Burning Questions: What Is Your Stand Alone Film?
Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 10:01AM Michael C. here to do his part to shake up the conventional wisdom.
It’s a big step for any budding cinephile when one learns to value one’s own opinion over the established consensus. If you were like me, when you were an adolescent film lover, you tended to take certain movie’s masterpiece status as gospel. If, for example, TV Guide said that Cecil B DeMille’s The Ten Commandments was a four star movie than that's the way it was. After all, you could see how great it was just by counting the extras.
Hopefully one grows out of this and learns to approach pre-certified classics with healthy skepticism. As a college student working his way through the greats of cinema, I clearly remember concluding that Dr. Zhivago’s 200 minute running time was roughly 195 minutes longer than necessary, give or take a few beautifully framed shots of snow.
But it is not much of a challenge to poke sticks at the bloated reputations of certain “classics”. More daunting is defending work that has the majority of scholarly opinion aligned against it. Just as we learn to be wary of movies that come bearing the stamp of approval, at some point we all end up falling madly in love with a title that is greeted by the rest of the world with at best polite acknowledgment, or at worst outright hostility. So on this subject I am curious to know: What movie do you stand alone in considering a masterpiece?
Any true film lover has at least one minority opinion...
which cannot be shaken by any amount of counter-argument or mockery. A film for which they proselytize at every opportunity, because they know a movie’s critical stature is not a fixed, quantifiable thing. It is an idea continually forged on the battlefield of opinions, and in my book you’re not a real movie lover unless you are willing to wade into the arena like Spartacus wielding a trident and fight for your darlings.
As for my Stand Alone Film, I was tempted to make my case for Peter Weir’s Master and Commander, but I feel that majority opinion is already creeping in the right direction on that one. No, if I could take this opportunity to champion one title that has been unjustly tagged with “minor film” status it would be a different period adventure overdue for reevaluation: Michael Caton Jones’ Rob Roy.
Rob Roy is still regarded highly for its legendary climactic sword fight and Tim Roth’s delicious Oscar-nominated villainy, both for good reason. Rob Roy deserves prominent placement on any all time lists of action scenes or bad guys, but neither element would be half so effective were the film around them not so skillfully executed.
Reasonably well received upon release, Rob Roy was quickly lost amid the thundering charges and blood-curdling screams of another Scottish legend, Braveheart. Without getting too deep into it I think its clear that time has been much kinder to the tale of Liam Neeson’s hero. Braveheart remains thrilling in parts but the sloppiness of its writing and the overindulgence of Gibson’s direction become more apparent with each passing year. The tight, novelistic plotting of Rob Roy, on the other hand, still holds together beautifully with its half dozen rich, complex characters plotting at cross purposes, including a fiery, shoulda-been-nominated Jessica Lange as Neeson's wife. When Braveheart is getting stuck in the mud in its slack third act, Rob Roy’s is moving the final chess pieces into place, pulling the characters with inexorable logic toward that sword fight.
Also detracting from Rob Roy’s standing is the fact that Michael Caton Jones' subsequent career has been undistinguished to put it mildly, culminating in a recent Razzie nod for Basic Instict 2. Critical consensus often does not know how to handle a workhorse director who inexplicably turns out a great film. If the director were Michael Mann and not Michael Caton Jones we would undoubtedly hear about this title’s virtues more often.
Filmographies definitely affect the critical status of individual films
So there you have a brief defense of my pet cinematic cause. Now you take it away. I’m granting everybody the immunity idol to fly in the face of conventional wisdom without fear. Bring the passion for your criminally underappreciated titles in the comments.
You can follow Michael C. on Twitter at @SeriousFilm or read his blog Serious Film. If you want more about Rob Roy I’ve already written at length about the brilliance of that climactic sword fight right here at The Film Experince.
Braveheart, Burning Questions, Doctor Zhivago, Rob Roy, film critics
Reader Comments (87)
People love Armando Iannucci's 'In The Loop,' but I feel that no one except me is willing to throw around the phrase "single funniest comedy of the 21st century thus far."
