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Created Dec 27, 2013 05:19PM PST • Updated Dec 27, 2013 05:19PM PST

Movies I would like to see – ideally OD

Average

  • Great
  •  
  • 63 Points
Title Released Trust Weighted Summary Viewable
1st The Place Beyond...
2013 Great 86 Points

This story turns into a bigger story film starts with Ryan Gosling, perfect at the 'reckless ex-con dad' conflicted over his desire to be a loving dad then morphs in to a bad-cop movie focusing on Bradley Cooper (and what bad-cop movie could be without Ray Liotta) and then brings it full circle. This interconnected web of stories is done really well for the story itself, but is made great by the very good cast of characters who glue the drama together in fine form.

Full Review »
Added Dec 27, 2013 05:20PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
2nd White Men Can't ...
1992 Great 83 Points

Was this the official birth of professional trash talking? Watching the interplay between Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes was joyfully funny. Add the Cubano chick schtick of Rosie Perez and you have plenty of LOL generation.

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:21PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
3rd Hitchcock
2012 Very Good 17 Points

So, Hitchcock the man was every bit as creepy as his movies, but in a much different way. Anthony Hopkins displays his mastery as he gives us a glimpse in to Hitch's ups and downs during the making of 'Psycho'. Behind every great man is a great woman, and Hellen Mirren (whom I love) is the stalwart that keeps everything together so that the mastermind could do his thing. What an unexpected treat this movie was – I would love to see more about Hollywood's not-so-obvious history.

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:21PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
4th The Great Gatsby
2013 None Yet 0 Points
Added Dec 27, 2013 05:22PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
5th Broken City
2013 Very Good 66 Points

A tremendous cast makes short work of an overwrought but underdone story in Broken City. Crowe, Wahlberg and Zeta-Jones are the single-namers, and Kyle Chandler should be. They're not all. The strong supporting cast includes Barry Pepper, luscious Natalie Martinez and engaging newcomer Britney Theriot.

Russell Crowe plays the Mayor of New York like a Godfather in pinstripes, at daggers with Katherine Zeta-Jones as his wife, and a hero to the gay community. The Mayor sacks Mark Wahlberg's NYPD Detective after a good kill gone bad, then brings him back seven years later to get incrimi…

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:23PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
6th MOON
2009 Really Great 83 Points

Moon is a classic example of the best Sci-Fi has to offer: Looking to the future in terms of technology and in terms of how we all (as a human race) deal with it all. Also necessary are the deep space shots and lots of tension. Add to it a Space Odyssey style computer named Gerty, who besides being personable and nosy – doubles as a coffee-cup holder. Sam Rockwell and the voice of Kevin Spacey (perfect for Gerty IMHO) are a great pair – and will keep you on the edge of your seat to the end.

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:24PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
7th Kick-Ass 2
2013 Great 66 Points

Kick-Ass 2 could've gotten by with Very Good given how beloved Kick-Ass was. Yet it reaches greatness, notwithstanding its horridly extreme edginess: Beware the crap in this movie because it is voluminous.

You end up with a bunch of LOL lines and gags, interspersed with vomit-inducing rudeness and violence. The effect is disconcerting, but doesn't outweigh the copious cleverness and winsome performances.

Much of the cleverness comes from the High School settings. It's been a long time since I've walked those halls, but most underclassmen and seniors alike will recognize the situatio…

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:27PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
8th Fruitvale Station
2013 Great 17 Points

The true story of Oscar Grant is a bitter pill to swallow, in part due to the film's focus on his struggle to pull away from his past and do better for himself, his daughter, and his family. History tends to keep a strong bond for better or worse and when it is compounded by prejudice, it can be insurmountable. Michael B. Jordan does a great job of letting us get to know Oscar, and that's what made the movie tough to watch.

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:27PM PST • Updated May 17, 2014 08:42AM PST
9th Prisoners
2013 Very Good 83 Points

Wahlberg maximizes the moroseness of Hugh Jackman and the understated intensity of Jake Gyllenhaal and intertwines them into a great 'whodunnit' thriller. Kudos for a great cast and an interesting non-obvious plot line

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:29PM PST • Updated May 31, 2014 06:36PM PST
10th Rush
2013 Very Good 66 Points

Movies about real people who lived lives like you'd see in a movie aren't often great movies, which Rush isn't. It is – however – a well executed albeit conventional biopic, of the sporting variety.

Superstar powered by Chris Hemsworth as racing superstar James Hunt, it never reaches RUSH territory. Faint praise perhaps, but only against the sky-high expectations accompanying Ron Howard's big movie.

Rush is a damn good movie about a handsome Formula 1 champion starring the exceptionally handsome Chris Hemsworth. Plus it brings to life the highest levels of F1, meaning car-guys …

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:29PM PST • Updated May 31, 2014 06:36PM PST
11th Enough Said
2013 Very Good 66 Points

A characteristically strong female vibe emotes from Enough Said, writer-director Nicole Holofcener's latest. Her romcom is not all feminine however. Some men are required. Good thing they got a real one.

