Kermode Uncut: Great Films You Don’t Like

welcome to come at uncut I did a blog last week about the fact that the piano the Jane Campion movie is 25 years old and it's back in cinemas and I really admire it I think it's a brilliant film but I don't actually like it and I said what's the film that has that effect for you what's the film that you really admire that you know is great but you kind of don't really get on with every loads of responses from you here are just some of them unsurprisingly the subject of Citizen Kane has been touched upon a number of times here are two replies about citizen came one from Nick I could never understand why Citizen Kane was often voted best ever film by critics and was relieved when it was knocked off its top spot by vertigo that was a few years ago though that wouldn't be my choice either though I suppose they're both great films it was a really big stink when vertigo took over from Citizen Kane as best film of all time in those bfy polls that happened a few years back this from Jake Leonard 1992 I expect flak for this perhaps justifiably but I'm sad to say Citizen Kane I saw it I admired it I could tell how influential and pioneering it had been I know it was considered the greatest film ever made for a long time I can tell how good a film it is but it just left me cold and get this feeling as though I'd watched a really well-made to our vanity project for Orson Welles don't say that to mark cousins now from Citizen Kane widely hailed as the greatest film ever made - the greatest film ever made The Exorcist and this from Daryl rebook brace yourself the masterpiece that doesn't do it for me is the Exorcist I know it's a classic and everything but it doesn't have the profound impact on me that it seems to have on everyone else I like Lee J Cobb I like the 70s weirdness but the prosthetic effects are so over the top they completely undermine the straight-faced actors ruminations on whether the devil really is involved in Reagan's behavior he clearly is now the issue about the Exorcist is this firstly the idea that the Exodus is one of the greatest films ever made is still a fairly recent one I mean I remember when we were making the fear of God the documentary back in 1998 having to argue the case for that film the other thing is that in terms of the makeup and everything I do understand that but I have to say the looked different when it first came out no one saw the makeup people just saw sheer terror now this is for been wooded and this is interesting I always get bizarre looks when I tell people this but I've never been a massive fan of the Shawshank Redemption I truly admire its scope and its master the storytelling and Freeman and Robbins are fantastic in it but for me I preferred Darabont's The Green Mile it's much more of an emotional film which will always hold a place in my heart now Shawshank is an interesting case because when it first came out it flopped it wasn't a hit in cinemas actually lost money in cinemas it found its audience on video and through word-of-mouth Shawshank is one of those films that's regularly at the top three best movies of all time on the IMDB and it tends to do a little dance with another film The Godfather which many of you wrote in to say that you didn't actually like that you preferred Goodfellas that you thought the Godfather was whisperin boring now I completely disagree I think the Godfather is brilliant but it's amazing how many of you wrote in to say that you thought it was a bit man few more recent titles this from Frederico l'Italia Mad Max fury road for me I respect the incredible hardship George Miller went through to get the film made the artistry and craft behind every frame but the ceaseless school was mind-numbing alle Dunkirk and the characters are incredibly shallow now I must confess that when Mad Max fury road first came out I was kind of iffy about it and I reviewed it in a paper and I said one of the things about it is you get exhausted you kind of get battle fatigue from it because it seems to be at one level I have subsequently rewatched it and specifically I rewatched it in the black-and-white version and I think I misjudged it so I think now it's a better film and I thought when it first came out I think I've got that slightly wrong but interesting to hear it doesn't work for you this from Tom Lincoln incredibly well acted thorough worthy but also long and ultimately pretty dull glad to say I saw it but never again and you're not alone in that even the people that sort of stood up and championed Lincoln in their quiet at moments would go yeah was a bit long couple of last ones this from 10,000 maniacs Brazil it's very intelligent very clever but it leaves me cold it's a film that has just never engaged me emotionally it looks great and has great visuals but I think it's genius is also its downfall it trades characters from mind-blowing ideas I have to say I disagree when I first saw Brazil I was I felt like I've been run over by an emotional train but I went to see that film with a very good friend of mine called Duncan Cooper and we didn't speak to each other during the film and I watched it and I was overwhelmed by it and he watched it and was underwhelmed by it and we came out of the film and I went wow and he went really it was terrible final a couple of points on the subject of jean-luc Godard who came up several times in your responses this from Jack Roth I'm breathless I know the movie was a major one for the young baby boomer generation it was like the invention of electricity it was radical fresh it had a whole new way of observing movies but I find it a total bore now a few of you wrote in about Jean Luc gotta and as you know I've always been a great fan of the Jim McBride remake of breathless I actually prefer it to the Jean Luc gada on the subject of which this from Harry Lime shadow anything by Andrei Tarkovsky who might find to be an interminable bore Solaris Ivan's childhood in the sacrifice I could watch even if I don't have an emotional reaction but the rest just test my patience beyond breaking point once again the Steven Soderbergh remake of Solaris is actually really good [ __ ] I know Solaris is great okay the original Solaris is great Steven Soderbergh is pretty good as well and if anyone's ever feeling any sort of concern about jean-luc godard and how he may not actually be you know the best thing since sliced bread watch redoubtable the michelle has an a vicious comedy about Sean Luke gutter and everything that happened after 1968 I laughed all the way through because it seemed good

Channel: kermodeandmayo

Views: 245,505

Rating: 4.910049 out of 5

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Id: 6z5MVbQxRRI

Length: 6min 18sec (378 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 19 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/billypilgrim_in_time]

Citizen Kane, I think, deserves all of its praise. It’s slow, and boring, is what I hear most of the time. Despite that, it’s also so far ahead of its time in doing that. If PT Anderson had done Citizen Kane right now, I feel those very same people would excuse it. That movie came out in 1941 (I believe), and was so far ahead of its time time, and really focused on not only character, but the different perceptions of the the character by other people. It’s amazing how Welles pulls this off, and on top of that, the cinematography is outstanding. You get to know the character through several accounts of people that knew him. I’m in the book of people that think this movie deserves its title (its amazingly beautifully shot), and also represented something “real” and not hammy for the sake of entertainment. That’s just my opinion, but I think Citizen Kane deserves all of its status. The movie is beautifully shot, even if you get bored, which I, personally, did not.

[u/Ratking82]

Is the film really great as a whole if people hate the story regardless of how well it was executed? What if it was any other flaw and everything else was great?

I don't think you can say its a great film that people don't like, as great film sounds all encompassing. In effect, you're stating each element of the movie is good. From the sound to the video, to the actors, ambiance, music, soundfx and more.

These are just good films in your opinion.

Citizen Kane is a perfect example of something that some people consider good/great/amazing overall, while others don't care for the presentation, or even the story. Good film for some, not for others.