modern movies - are they all utter pap. name a good movie from the last 20 years.

The usual suspects

Big Momma's House

Off the top of my head:-
The Departed
Leon
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
City of God
Django Unchained
Fargo
etc etc there are loads, just a lot of dross chucked in, twas ever thus.........

Its the 80/20 rule .  80% of everything is not worth having be it films books, TV, property, relationships, jobs.  Its a universal law.  Just a different type of crap film these days.

Trainspotting
Lock Stock
Snatch
Big Momma's House 2 and 3

The Pianist
The Lives of Others
Moon

Leon
Sin City
Pitch Black
Gladiator

Lawless (on telly last Saturday)

Shawshank, one of the greatest movies ever.

Groundhog Day.

Personally I thought Midnight Express was a much better prison film (based on a true story) than Shawshank, but was made in 1978

L A Confidential
Big Momma's House
The Departed

I'm inclined to agree with you, zorro.
There's far too much CGI and not enough story lately.

That said, there was a time about 7 or 8 years ago when I saw quite a few films I really enjoyed;

Stardust
Little Children
Fracture
Sunshine
The Illusionist
Flushed Away

But since then, nothing - in fact a couple have been so bad, I walked out halfway through:
Mamma Mia (worst film ever?!)
The Departed (I really didn't like this - obviously, others don't agree)
Happy Feet
Inception

The 80's seemed to have better comedies and better acting.

I agree with you too, pawras. Midnight Express was excellent, also Papillon.
Shawshank (along with The Usual Suspects), not bad, but very overrated.

Most films are overrated full stop.  I would say 95% of Hollywood films are proper sh1te.  4% watchable and 1% are actually good.  Not sure if this is a recent development or not.  Too many explosions, CGI, machinegunnists failing to hit a target, hammy acting and happy endings

STUDYFORM   

But since then, nothing - in fact a couple have been so bad, I walked out halfway through

Happy Feet

TV series are where it's at now.  Movies can't compete.

Mr Eboue beat me to it, The Usual Suspects is a great film and I watched it again last night.

The Prestige was a good film.

two comedies I really enjoyed are midnight run and get shorty

Pulp Fiction, Usual Suspects and Shawshank Redemption are all within your 20 year limit.....


.... just

Far too much cgi rather than plot these days, but this is allegedly so that they’re easily exported abroad.
Also nearly everyone in an action film is basically superhuman and the laws of physics can be defied at will even if it’s not full on sci-fi.

Studyform - yeah papillon was great , pity they stopped the film about 2/3's, through the first book of two books and made out he was an old guy when he escaped when in fact I think he was still in no more than his 30s. It would be ripe for a gritty tv mini series.

Road to Perdition - imo................

I'm just about to watch Ladies in Lavender

I wanted  to watch it yesterday afternoon but Mr Makybe told me to watch it when he was out

City Of God
Black Cat White Cat
Untouchable
Downfall
Burnt By The Sun
Underground
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Original)
Amelie
Pan's Labyrinth
City Of Life And Death
Ring
Brotherhood
Nine Queens
Switchblade Romance
R - Point

Amelie

One of my favourite films.

I'm just about to watch Ladies in Lavender

I wanted  to watch it yesterday afternoon but Mr Makybe told me to watch it when he was out

Which is weird because he was probably watching Labias in Lavender when you were out

More than likely

In the past week i've seen Blue ruin, Predestination and 20,000 days on earth . All recent releases and all very good indeed. A lot of good stuff being made just a question of sifting through the chaff.

Primal Fear.

The quality is dipping fast. Every film now seems to be about a marvel comic book character.

Every film now seems to be about a marvel comic book character.

definitely a response to 9/11 and subsequent events

too much swearing in films - makes me cringe - why do they allow it ?   because its an 18?  that's OK then .

If i popped into Sainsbury's where they were all adults present  and shourted ,Goddamm it give me those f***g eggs ,and where do you  keep the f****g cheese you shi* faced fagg0t c*nt morons ?  - holy f*cking sh*t ! , that wine is on offer  you son of a b*** , and why no self service you ars*holes . I'd probably be frowned at .




Can't watch because of it - last film i enjoyed was maybe 15 - 20 years ago - someone need s to get a grip and ban the unneccassary  swearing .

I take it you don't shop at Lidl?

i have done ,but  any swearing in Lidl i  wouldn't understand what was being said anyway   

No swearing in Ladies in Lavender

I just think  we live in a era where everyone wants to be heard regardless of other folks feelings .

If you can't shout and swear in films or on the street ,maybe paint yourself in tattoos ,maybe get a sex change and tell everyone on daytime TV about it , and if that doesn't work drape the house in flags .

Failing that ,go on a reality TV show and act like a complete c*nt.

What's wrong with society ?   look at me ,look at me .

50 years ago these same folk would have been locked away in an institution .

THE BEST START TO A FILM
AS TO BE
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 

BEST CGI AS TO BE
300 !

BEST BRITISH FILM
SNATCH

Gladiator

The Matrix (only the first)

Lord of the Rings (all three)

I think swearing is okay in films, it makes it more realistic. You only have to look at the soaps where they aren't allowed to swear to realise that.

usual suspect is a must watch if your after characters

there is a good few but you come across the , dont hunt them as you will mostly find p1sh

if good you will end up seeing them at some point , no rush unless your getting scared of the cold this winter , get hunting

I just think  we live in a era where everyone wants to be heard regardless of other folks feelings .

or in other words, attention-seeking w@nkers 

Harry Brown just started on C5+1.