James Gandolfini – in his final role – charms as a divorced Dad who likes to be comfortable. He develops considerable chemistry and several laughs with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Of course, we expect nothing less from her, a Comedy Queen who has developed sexy-funny chemistry with so many actors going back at least as far as "Seinfeld":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/365349-seinfeld. S…

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:30PM PST • Updated May 31, 2014 06:36PM PST
12th The Spectacular Now
2013 Very Good 17 Points

High school life is about the spectacular now, and then you grow up, or sometimes you don't. This film is a fun lighthearted yet also serious look at transformations. Great acting and story line makes up for the lack of wow-factor.

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:30PM PST • Updated May 31, 2014 06:36PM PST
13th The Book Thief
2013 None Yet 0 Points
Added Dec 27, 2013 05:34PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
14th Dallas Buyers Club
2013 Very Good 86 Points

Matthew McConaughey is great as the grizzled and dying cowboy who discovers he has HIV. Tough to watch – especially the womanizing drinking mans man that becomes so frail and helpless, but its worth it. Also an outstanding supporting cast: Jennifer Garner and especially Jared Leto as the transgender sidekick. Great movie.

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:34PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
15th Inside Llewyn Davis
2013 Perfect 66 Points

The Coen Brothers latest is one of their best, strong praise indeed for the creators of classics that include The Big Lebowski, Intolerable Cruelty and Miller's Crossing. Yet their evocation of a fictionalized early Sixties folk scene is pitch perfect. Star turns, outstanding songs and more than a few laughs elevate Inside Llewyn Davis into their pantheon and easily make it one of "the great movies of 2013":http://www.viewguide.com/vulists/752-2013-great-movies.

Hear the whistle blow 500 miles, Inside Llewyn Davis is in the pantheon now, away from home no more.

Oscar Isaac cut…

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Added Dec 27, 2013 05:34PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
16th Cloud Atlas
2012 None Yet 0 Points
Added Mar 14, 2014 03:36AM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
17th The Fisher King
1991 Great 66 Points

Time hasn't been kind to The Fisher King, a bum's view of New York during the doleful Dinkins years. Terry Gilliam's film of Richard LaGravenese's screenplay is a dystopian tour through NYC in its Hobbesian pre-Giuliani days. Yes, it's still a great movie, albeit its whine doesn't stand the test of time.

Jeff Bridges plays a pre-Howard Stern shock jock with strong traces of a lefty take on Rush Limbaugh, the man who had just then taken over American talk radio. It's a savage set-up to take down American excess, complete with major star power and more than a touch of Monty Python-style…

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Added Mar 20, 2014 06:50AM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
18th Under the Skin
2013 Great 83 Points

Never thought I'd see Scarlett Johansson in such a strange sci-fi film, but boy was it fun watching the sultry alien misdeeds. Loved the Scotland setting – which seemed a perfect breeding ground for the hapless lonely prey. On the con side: despite the mesmerising nudity, the movie dragged on way too slowly, and I grew tired of the blank-stare-Scarlett.

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Added May 04, 2014 02:32PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
19th Joe
2013 Very Good 66 Points

Tye Sheridan continues his JLaw moviestar ascent as yet another grievously put-upon Southern boy in Joe. Nicolas Cage delivers one of his best roles in years as Joe: classic Cage, peccadilloes galore, heavily armed. Textbook movie drama ensues. A wastrel man is made better by protecting an upright boy. Cage & Sheridan play these parts about as well as they can possibly be played. It's still hard to watch, savagely sordid as it is.

David Gordon Green's movie brings to life a dog-eat-dog world, literally dog-eat-dog. It's taken from a Larry Brown novel – Brown being the subject of …

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Added May 04, 2014 02:35PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
20th Bad Words
2014 None Yet 0 Points
Added May 04, 2014 02:36PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
21st The Railway Man
2013 Great 83 Points

An impactful true story about love and war. Such intensity and complexity – and very British – not a normal take, and one that will stand out from others on the same subject. The suffering endured by POWs in Asia was incredible, as is the story of survival and forgiveness.

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Added May 15, 2014 08:00AM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
22nd Million Dollar Arm
2014 Very Good 17 Points

John Hamm is great as he brings Baseball closer to Bollywood in 'Million Dollar Arm'. This family pleaser offers solid entertainment for everyone.

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Added Jun 06, 2014 12:58PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
23rd Coherence
2013 Really Great 83 Points

Cool mind-stretching Sci-fi thriller that puts concepts like alternate reality and parallel universe to good use to keep you guessing until its creepy ending. The film has a 'made for the stage' feel, with a small cast and limited setting. That is actually refreshing in that it keeps your focus on the story – a very necessary thing to do in this case if you want to follow along.

