I love American Beauty, but I would not refer to it as uplifting. Yet somehow, it is not sad either. It's just one of those movies where everything fits. Great acting, great storytelling. I need to go and watch that again soon.

As for Taxi Driver. That was a typical case of too high expectations for me. I had heard so much about how brilliant that movie is, that it left me disappointed when I finally saw it. I do agree that it is a good story and Robert deNiro as well as Jodi Foster did an awesome job, but overall it left me cold.

American Beauty is just one of those films where you either get it, or you don't. It's a high favorite between me and my sister, who is a major movie buff. My parents also watched it, but they couldn't understand why people thought it was so great. When I asked them to explain, my mom said part of the problem she had was that no one in that film had any real redeeming qualities. I had to tell her that wasn't the point.

As for Taxi Driver, here is another strange movie where, after you watch it, you're kinda left wondering what it was you watched, other than a man who slowly drives himself crazy. So many questions are left unanswered. I'd list a few, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Sorry for the double post, but I just saw this and thought it deserved its own post.

My favorite film of all time is:


*drumroll*


ROCKY!

Great pick in my humble opinion. Even though I prefer the second one.

Rocky is a masterpiece, I just can't find the right words. I got even ill a few times because of it - rainy, cold weather and main Rocky theme (the one that plays when he trains) comes into my headphones by shuffle. I couldn't resist, I could only run

A strange little film, isn't it? Who would have thought it would win Best Picture? I was hooked into the story before a half hour had passed! The 2nd is just as good, and seems to complete the circle. 3 was okay, and the rest were just plain fun.

I would have never gotten into Rocky had my ex-bf not been such a huge fan.
I loved the first two, liked 3, thought 4 was OK, didn't much care for 5, but was positively surprised with the last one. All in all a great story.

EXACTLY my rating of all parts

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

Great movie which I saw a pretty long time ago. I have no idea why that movie came to my head all of sudden. I have to buy that somewhere and watch again. Jim Carrey's movie.(it's not comedy) The stotyline is a bit complicated so you need to concentrate to follow the storyline, which was weird in a good way and unpredictable. Me likes and recommend

Seabiscuit.

I had forgotten how great this movie is. I have a feeling it never got the attention of the crowds it deserves because it's a "horse movie." Because those can never be really good in the end, eh? How wrong those people are.

Of course it's not perfect, there are moments where the hinting is too obvious, the music isn't anything special either, and I know there's a lot of mistakes in it. But what is perfect anyway?

lol I was sort of sad the other day when I noticed that very few movies really get through me these days -give me goose bumbs, make my cry, make me angry, make me feel anything at all. Which is why I wanted to watch Seabiscuit, because it makes me feel more than I can handle A little movie greater than the sum of its parts, that perfectly describes the beauty of imperfect. Just like the little horse that could.

Just saw UP. I was struck by the depth of the story. It spoke on so many levels for all ages, and well it should, considering the story involves both an old man and a young boy. Pixar really created something special with this. It had plenty of the usual: awesome visuals, funny moments and ridiculous situations, but it was also the most serious and poignant story they've created to date. I thought Wall-E had an incredible message. This one blew that one to smithereenies!

Donnie Darko is one of my favourites but my favourite film is definetely Fight Club.

I have a few directors I'd like to call overrated

Godard and Antonioni

Where as Godard's films (or those I have seen) are watchable, Antonioni's are close to being the worst unwatchable pieces of torture.
I know I'm talking about what some of you would call art film, and that most of you probably find these boring (:roll: ) That is, however, not true - except of the case of Antonioni (and at some point Godard as well). L'avventura is most likely the worst film I have ever watched.
The only real competetor must be Jurassic Park 2 - The Lost World!

As for the Burton topic: I've seen some of his films, and enjoyed them, but I honestly can't see why there's such a big fuss about him as a director. In my eyes there are several directors that deserve more attention. And, in addition, I kinda hate when directors stick to the same actors over and over again...

Well it depends on what kind of things you like. Burton is a different kind of director, not your standard 'summer blockbuster' guy, so not everyone will like his works. Not saying there aren't any other different directors, there's a lot of them, but with them it's the same thing: You like it or not.