There Will Be Blood is an absolute masterpiece. I know I bang on about films like Oh Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski and Fargo but if I ever had to see one film again it would be There Will Be Blood.

I find anything from Guy Ritchie to be totally overrated

Could everybody stop get ****g shot !

Eddie: They're armed.
Soap: What was that? Armed? What do you mean armed? Armed with what?
Eddie: Err, bad breath, colorful language, feather duster... what do you think they're gonna be armed with? Guns, you tit!

Rory Breaker: If the milk turns out to be sour, I ain't the kinda **** to drink it.

Rory Breaker:
If you hold back anything, I'll kill ya. If you bend the truth or I think your bending the truth, I'll kill ya. If you forget anything I'll kill ya. In fact, you're gonna have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya.

Great lines from lock stock

oh brother where art thou
east is east
black hawk down
y tu mama tambien
kingdom of heaven

There's a few ropey ones creeping in at this late stage but the jury has been back in and delieverda resounding verdict of case not proven.

One not mentioned & just makes the 20 year mark is

The Last Seduction ( doubt many have seen it )

Leon also 20 years old

Last Seduction is great

there's plenty of films to dispute the original premise, but I'd add Being john Malkovich, Un Prophet, Tell No-One, Festen to the list

There's a pile of good films.

Is There Will Be Blood 'ropey' in your opinion EO?

May god strike me dead if i'm ever sat in a cinema with FATTIEWHITEYSLOVEADRINK..

My senility will have really kicked in...

So many excellent films made in the last 20 years, many of them listed in this thread. In a nutshell thread content puts a lie to the nonsense of the OP's statement.

Thin and Crispy -- Flatstats?

The Assassination of Jesse James, etc...

The Wall (German)...Downfall...Baader Meinhoff Complex...great films.

True Grit remake with Jeff Bridges - probably even better than the John Wayne version.

Groundhog Day.

There will be blood, and i'm not being controversial for the sake of it here, was hugely disappointing imo.  Loved Fargo, The Big Lebowski and no country for old men however.

I liked TWBB, but the ending was a let-down.

A truly great film. The ending was abrupt and final. ' I am finished ' ....leaving you thinking of all that had happened in his life it came down to this denouement . Daniel Day Lewis thoroughly deserved his Oscar. A genius of an actor.

Velasquez    25 Nov 14 14:30 
The Assassination of Jesse James, etc...

I've said it BEFOUR and I'll say it again, ya bassa, I thought it was boring.

Mrs CMAT liked it though, so it's stored in her collection.

Really like No Country For Old Men.
I'd say Gary Oldman as Stansfield in Leon and Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, are imo two of the best/most enjoyable villians in any film.

Goodfellas and Casino just about fit in to the 20yr mark.

Goodfellas is a very good film. Just looked it up - 1990 !

Munich, an absolute barnstorming film.

some belters mentioned already

nine queens
lives of others

i'll add ...tell no one

Some of my faves from past 20 years

Leaving Las Vegas
Shine
LA Confidential
Gladiator
Irreversible
Crash
Closer
No Country for Old Men
Diving Bell and Butterfly
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall E
UP
Shame
Silver Linings Playbook
Flight
Philomena

It's strange, I enjoyed the book Tell No One but I switched the film off after 20 minutes because I couldn't be bothered with subtitles.

Mr. Taxi - if someone made a film that was 5 hours long, with people travelling through snow on horseback, I'd watch it. That is my ideal film...so...

Also, the ending was brilliant, as Robert Ford re- SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! - as Robert Ford re-enacts the murder, night after night, on the stage ; the best insight into Big Brother celebrity culture ever - even better than The King of Comedy.

Mrs. CMAT obviously just fancies Brad Pitt IMO...

Let the right one in
Pans Labyrinth

Far too much unnecessary swearing in films these days. It's not realistic of every day life except in some circumstances so why put it in?

Nov 25, 2014 -- 8:33AM, Velasquez wrote:

True Grit remake with Jeff Bridges - probably even better than the John Wayne version.

I did originally agree with that line of thinking but having seen both versions three times this year i have to agree with yer man g2d that the original was far superior. having said that I really liked the remake a lot and the kid who played Maddie was excellent.

The  best  I have seen in the last few years Captain Phillips

was gonna say learn to read kenbo

I've read the book. I'm not reading the frigging film too!!!!

Titanic - Shoite story but great effects and nerve jangling last hour imo

Knocked up - FAF

No Country For Old Men
Moneyball
Apocalypto
Goodfellas
Silence Of The Lambs
Unforgiven
Groundhog Day
Heat
Fargo
American Beauty
The Matrix
Sideways
Happiness
As Good As It Gets
A Few Good Men
Wolf Of Wall Street
Dallas Buyers Club
Wedding Crashers
American Psycho
Swingers
Into The Wild
Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny
School Of Rock
Shallow Hal
High Fidelity
The Cable Guy
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Snatch
Lock,Stock & TSB.
Se7en
Jackie Brown
Casino

theres a few.

Loved Happiness - v few have seen it, and it's hardly one you'd pass round the office.

I really liked alot about Moneyball, but the guys kid was completely unbelievable - the guy who was the subject of the film joked about his wife laughing at the casting of Brad Pitt but that must have been nothing compared to the way they wrote his kids character - sure the guy had a nice family in real life without having the worlds most talented kid in the household too

Roger


Have 19 of that list in my DVD library

lucky number slevin

would imagine most on here have seen it yet not mentioned as far as i can see, still brilliant even when you know the plot