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Added Jul 09, 2014 08:22PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
24th Mojave Moon
1996 Very Good 66 Points

Angelina Jolie & Anne Archer's seductive performances elevate Mojave Moon from failed laffer to delightful catnip.

The movie's about two exceptionally seductive women and the men they attract. Angie plays Anne's daughter 'Elie' Rigby, which has to be the cutest nickname ever. Danny Aiello, 59, plays a guy who says he's 53 and flirts with girls who are 23. Yet he's a dullard, incapable of reacting with anything beyond simple courtesy. Who's procuring whom is a question that arises early.

Jolie's seductive diner scene is a sexy turn for the ages. Parading around braless in tight shi…

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Added Jul 20, 2014 05:33PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
25th The Newton Boys
1998 Very Good 83 Points

Matthew Mcconaughey and his Newton bros robbing and gallivanting with reckless abandon; blowing up things, getting the cash, and getting the women. That's over 80 banks and 6 trains folks! And the kicker? Judges anoint them as just good 'ol boys and give them a relative slap on the wrist. The film provides a fun journey back to cops and robbers circa early 1920's and a special slice of Americana.

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Added Aug 02, 2014 06:54AM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
26th Get on Up
2014 Really Great 66 Points

Get on Up joins the pantheon of great rock biopics, memorializing James Brown as a seminal rockstar whose power, pomp and circumstances paved the way for the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Sly & the Family Stone, hip-hop and every other form of funkable & funkadelic music. Get on Up gets on down.

Chadwick Boseman inhabits James Brown – the Godfather of Soul & the Hardest Working Man in Show Business. First he was Jackie Robinson in "42":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/381024-42, now James Brown. That's half the black Mount Rushmore. As a white guy, I wouldn't presume to name all 4,…

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Added Aug 02, 2014 08:00AM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
27th Super
2010 Very Good 83 Points

Wacky, messy, and a bit over the top – Super seems a movie designed to be a cult favorite for Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page – who are among the few actors that can pull off this type of comedy. Despite lots head-shaking moments, the movie keeps you heavily intrigued, and if you are like me, you'll forgive the sometimes ridiculous turn of events.

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Added Aug 31, 2014 04:15PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
28th The November Man
2014 Good 17 Points

Even though November Man is a predictable formula spy thriller, you've got Pierce Brosnan, who brings that Brosnan-Bond coolness factor. Solid shoot-em-up entertainment and a play on rivalry and head-games between good guy and bad-guy. Luke Spacey is one to watch. Lets hope the pair get written in to something a bit more imaginative in the future.

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Added Aug 31, 2014 04:16PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
29th Hercules
2014 Really Great 83 Points

Brett Ratner does a better than expected job with the Dwane Johnson version of Hercules. The Rock threatens to take Hercules to new heights of the 'brawn over brain' casting pitfall, but he holds his own and at times actually comes across as brainy in addition to brawny. The other great thing about this movie is that it avoids the traditional cheesiness of mythology based movies. The mythology is present, but the focus on the mercenaries who are convinced to do good is a much more compelling story for today's movie goers. You'll get your kick ass action, monsters, and a great complementi…

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Added Aug 31, 2014 04:17PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
30th Lucy
2014 Good 17 Points

Mix equal parts of "Kick Ass":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/380277-kick-ass, "Kill Bill":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/365102-kill-bill-vol-1, and "Limitless":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/380496-limitless – and you get Lucy. A surprisingly entertaining use of Scarlett Johansson as she drug-enhances her way to going after the bad guy and taking no prisoners. A higher rating would have been earned had the ending not been so wacky ("Interstellar":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/381428-interstellar anybody?). Morgan Freeman adds some depth, but Scarlett makes the 2 hours worthwhile.

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Added Aug 31, 2014 04:18PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
31st A Most Wanted Man
2014 Very Good 83 Points

his film shows what happens when you pair a great John le Carré novel with world class acting from Phillip Seymour Hoffman. This is spook film done old-school — no flashy action or outrageous special effects necessary. I didn't miss it at all. The thick tension, important yet nuanced detail, top notch acting, and the unique take on terrorism was all that was needed to make the 2 hours fly by. Great entertainment.

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Added Aug 31, 2014 04:18PM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST
32nd A Simple Plan
1998 Perfect 66 Points

The slippery slope of crime reached a peak cinematic representation in A Simple Plan. An ill-gotten gain sets the plot in motion, after which the movie follows an exquisite slide into further felonious excitations. This scratches several erogenous zones for lovers of crime cinema. We so enjoy viewing the wages of sin.

Sam Raimi is a hit-or-miss director, but his hits are huge, with A Simple Plan an overlooked gem. He gave it a horror ethos. Everybody gets killed, or at least it starts to seem that way, not surprising from the man who created "The Evil Dead":http://www.viewguide.com…

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Added Sep 14, 2014 07:02AM PST • Updated Jan 02, 2015 04:15PM PST

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