SO many movies, so little time. However, no good movie will be forgotten if I can help it. None of these films will ever be as popular as say, "Star Wars" or "The Avengers", but they still deserve your time more than the 17th "Fast & the Furious" movie did.
Just to clarify, a movie can only really be considered underrated if a) it won no major awards, b) it's box office was nothing to brag about, and c) it's at least five years old. You won't regret digging up any of these lesser loved titles as I present my third compilation of underrated movies in the order of release.
1. "The Ugly American"(1963)
They say Brando hit a rough patch in the '60s. Maybe so, but that dry spell didn't include his verbose ambassador in Southeast Asia that didn't detour the 1950s phenom on his path to immortality.
2. "I Never Sang for My Father"(1970)
Gene Hackman and Melvyn Douglas were both moving in this impeccably written and acted tale(100% on RT) of father and son, that doesn't EVER seem to get mentioned when great movies are discussed.
3. "The Conversation"(1974)
Hackman's best role this side of Popeye Doyle was sullen surveillance expert Harry Caul in Francis Ford Coppola's fourth best movie. Don't even think about calling yourself a movie buff if you haven't seen Gene playing the saxophone in his ransacked apartment.
4. "The China Syndrome"(1979)
1970s goddess Jane Fonda teams with a typically great Jack Lemmon to overt a meltdown at a nuclear power plant in this topical triumph that also provided a bearded Michael Douglas with his screen breakthrough.
5. "Blow-Out"(1981)
There's more to John Travolta than "Grease", Saturday Night Fever" and "Pulp Fiction"(okay, not much more). Seek out Brian De Palma's crackling thriller about a movie sound man embroiled in a political assassination to see JT's talent and charm on full display.
6. "Thief"(1981)
James Caan is a professional um, thief in Michael Mann's directorial debut that set the tone for his classy exploration into the lives of career criminals that reached it's ultra-polished peak in 1995's "Heat".
7. "The Verdict"(1982)
The late, great Paul Newman gave us many roles to cherish throughout his storied onscreen life, and his alcoholic ambulance-chaser Francis Galvin deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Luke, Butch Cassidy and 'Fast' Eddie Felson in Sidney Lumet's spiritual sequel to "12 Angry Men".
8. "Star 80"(1983)
The shocking demise of 1980's Playboy Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten is disturbingly recounted in director Bob Fosse's swan song, thanks to commendable performances from Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts.
9. "Silkwood"(1983)
A white-hot Meryl Streep followed up her incomparable work in "Sophie's Choice" with another tragic heroine that kept her safely atop the leading lady hierarchy. Karen Silkwood was a chemical technician and labor union activist who died mysteriously in 1974 after raising concerns about the health and safety of workers in an Oklahoma nuclear facility. Director Mike Nichols(get used to that name) paints an authentic portrait of working-class, small town drudgery.
10. "Once Upon a Time in America"(1984)
In an alternate reality, Sergio Leone's sprawling, three hour and forty-nine minute mob epic occupies a similar place in our collective memory as "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas". As it stands now, only obsessive film fans like myself got to enjoy the violent saga of Robert De Niro's Prohibition era hood 'Noodles' and his decades of depravity.
11. "Salvador"(1986)
A jumpy James Woods is at his best as a strung-out journalist entangled in the Salvadoran Civil War in this grim Oliver Stone historical document that wasn't half as popular as "Platoon"(released the same year) and only did a fraction of it's box office, but I suspect that's why you're reading this blog.
12. "Sid and Nancy"(1986)
A wiry English chameleon known as Gary Oldman exploded onto U.S movie screens in this turbulent tale of Sex Pistols front-man Sid Viscous and his destructive, drug-fueled union with ill-fated girlfriend Nancy Spungen(Chloe Webb).
13. "Broadcast News"(1987)
A highly appealing Holly Hunter will leave you wondering why she didn't become a omnipotent leading lady(I think it was the accent) as she's torn between William Hurt's handsome hotshot and the ever-affable Albert Brooks(both in top form) in this buoyant newsroom comedy from "Terms of Endearment" director James L. Brooks.
14. "Biloxi Blues"(1988)
Mathew Broderick squares off with Christopher Walken in this upbeat film version of the middle chapter in playwright extraordinaire Neil Simon's stage trilogy("Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound" are the bookends, if anyone cares). Broderick has never been better outside of Bueller, while Walken brings his own brand of unique intimidation.
