5. Napoleon Dynamite
The Movie: The average mundane life of the awkward titular character in this popular 80s throwback.
What’s Great: The film has rightfully earned a massive cult following, with it’s 80s nostalgia, lovably awkward characters and soundtrack gold.
What’s Not So Great: The film might be a little too awkward for a lot of viewers that aren’t total indie nerds. Or even regular nerds.
4. Kill Bill
The Movie: A wedding party is crashed leaving the bride comatose and and her groom and everybody else dead. She awakens after four years, realizes the situation, and is ready to seek vengeance.
What’s Great: Quentin Tarantino tries to get further into mainstream movies, and succeeds. The fight scenes are what makes the movie, and pay off.
What’s Not So Great: Like all of Quentin’s movies, this movie is uber-violent, and with little redeeming factors. The screenplay lacks the originality Pulp Fiction was built on, as well as the good actors, leaving Uma Thurman and David Carradine to hold up the show.
3. Holy Motors
The Movie: A glimpse into the life of Monsieur Oscar, a dark man who takes on the roles of several people: Captain of an industry, an assassin, a beggar, and a family man.
What’s Great: Denis Lavant as Monsieur is probably the most talented, intriguing actors ever, just for this movie alone.
What’s Not So Great: The whole movie is one big jumble. It’s frequently confusing and dark, making it harder for viewers to relate with it.
2. Tree of Life
The Movie: A man recounts his childhood living with an abusive father.
What’s Great: The editing and visuals are dream like, everything is put together beautifully. Brad Pitt shows us again that he can act. The kids do a believable job in the movie, and Jessica Chastain stars in her breakout role.
What’s Not So Great: The first forty minutes is full of symbolism and images of how the universe was created. The other part of the movie has no narrative, almost no plotline. It’s hard for mainstream viewers to stomach, and made many of them walk out of the theater before the first hour.
1. The Master
The Movie: A troubled WWII veteran Freddie arrives home from the war shaken and depressed, until he meets a cult lead by the engrossing author Lancaster Dodd.
What’s Great: Director P.T. Anderson shines as always. The artistic style, editing, colors, almost every aspect of camerawork is incredible. Joaquin Pheonix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are quite possibly the greatest actors of our time, proving so with their beautiful Oscar worthy performances.
What’s Not So Great: The screenplay is dark and depressing, nothing is particularly happy about it. The actors’s beyond the call performances are sure to make viewers gloomy.