Can I just say how much I love Nathaniel for saying Bring It On. That movie is so awesome haha.
I'd say Never Been Kissed but I feel like if it hadn't been a childhood favorite while Drew Barrymore was my favorite actress, things might be a little different.
Hm... so this is a film that I think is much better than the majority does?
Crazy/Beautiful, Pleasantville, Thirteen, Stand By Me, I'll say Bring It On too.
I never fail being on the opposite end of popular opinion. I don't argue for movies I like anymore. The lesson learned is to trust your own taste.
Phillip: Crazy/Beautiful, Pleasantville, Thirteen and Bring It On...okay. But Stand By Me? Don't most understand that that's one of Rob Reiner's mostly uninterrupted string of masterpieces (Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally...) from the 80s? I'm not AS sold on When Harry Met Sally as some are (the documentary scenes are great, balancing a mix of heart and humour, but, in the main narrative, only the iconic scene really balances those elements into something grand. My grade for When Harry Met Sally, after only one watch: B+.) Those other three, though? A+, A and A respectively.
Well, Michael has forced my hand once again. I simply have one word to say...
Clue
That is all.
I am on the opposite end of popular opinion. For movies I like I don't argue anymore. The lesson trust your taste.
Hmmm....
No one seems to talk about Anton Chekhov's The Duel, but it's a flat out masterpiece.
Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy.
Danny Boyle's Sunshine. Not a masterpiece, but so close that it hurts that people hate it.
Don McKellar's Last Night doesn't seem to be spoken of at all, but it's end-of-the-world scenario devastates me.
Oh, I forgot one... 'Whatever Works'. Everybody trashes it, but I thought it was Woody Allen's funniest film since 'Bullets Over Broadway'. I wouldn't claim it as a masterpiece, but there is a lot of great stuff in there.
Heat - there's not a single thing about that movie I would change. Well, except telling Al Pacino to tone down his scream-acting.
Most of the movies I've seen on here have been either nominated for something big, or have a huge cult following (if it weren't for this, I'd be metioning Clue). I tried to be a little more polemical, even though I would fight to the death to defend these two... Specially the first one...
Skeleton Key: Art direction, cinematography, tense atmosphere, sound, ACTING (Gena Rowlands, Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hurt... actually, I don't know why Nathaniel doesn't like this movie that much (to my knowledge) when it has those two...). I think this is one of the best made suspense movies lately... It doesn't even have to resort to jump scares that much... I don't think anyone can listen to "Iko Iko" the same way afterwards...
(lesser) Wedding Crashers: FUNNY, shots aren't bad, the actors are excellent even though no one streches too much... It's a delight even though the second half weighs it down...
Oh wow, saw this post too late, but for me?
(ALW's) The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
I'm still pretty baffled at the overwhelmingly negative response to that film. Beautiful set designs, costumes, a very lush orchestration and decent casting.
Ok, so Gerard Butler wasn't a proper tenor, but he nailed all of his vocals. In addition, i love the small changes to the story such as moving the chandelier crash, the swordfight and i LOVED the new ending. So sweet. So heartbreaking.
The new original song, "Learn to Be Lonely" had a terrible arrangement (Bongos?!!) but as an added instrumental theme throughout the film? Quite lovely.
My pick would be Paprika, one of the finest film of modern era and I never think it gets attention it deserved.
Another film that come to mind is The Seventh Continent, the debut film of Michael Haneke. It well established the theme that recurrent in his later films; and also heart-wrenching and emotional.
The Scent of Green Papaya succeed in many levels, especially directing and cinematography. A poetic film.
For more divisive picks, I would choose Enter the Void, Martyrs (a masterpiece in horror genre) and Toto the Hero.
I'm a Cyborg But That's OK is worth mentioned too
Someone said about Chungking Express, now it is considered as one of the signature film of Wong Kar Wai. It even appears in Sight & Sound best films of last 5 years. How could it be undeserved? Fallen Angels (its companion piece) is WAY MORE UNDESERVED.
