So, Sunday my sister came home from seeing a film -- the French dubbed version of "High Tension". She says, "I liked it up until the point I didn't like it" (I'm paraphrasing).
Essentially her beef with the film was that it was almost brilliant if you could get past the gaping plot hole the size of a Mac truck. It could have been a great 3rd act twist -- it actually was until she said, "hey wait a minute, that can't be right..."
Movie that gets the 3rd act twist right in this vein: The Sixth Sense. Everything in that film lines up and makes sense and on rewatching you half think to yourself, 'how could I miss that??'
This one got close but couldn't reach the bar. And she was there with it. She said it was thrilling, edge of your seat stuff...until the end. So frustrating.
So, any movies that 'had you at hello' but left you before the end of Act III? I'll have to mull over my top pick, but I'll post it soon.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Movies that cheese you off
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11 comments:
Interesting you mention Sixth Sense. I was just commenting over at Kristen's blog that I really disliked the Sixth Sense, primarily because that plot twist was the ONLY thing they got right. I felt I had to sit through a completely boring movie, and then I'm supposed to suddenly love it because the last 5 minutes were kind of cool and had a clever little twist in them.
Two movies that I think got it much more right, with interesting set-ups AND a clever "big reveal" ending are The Usual Suspects and Fight Club. Though I didn't completely love Fight Club, since it was much of the same crap that Fincher has devolved into as a director -- self indulgently showing off his directing pyrotechnics. Still, one of his better films, I think.
It's funny you brought up a plot hole issue. I just posted something about that at my blog. However, I can't think of an example right off the bat, though. I'll get back to you.
Both my wife and I really loved Secret Window with Jonny Depp until the reveal at the end, then we both hated it.
Requiem for a Dream. Nothing to do with twists, but this movie made me so angry. So very, very angry. Your dreams are foolish and they will destroy you? What the HELL kind of theme is that for a movie? You should be ashamed of yourself, Darren.
Not exactly a movie I thought was great but in Hostage there's a point where the "FBI" show up and I was kinda like well why didn't they just do this in the first place. Made everything before hand seem pointless to me.
The end of Pay It Forward, the kid did not have to die...even after all this time that one still sticks in my craw
I'm wondering if Dave and I saw the same movie. I never got that theme from Requiem for a Dream...
But I gotta agree on Pay It Forward.
Garden State really tested my patience with that tacked on happy ending nonsense. The movie should have ended with them parting ways with the promise of being together. The ending as it is now is so sappy..it just stinks.
Erik, the author of the book explicitly states the theme in an interview on the DVD's bonus material.
I thought all of Pay It Forward was horrible, including the senseless ending. Let's throw K-Pax on there too. Never saw much in Kevin Spacey.
There is also a dark, hateful place in my heart for Frailty. "It makes sense...if I'm the other brother!" Uh, no it doesn't.
How about The Bone Collector? There was only one possible suspect, and it turned out to be him. Plus, I didn't believe anybody would be stupid enough to fall for the old come-closer-so-I-can-tell-you-something trick. Sheesh.
City of Angels...BARF. Also, Dragonfly (the last ten minutes were like they were from a completely different movie). Eyes Wide Shut -- like the whole movie was there just for the final punch-line.
Prince of Tides -- just wouldn't end and turned into the Barbara-Streisand-starring-vehicle story, making me want to stab her in the face repeatedly with a cheese knife.
The Mighty -- Sharon Stone ruined the movie with that awful bit at the end, "You see, his heart was just too big..." Again, BARF.
And the all-time, throw-my-popcorn-bucket-at-the movie-screen-and-stomp-out-of-the-theater award goes to: LOST IN TRANSLATION. Murray's whisper at the end was the biggest screenwriting cheat ever perpetrated on a movie audience. Imagine if, in the end of Casablanca, Bogie leaned into Bergman's ear and whispered something completely inaudible, instead of "We'll always have Paris". No sir. Doesn't pass muster.
Bonus classic movie: Our Town (1040). Totally tacked-on it-was-all-a-dream happy ending.
Whew. Had some serious pent-up hostility for those movies. Thanks for the chance to vent.
...the author of the book explicitly states the theme in an interview on the DVD's bonus material.
That's what I get for not getting around to the bonus features. :) I guess I'll have to sit down and watch them.
All of these are great examples!
I was going to mention "Lost In Translation" too. And, of course, the screenplay sheds no light on the ending. I felt like throwing it across the room.
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