15. "Dangerous Liasons"(1988)
Forget "Cruel Intentions". Stephen Frears' elegant costume drama would've taken Best Picture if not for Dustin Hoffman's lovable, card-counting savant, and is strangely absent from every 'greatest movies' list I've seen. Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer all bolstered their reputations in this acting master-class set in 18th Century France.
16. "Revenge"(1990)
Forbidden love formed the basis of this slick thriller, starring a prime Kevin Costner, that was rather fittingly the first good film to be released in the 1990s. That undervalued visionary Tony Scott gave Anthony Quinn a comeback, while quietly convincing a wild, young novice named Tarantino that he was the right man to tackle his first screenplay "True Romance".
17. "Postcards from the Edge"(1990)
Meryl Streep gives her lightest and loosest performance circa 1990 as a drug-addled actress in a love/hate relationship with her showbiz veteran mother(an able Shirley MacLaine). Carrie Fisher's semiautobiographical novel is mined for laughs by Mike Nichols, and turned into a sterling showcase for the critically-lauded ladies pictured above.
18. "Jacob's Ladder"(1990)
Tim Robbins is a Vietnam vet suffering from terrifying hallucinations in "Fatal Attraction" director Adrian Lyne's superior psychological horror story, that's sure to get a shoddy remake any day now.
19. "Awakenings"(1990)
Robert De Niro sure strengthened the GOAT argument when he followed up stone-cold Jimmy Conaway with his affecting role as cute catatonic Leonard Lowe in Penny Marshall's touching true story set in a Bronx, NY hospital in '69. Robin Williams' sensitive, caring doctor had me preferring his serious side over his more celebrated comedic contributions.
20. "Guilty by Suspicion"(1991)
De Niro's productivity is astounding(95 films and counting). So much so that this absorbing drama about the Hollywood blacklist of the early 1950s seems to have gone completely unnoticed.
21. "Bugsy"(1991)
Warren Beatty is a forgotten legend in Hollywood, and his last stand as a top-tier leading man came for his forceful, charismatic turn as infamous celebrity gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Seigel opposite future real-life beau Annette Bening. "Rain Man" director Barry Levinson wisely sidesteps most mob movie clichés in his epic telling of Seigel's takeover of Las Vegas in 1947, and gets strong support from Ben Kingsley and Harvey Keitel.
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| "Would it kill you to work more than once every five years?" |
22. "In the Name of the Father"(1993)
Daniel Day Lewis' falsely imprisoned Irishman would've earned him another Best Actor Oscar if Tom Hanks hadn't contracted the AIDS virus that very same year. Director Jim Sheridan's engrossing tale of the 'Guildford Four' received seven Academy Award nominations and zero wins.
23. "The American President"(1995)
Rob Reiner's last respectable movie put Michael Douglas in the Oval Office to romance Annette Bening with the aid of a witty Sorkin screenplay and a cabinet that includes Martin Sheen and Michael J. Fox.
24. "Mr. Holland's Opus"(1995)
Richard Dreyfuss hints at the kind of movie star he might have been, as an orchestra composer forced to settle for a life-affirming thirty-year gig as a high school music teacher in the sort of feel-good fare that Disney does so well.
25. "The People vs. Larry Flynt"(1996)
Woody Harrelson is definitely one of the most interesting and underappreciated performers in the biz, and his role as controversial smut peddler turned First Amendment champion Larry Flynt was the culmination of his unlikely run as a '90s leading man. Director Milos Forman("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Amadeus") made a most welcome return to filmmaking to chart the many trials and tribulations of the 'Hustler' magazine founder in the '70s and early '80s.
26. "Amistad"(1997)
Spielberg is a huge history buff, and should be just as known for his educational epics as he is for his legendary commercial instincts. His trying tale of an 1839 slave ship mutiny shouldn't be confined to classrooms with a harrowingly horrific flashback balancing out heavy courtroom drama. Anthony Hopkins is the acting standout in a cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Mathew McConaughey and Djimon Hounsou.
27. "The Insider"(1999)
One year before audiences chanted 'Maximus', Russell Crowe was proving his worth in Michael Mann's captivating true story about a tobacco industry whistleblower selling his secrets to "60 Minutes". The 33 year old multi-dimensional Australian disappears into the part of pensive fifty-something family man Jeff Wigand and left little doubt that he was here to stay. Oh, Pacino's in it, too.
