Gilda

What I'm looking for here are movies you see, and recognize that they're very well done, but cannot connect to because you have some pet peeve, or some issue that prevents you from liking them.

Please note, this is not a thread about movies that got good reviews, but you didn't like; it should be a movie that you recognize is good, you would recommend, but cannot enjoy yourself because of some quirk.

Explain what it is about the movie that you see as high quality, and why it is that it turns you away.

My example:

Sideways:

What's good about it: Grace and I saw it last night, the DVD. The performances were excellent all around, and I thought Paul Giamatti once again hit one out of the park while making it seem effortless. Sandra Oh was luminous and oozed both innocence and sex appeal. I've had a crush on Virginia Madsen for a decade, and she was no less beautiful here. There is a scene in which she describes why she's into wine (wine has a life) which will soon become a standard audition piece for young actresses who will try to match Madsen's delivery and not be able to.

The comic tone is perfect, there are a good dozen laugh out loud moments, and just as many moments of sad truth. I should have been laughing and crying throughout.

Why I can't connect to it:

In nearly every scene in which the Paul Giamatti character is driving, he's driving drunk. At least six or eight times in the movie, he drinks a large amount of wine, gets in his car and drives. As does his friend. As does the Virginia Madsen character. Sandra Oh may be the only one who isn't DWI at some time during the movie.

And the movie makes no comment on this dispicable behavior; treats it as if drinking and driving were just part of everyday life. It drove me nuts, I wanted to strangle Giamatti every time he did it, and it ruined any chance I had to enjoy the movie.

What are some specific, high quality movies that you cannot enjoy because of some personal quirk?

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BAMF

Master and Commander bored the crap out of me. I understand that it may be historically acurate in terms of the ship. However, I want my 2+ hours back.

TexanAvenger

A Clockwork Orange:

In spite of the quality in which it is carried out, Kubrick cut out the last chapter of the book, against the wishes of Anthony Burgess (author), because he saw it as copping out of the point of the book. However, Burgess describes the final chapter of the book, where Alex decides to make himself honestly become a better person, is the story.

Redlemon

The Lion King.

I had the extremely odd sensation of crying at a "sad" part, knowing full well that I was being manipulated, because I really didn't care about the characters at all. I almost felt like they were using subliminals or something to force emotions into me. I have no problem with tears when they make sense, but this was pure manipulation.

And Gilda, that's a very interesting point. I haven't seen Sideways, but that aspect would piss me off as well if I were to see it.

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RickB

Pulp Fiction

I saw it just one time and I could recognize that it was a "classic" film due to the sequence in which it is shown and it certainly seems to be very popular but I just didn't see the point of all of the killing. Now I'm not opposed to violence but this just didn't make sense to me.

guthmund

Off the top of my head...

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero

Both are spectacular movies, but filled with sub-titles, which, for me detract from experience because I spend all my time watching the subtitles instead of watching the movie itself.

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maleficent

I saw Crouching Tiger as an inflight movie and it was dubbed... I think I would have much preferred subtitles, or nothing at all - -I think if the movie is good enough you don't need translations - -you can figure out whats going on -- Kinda like an opera...

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-Ever-

I hated Lost in Translation although I understand what it's trying to convey and respect it's attempt in trying so. I felt the relationship between Murray and Johanson was completely unbelieveable due to some weird peeve between their acting.

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cellophanedeity

Seven was brilliant. Excellent acting, awesome plot, even an interesting moral and theme, but I didn't like it.

I couldn't get over the "lust" kill. I cried and I still think of it from time to time.

Same goes for Requiem for a Dream. I love it, but I'll never watch it again. The girlfriend's fate makes me very unnerved and I ended up crying last time.

With the amount of emotion seeing abuse against women throws me into, you'd think I'd have gone through it. Thank the fates I haven't, but I can't bear to think of anyone needing to go through that.

FoolThemAll

Most war films. Most westerns.

In the Bedroom. Well done, but I haven't the slightest desire to see it a second time.

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ShaniFaye

Gladiator and Troy....both of these movies bored me to tears, I cant EVER manage to stay awake during Gladiator....Troy I managed to...once

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Gilda

I have a problem with violence against women, but only when it's actually shown on screen, and only when it's realistic.

Lust was indeed bad, but the one that I can't watch in Se7en is Sloth, and that's partly because I'm into bondage and that's the only one of the seven I can't really separate myself from.

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aberkok

That wasn't the only reason I didn't like RFAD. I found all the characters in general to be morally reprehensible and got the same sort of feeling as you did, Gilda, watching Sideways. I recognise there is a story being told in this movie, but I can't relate to these characters. It seems that they are all just selfish low-lifes who reject any and every oppurtunity to save themselves.