WORKING GIRL. Nowadays, everyone seems to hate it for being dated, but I always watch it, and it always maintains the freshness of the story, it's so watchable. I love this film - so inspiring!
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. Many adore and love this film, but I'll go the extra mile and say that the film is so extraordinary yet so natural and so simple. I can watch this any time of the day.
Dog Day Afternoon
The Remains of the Day
The Deer Hunter
Does 'Angels in America' count?
oh and also sofia coppola's Marie Antoinette (though i've never been shy about loving that one)
I'm loving all the responses.
Let me throw out a few statements while the thread is still active:
1. Four Lions may be the most under-appreciated comedy of the new century.
2. 2 films that I can't rightly say I'm alone in loving but are still way, way too obscure considering how amazing they are: The Cranes are Flying and Kurosawa's High and Low.
3. The movie Julia is much more than just a superb Tilda Swinton performance
4. There is no point in mentioning Anatomy of a Murder because everyone agrees that it's pretty much the best courtroom movie ever, right? Right??
It's gotta be Bridget Jones's Diary for me! It's the perfect romantic comedy. But not quite the film everyone can admit to liking...
For me, it's THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, which was politely received at the time (1988). It had some noticeable awards attention (Oscar for Geena Davis, compromise NYFCC win for Best Pic, Oscar nom for Best Pic), but seems to have had little lasting impact.
But something about it has always resonated with me and the film is now beyond criticism for me. I know it has flaws, and the awards probably make it seem overrated, but I love it anyway. I saw it four times at the movies when it came out and since then have owned a VHS and now a DVD that I watch every year or so.
Francis Ford Coppola's "One From the Heart" and Gus Van Sant's "Psycho" are probably the most glaring. Martin Scorsese's "New York, New York", too.
Steve -- I really loved that one at the time, too. But i admit that i kind of forgot about it too. Perhaps a rewatch is in order.
Glenn --good choices. Gus Van Sant's Psycho is so interesting that I wish people didn't have such a knee jerk reaction against it. It's almost the perfect receptacle for people's complaints about the very existence of remakes. But at least it has 'a goddamn raison d'etre.'
Michael C -- oh yes the Cranes are Flying is pretty spectacular. One Russian film i love that i almost never hear anyone talk about is Ballad of a Soldier.
Dark Passage - Humphrey Bogart is an escaped prisoner and the first half of the film is shot in first person from his point of view. The perspective switches when he has plastic surgery. It's probably the darkest of the films that feature Bogart and Bacall together.
The Enchanted Cottage (1945). How anyone can watch that movie and not sob heaping bucketfuls and fall in love with love and want every shot to be a gorgeous scrim shot is just beyond me.
Pan's Labyrinth
Sure some people like it, and it got buckets of CRAFTS nominations, but there seemed to be some kind of backlash against it when it wasn't as fantasy as people wanted it to be. Instead it was better. An absolute masterpiece.
I sincerely believe Superbad is one of the best movies of the last 6 or 7 years. Just think - at the time no one thought screwball fluff like Bringing Up Baby would be regarded as a classic 70 years later. Same goes for today's comedy. It's staying power will be revealed over time.
Michael C.- I'll back you up on High and Low, which is typically considered a good but somewhat minor work from Kurosawa. Personally, however, it's my second-favorite of all his films, and I'd definitely use the term "masterpiece" for it.
First of all, I realize that a lot of movies take time to be fully accepted as masterpieces, so I'm reluctant to pick any really recent ones for this topic. Not to boast about my foresight or anything, but I was one of the few people who argued at the time of its release that Toy Story was a flat-out classic, not just a really good animated movie. That opinion seems to be much more accepted 17 years later, perhaps in part due to Pixar's overall reputation. The same applies to Groundhog Day, which is arguably the most highly regarded comedy of the 90's nowadays despite being received as just another funny Bill Murray vehicle on its release.