28. "Unbreakable"(2000)
M Night Shyamalan's quiet, contemplative take on superhero mythology was labeled a disappointment at the time of it's release, yet recent reappraisals have seen it sharing similar stature to his masterpiece "The Sixth Sense". Bruce Willis delivers another one of his solidly subdued non-action roles, while Sam Jackson's sinister Mr. Glass was one of the last times he did more than just collect a paycheck.
29. "Closer"(2004)
Mike Nichols is back in "Virginia Woolf"/"Carnal Knowledge" territory for this brutal relationship drama that sees Jude Law and Clive Owen vying for the affections of two lovely Oscar winners(Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman). All four furthered the late filmmaker's rep as the ultimate actor's director.
30. "Hotel Rwanda"(2004)
Don Cheadle's brave hotelier saves the lives of a thousand African refugees during a 1994 genocide that went curiously underreported despite the loss of a million lives and the presence of 24 hour news channels. The power of film turned our attention to those tragic three months in a devastating drama that earned comparisons to "Schindler's List".
31. "United 93"(2006)
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood tackled the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Fortunately, one of the first directors to do so was Paul Greengrass(taking a break from "Bourne") and his reenactment of that terrible Tuesday morning that left the entire world in mourning is about as un-Hollywood as it gets.
32. "The Good Shepherd"(2006)
Matt Damon solidified his A-list position as an icy CIA cofounder that can't even crack a smile when Angelina Jolie is waiting for him at home, in this Robert De Niro-directed, Eric Roth-scripted Oscar bait. Joe Pesci made his first appearance in eight years, in a supporting cast that includes William Hurt and John Turturro. "Shepherd" will surely get a TV adaptation at some point.
33. "Zodiac"(2007)
David Fincher used the infamous, unsolved Zodiac murders that gripped Northern California in the late '60s to further his rep as one of the most vital filmmakers of this celluloid era. The man who gave us "Seven" and "Fight Club" maintains a high level of tension and interest over the course two hours and 37 minutes with a story that has no real resolution- a rather remarkable feat. Featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and a pre-"Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr.
34. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"(2007)
A careful inspection of Brad Pitt's filmography reveals a commitment to quality usually found in AFI tributes. His unsung portrayal of Old West outlaw Jesse James will definitely get mentioned during his, in Andrew Dominik's melancholy vision of the 1880s, while Casey Affleck shines as the reviled Robert Ford.
35. "Beowulf"(2007)
Robert Zemeckis' eight year affair with motion capture technology had it's share of detractors, but at least he TRIED to break new ground which is more than most directors can say. Ray Winstone, Robin Wright, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Crispin Glover and John Malkovich all wore glowing tracksuits for this action-packed interpretation of the Old English poem.
36. "Charlie Wilson's War"(2007)
Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were no match for Anton Chigargh and Daniel Plainview during the '07 awards season, despite an edgy assist from Philip Seymour Hoffman in Mike Nichols' fact-based farewell about a cavalier Congressman that takes an unexpected interest in the plight of the 1980s Afghan people.
37. "Public Enemies"(2009)
Johnny Depp should've drawn a bigger crowd as John Dillinger, the notorious 1930s gangster whose Depression era exploits inspired the formation of the FBI. Christian Bale is the straight arrow agent hot on his trail and Marion Cotillard is his 'blackbird' Billy Frechette in another exemplary effort from Michael Mann.
38. "The Town"(2010)
Ben Affleck officially got out of movie jail in this Boston bank robbery barnburner that got the 2010s off to a sizzling start and marked him as a(dare I say) Eastwood-caliber actor-director("Argo" was 2012's Best Picture). Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively, John Hamm, Pete Postlethwaite and Chris Cooper make up an appreciable supporting cast.
39. "Blue Valentine"(2010)
Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams have an achingly realistic romance as low-rent lovebirds whose brewing break-up you may or may not be rooting for. This ain't "The Notebook".
40. "The Kids Are Alright"(2010)
Annette Bening(is she the most underrated actress ever?) and Julianne Moore are totally believable as a longtime lesbian couple whose marriage is tested by Mark Ruffalo's randy sperm donor in this indie gem that the masses predictably paid little attention to.
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