I think there are more important stories to tell out there. This movie is part of the reason I was dissapointed when I heard Arronofsky got the director chair on the Watchmen movie (who knows where in limbo the project is now, though).

Perhaps this is off-topic, since I don't feel too strongly that this is a good movie. For example, I thought it was hitting the audience over the head at the end when all characters are zoomed out from one by one as they curl into the fetal position. Is he trying to tell us they all share the same fate? Really? I couldn't tell from the all consuming addictive behaviour they all shared throughout the entire movie. Way to respect your audience, ass.

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Grasshopper Green

Chicago. It was a beautiful movie to watch; Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, and John C. Reilly were fantastic, and although I didn't like the theme of "I'm guilty but don't deserve the punishment", it was a pretty entertaining story. However, I absolutely CAN NOT stand Catherine Zeta Jones; not her acting, but her as a person. I can't watch a movie with her in it without it being ruined for that very reason, even if it's a good movie.

BTW, Gilda, I too noticed the amount of drinking and driving in Sideways, but I still loved the movie. The Virginia Madsen scene you talked about was brilliant and beautiful.

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feelgood

Moulin Rouge!

It's not often we get movies that's full of singing which I don't mind but there was...something that didn't make it quite make it my good side. The odd transistions between scene, the constant switching between different characters during any song happens far too often to make my head spinning.

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mattevil

Straw Dogs- I own it on DVD(for the Peckinpah doc) I think it's a really well made film maybe Peckinpah's best but it's not enjoyable to watch in any way.

Schindler's List-same reasons

Elphaba

I'm glad I watched The Passion of The Christ, but I doubt I could ever watch it again. The physical violence literally sickened me.

ColonelSpecial

I agree with you, Elphaba, about the Passion. I had many friends who loved that movie but the entire time, all I kept thinking was "this is too violent to show". I felt the same way with "Monster". Charleze Theron was really convincing as the woman who murdered johns but the rapes that were shown were too graphic for me to watch.

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Lead543

I agree with the last two posters. The Passion was so gruesome I thought it took away from what the movie should've been about. I know typcial Jesus movies have a Swedish guy running down the beach in a white bathrobe and a beauty queen sash, but the message of kindness and love was shown minus the brutality. Good concepts, some striking moments, but waaaaay too violent for me to enjoy.

spongy

I would have to say Gone With The Wind. I finally got around to seeing it....
and was greatly disappointed, and no don't play the it was great in the day card, cuz I know lotsa folks who still love it.

Upon reflection , I think my beef with the film is that the mundane things took foreeeeever to happen, but the important things were really fast.. a 2 minute shot of Tara, but the death of her daughter was like a 10 second thing.

Me no likely.

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MexicanOnABike

true that! i hated gladiator... i think it's the actor. they piss me off.
it's the same for lord of the rings: all 3 of them. the frodo character makes me want to kill him... the rest is good.. just not his scenes. that's why i'm glad when gollum finaly arives!!

Troy i didnt like for the reason that we never got into the feel of the war. theres 1000 ships right? and about 50 guys on each? now why do you have to be specific about the 2 guys when we could see a great battle!?!?

another one i dont get is Shrek... i get that it's a good animated movie with some jokes but i hate the fact that ppl like it because ____ is doing the voice of shrek. if it was random guy X, then not much ppl would find it funny.

i got more but i dont want to bore you.

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Gilda

Good responses, thank you!

With Gladiator and Troy, I didn't like them either, but I wouldn't really classify Troy as a good movie. Gladiator just left me cold, because I cant really connect to Russel Crowe; there's no chemistry there for me.

I didn't see the Passion of the Christ, partly because it just doesn't interest me, and partly because of the glaring grammatical error in the title that only seems to bother me.

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~Steven Colbert

snowy

Agreed. I watched half of it and decided to turn it off. Blech. Please--no movie needs that much violence.

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hrandani

When I heard that Elijah Wood was going to play Frodo and Sean Astin was going to play Sam I think I cried for a full day.

Not really. But I felt like it.

And I love the LOTR trilogy as it was written, and the movie minus those two characters would have been brilliant. But I find as I watch it I FF through all their scenes.

God I hate those two actors more than anything.

Gilda

Heh. I think the movies improved on the books in nearly every way. I slogged through the books in high school because it was cool, and in graduate school because I had to, but could never connect to them, but the movies really drew me in.

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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

~Steven Colbert