That being said, my choice is a movie that is held in high regard, but I rarely see anyone call it an all-time classic, so I think it applies: Barry Levinson's Diner, which is, to me, easily the best coming-of-age ensemble film ever made.
Lust, CAUTION!!! Ang Lee
While it did get a bucketload of Oscar nominations, it seems like everyone thinks Atonement is just another piece of inoffensive Oscar bait - its not. Easily one of my top ten of all time, the performances, writing, costumes, set design, everything is just perfection, not to mention the beautiful cinematography. It wrecks me every time.
Also, how Vanessa Redgrave isn't singled out for this film more often is a mystery to me. One of the greatest short supporting performances of all time. (Hell no is it a cameo)
Bright Star is spectacular, but I won't say it because I feel like its underratedness is more a function of too few people 'in the know' having seen it.
Instead, I'll say Cold Mountain. Most people seem to view it as very 'meh,' but I've had love ever since I first saw it. The restraint, the epic scale, the recurring dream with the crows, and the MUSIC... even the Zee (sorry Nathaniel). I think it's everything it needs to be.
I AM LOVE and MELANCHOLIA both blew me away and I could watch them again and again. Both beautifully directed, acted, shot and profoundly moving.
honduran -- good choice.
evan -- whattttt? even the Zeéeeee?
jackie -- HELL YES and yes, yes.
I really like Steve G's choice of The Accidental Tourist. It always seemed like the fifth/"thanks for coming" slot in the 88 Best PIcture race. "Politely received" is exactly the right phrase for it.
From 1980 - "Altered States". Excellent performances, a just-right script that is not afraid to raise more questions than it answers, and one of the most stimulating and risky visual palletes I have ever seen.
I'd have to say Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys for me it is a movie that was undeservedly ignored by oscars and never really caught on with fans either, but it becomes more enjoyable everytime I see it. Agree with Sean D too I think In the Loop is a comedy masterpiece.
Anton Corbijn's The American. It's a quiet, gorgeous film with a career-best performance from George Clooney.
One of the first films I thought of when I read this post was "Family Plot," the last film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It seems to have no stature whatsoever, apart from being, you know, the last film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. But I love it for it's sense of wacky fun and the amazing performances. Barbara Harris has been a criminally overlooked actress, and she's terrific in this. Why wasn't she a big star?? Bruce Dern has NEVER been more attractive or appealing, and William Devane and Karen Black are two of the sexiest villians ever. I think of "Family Plot" as sharing a lot in common with "Foul Play," but there's a greater sense of danger and intrigue in "Family Plot."
For adventure, sheer fun, a little romance on the side - and a delightful Elizabeth Shue - Adventures in Babysitting. Movies don't have to be deep to be good, they just have to deliver and this one does. A tradition to pull this one out when I want some fun.
I have to add - We Bought a Zoo. This movie for me was a pleasant surprise after reading all the mixed reviews about it. The story captures the despair of grief and the struggles of a family to reconnect and survive in the shadow of the devastating loss of a wife and mother. Matt Damon is subtle, sad and sweet leading a band of quirky characters and animals in a story of healing and learning to live again after loss.
Hidalgo - a love story of a man and his horse and triumph over incredible odds - man against nature, man against man, man against himself. Brilliantly portrayed by Viggo Mortensen and captured by director Joe Johnston.
Everyone picks on Keanu Reeves, but he delivers - The Replacements has to be one of the best sports underdog movies. The redemption of a rising star is subtly portrayed by Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman is the coach with the most who sees greatness in men who deserve a second chance. Well paced, well acted, formula sports movie, but you are pleased with the predictability and charmed by the story.
kudos to the mention of Pleasantville - a forgotten gem.
I know Wayne mentioned Foul Play to compare with Family Plot, but Foul Play is one of those movies that no one seems to know about but really should. On that vein, I forgot Seems Like Old Times from Neil Simon - a situation comedy beautifully paced, written, and acted. A forgotten Chevy Chase classic and one of Goldie Hawn's funniest films.