I like Tim's work because there's always a sad, sort of lonely melancholy behind all of this stories that feels very familiar and safe to me. It gives me a feeling that 'hey, maybe this guy has felt what I have -and he's done pretty well in life.' It gives me comfort, and hope, makes me feel that I belong in this world.

The other thing that I love in his films is the fact they have a happy ending. At least his own work (Sweeney doesn't really have anything happy in it ). Not everyone can always see it, and quite many people seem to take the films very differently than I do (especially Corpse Bride), but to me they have happy endings. I just like that even the weird, unwell worlds and characters can have happy endings

I do have to say I like his work better when it's not only Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. He's a good actor, a brilliant one at best, but he's got a little bit of that Samuel L. Jackson thing going on: He's still always Johnny. So I'd love to see some new faces working with Tim, but I'm still quite condifent about Alice in Wonderland.

In my opinion, Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill-movies are way too underrated.
I have nothing else to say.

I agree with you. His characters also convey so much fragility (for example, Edward Scissorhands). Or hope for a better world (like in Big Fish).
And another thing about Tim Burton's movies: the ones I've watched so far are stories in the true sense of the word. Like Darkness said, they have happy endings, just like fairytales and other kids' stories. They make one forget about the cruel world outside one's house. It's like watching a book with pictures on a screen. The twisted nature of his movies is beautiful to me. They have a certain elegance, dunno how to describe that.
The majority of movies nowadays tend to have simple plots and cliches (sure, I watch them when I have time to kill or just have the need to watch cliches, like all other people do ). But with Burton's movies, I know it will be a mind-blowing experience for me.

If you haven't watched it yet, watch The Infernal Affairs trilogy (or just the first one, it's the best).

It's the Hong Kong trilogy that inspired Scorsese for The Departed (read: that he ripped completely). It's better than The Departed and has a lot deeper character set.

I think that Avatar is overrated...

The effects were amazing, true, but that's all. IMO the story was so stupid and predictable (a sci-fi Pocahonthas), the acting wasn't good etc.

I don't say that I didn't like it, but I just don't understand people, who say that Avatar is the best movie ever, and nerds, who create songs and poems in Na'vi language...

I agree so much! I remember watching it and it reminded me of a movie I saw in Geology class called FernGully: The Last Rainforest in 1992. It had the same feeling of humans destroying the environment until one guy saves the planet.

I do agree too! Avatar hasn't left any print on me. It was just an aesthetic movie but the story was so poor! In fact, it was boring!

I loved Inception (who didn't!) and Schindler's List. Two amazing movies.
I also loved 127 Hours.

Yeah, i was initially impressed by Avatar but it's become kind of a joke. It's just a Pocahontas remake, seriously the stories are exactly the same. Plus it shadows Avatar: The Last Airbender (and please no-one mention the awful movie).

I want to try and talk about movies that NOT everyone knows and try and introduce unfamiliar ones. Please tell me everyones seen the classic & brilliant The Princess Bride? If so you are already my friend and if not you must watch it now. A movie i loved that i saw recently is called Summer Wars, it's an animated movie that you should check out as i think it has a perfect balance of everything.

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
Besides, Cary Elwes is a cutie.
Talking about fantasy movies, I enjoyed Legend quite a bit. The devil looks deliciously kitsch and totally cracked me up when I saw him in that movie for the first time.

^^ hhaha, I was just going to quote that.
Summer Wars sounds adn looks interesting.

I gotta be the asshole but the most overrated movie of the last decade must be "The Avengers" followed by "Avatar"! A plot doesn't really exist in either of the two and every moderate blockbuster nowadays has more interesting and innovative action scenes than the Avengers. I could get started now and explain my view for ages here but instead I just say, those films are just not for me. Don't want to offend anyone.

As to my favourites, that's an easy one. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and the classic Clockwork Orange. 'nuff said!

So you like some Ultra Violence too, eh? The thing that amazes me about this movie is that it manages scenes of humor in the middle of what is totally dark in so many ways.