OK, indulge me. What are your top 5 films that leave the audience feeling cynical, dark, or spiritually violated? (Not that that's a bad feeling for a film to give...)
In the Company of Men
Your Friends and Neighbors
The Ice Storm
The Magdelene Sisters
Amores Perros
"It's a good deal...it's a good deal for ME!"
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Night of the Living Dead anyone?
shareNo particular order
Unforgiven
Das Boot/Stalingrad/Downfall (Pretty much any German made films about WW2)
Mysterious Skin
Apocalypse Now
Chinatown
Only have 3:
The Virgin Suicides
The Ice Storm
Prozac Nation
"We have no say in the laws, yet we have to obey them like children." Alice Paul, Iron Jawed Angels
I'll add two films that focus on politics, the most cynical game in town:
Bob Roberts
Wag the Dog
And here are a random few by Altman that just left me feeling disgusted for a few hours after I watched them:
(in chronological order)
A Wedding
The Player
Dr. T and the Women
Requiem Of A Dream
American Beauty
The Ice Storm
In The Bedroom
The French Connection
Donnie Darko
A bit more but cant think of them... These are in no paticular order... But maybe put French COnnection at the bottom.
Since this has turned into a list of movies with bleak endings, I'm surprised that "Open Water" and "Cache" haven't appeared yet.
shareI'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet--
The Weather Man. 'Nuff said.
"Utah...Get me two."
Although my wife felt the same way about the film I disagree with your assertion completly.
I think the Ice Storm is designed to crack open the paradigms that we hold onto so tightly. While the film is grim and hard reality, the impression that I got after seeing it was that life is precious and we better always think about those around us as if they may not be here tomorrow. So in esscence the disturbing you felt had a point, as evidenced with the family hugging and Kline crying at the end.
Sometimes it takes drasitc measures to reach people.
-M
Bobshef...
Since this has turned into a list of movies with bleak endings, I'm surprised that "Open Water" and "Cache" haven't appeared yet.
I just want you to think about what you said. No Disrespect or anything, but what you just said is completly wrong. Yes maybe the endings have something to do with it but maybe you should take another look at the movies I listed and stop making assumptions.
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The Royal Tennenbaums
The Ice Storm
The Young Poisoner's Handbook
Fight Club
Match Point
SPOILERS HEREIN:
Certainly, the bleakness of the endings in many of these films may have something to do with many people's feelings of cynicism, but that's not all of the story. Cynicism is (at least the portion of the definition that I'm using) a loss of faith in goodness or selflessness in humans, a jadedness, or an abject feeling of negativity and absence of hope for human kindness. I know that's what I feel when I see the Ice Storm - whereas storms typically baptize characters and wash away sins, the ice storm is frozen and it gives no redemption to the characters who find themselves making selfish, pointless, or meaningless decisions that they can never fess up to. True, the hugging and crying at the end might indicate some hope, but will Kline's character ever be able to fess up to the fact that he fathered the dead boy? Will Allen's character ever be able to face her crumbling marriage and take steps to mend or end it? Will Weaver's character ever become a person who does anything kind or caring for anyone? Will the kids grow up to be kind and caring individuals, or will they be jaded early in life? Therein lies the choice of the word "cynical:" I'm asking for films that make people feel a true loss of humanity in the characters.
However, just because a film is cynical doesn't mean that it can't act as a catalyst for hopefulness, or maybe even relief that our lives are, or should be, different from those of the characters.
My revised list:
Amoros Perros
Ice Storm
Being John Malkovich
Your Friends and Neighbors
In the Company of Men
"The more you drive, the less intelligent you are."
Anyone see Factotum?
Elephant
The War Zone
Requiem for a Dream
Happiness
Irreversible
1. Rules of Attraction
2. Virgin Suicides
3. The Ice Storm
Palindromes and Storytelling.
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