or dinosaurs — once. But getting your average joe to see something multiple times means you did it right.

By: nickduval

nickduval — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:03:50 +0000

"Bad Lieutenant" was incredibly overrated by Roger Ebert. It's nowhere near one of the best films of the decade. Nicolas Cage does well, but everything else is just lackluster.

I agree, "Broken Embraces" is overrated, too. And although I really liked "Avatar," it's not the best film of the year, and those who say so are tripping.

But the absolutely correct listing here is "Public Enemies," which ended up mostly bad(save one great scene).

By: Tristan Eldritch

Tristan Eldritch — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:34:06 +0000

Think you guys are way off on Avatar. I mean for the love of God, we know it's Dances with Wolves in space, so what? Forbidden Planet was The Tempest in Space, Star Wars was Lord of the Rings and upteen sword and scorcery stories in space, A Fist full of Dollars was Yojimbo in the Wild West, and so on. Narrative art, and genre stuff in particular, borrows shamelessly, and uses archetypal formulas all the time. The fact is, Cameron is a great storyteller, and audiences (and longer in the tooth critics) responded to that, as much as to the fact that its a genuine quantum leap in technological terms. Plus, its a vastly more sophisticated film than Star Trek, and about ninety per cent of the big action blockbusters that are made nowadays.

By: Monty

Monty — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Avatar is proof like no other, that people only want to see shit.
It´s so sad really…

By: Einars

Einars — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:05:28 +0000

Yup, I'm sure if a BAD DIRECTOR had done BAD LIEUTENANT it would have sucked, no doubt. But a GOOD DIRECTOR did it and it was GOOD.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:17:36 +0000

Great list, I agree with Avatar, Precious, Thirst, Brüno, and Public Enemies... Precious would the #1 most overrated for me.

I also agree with (Laura) that 500 Days of Summer should be on this list as well.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:56:54 +0000

avatar is awesome…get off it.

By: (Laura)

(Laura) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:08:42 +0000

(500) Days Of Summer belongs here. I get more and more angry about this film every time I think about it.

By: MrJeffery

MrJeffery — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:07:40 +0000

I loved Precious and Broken Embraces but totally agree with you on Avatar. Vastly overhyped and overrated. James Cameron knows how to produce a movie.

By: The Film Cynic

The Film Cynic — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:49:31 +0000

An Education really, really belongs on this list. One of the most overrated films I've seen in a long time, just because all movie critics fell in love with the adorable new actress (what else is new?).

A Single Man, aside from the performances, is pretty overrated, too.

I know, both are on Rod's list of best of 2009. Oh well.