Junebug
Amy Adams isn’t so underrated anymore, but her performance is one of my favorites
James Foley’s At Close Range. The performances by Christopher Walken and Sean Penn are extraordinary but it’s the structure of this film that gets me every time — it’s a perfectly formed Hollywood tragedy.
Also Kenneth Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me. Mark Ruffalo, Laura Linney and Matthew Broderick, all complex, prickly, funny characters that you wish you knew in real life (Laura Linney, anyway.)
I love Amy Adams in Junebug too — also Celia Weston and Alessandro Nivola.
i don’t think those particular ryan gosling films are underrated…i mean shit he got an oscar nom for lars and the real girl. the one movie of his that totally threw me for a loop was stay. now that was TOTALLY underrated and managed incorrectly…its a very good film that most people thought was shit to begin with.
Before she got big-budget notice in “The Dark Knight” and “Stranger Than Fiction,” I used to believe Maggie Gyllenhaal was “our little secret” when I saw her in “Secretary” and “SherryBaby.”
The Mother and The Whore, this movie is underwhelmingly seen and praised. Actors: Jean Pierre-Leaud et Anna Karina
Tom i think Gyllenhall is a fine actress but she was completely miscast in “the dark knight”. My underrated actor who i have mentioned before is Bily Crudup who’s looking bad ass in Watchmen.
“Vampire’s Kiss” is one of my all-time favorite movies, and one that next to nobody has ever heard about. It’s funny as hell and probably the best film ever made about existential loneliness. I also love Scorsese’s “The King of Comedy,” though that movie seems to be getting more love these days.
As for actors, Richard Jenkins, Casey Affleck, Asia Argento, Gael Garcia Bernal, James Cromwell, Joaquin Phoenix, Thora Birch, Michael Pitt and Willem Dafoe are all top-shelf actors who deserve more recognition.
Damian Lewis, I saw him in “Keane”. I did not like the film but his acting was just so good. Also I don’t think Jim Varney ever really got his chance and I don’t know Bruce Campbell ever will to show what they can really do. I have alway’s liked Rachael Leigh Cook but maybe that was just a little crush.
DUSTY B: it’s not Anna Karina in “The Mother & the Whore”. (Wish it was.)
Danny McBride is the new Bill Murray.
Y’all betta reco’nize.
I remember “Vampire’s Kiss”. It’s one of the few times where Nicholas Cage’s scenery chewing actually made sense in the context of the movie.
I think “The Heiress” and “Seance On A Wet Afternoon” deserve much more attention. Especially Seance.
Danny McBride is the new face of comedy.
Whenever I hear ‘underrated’ and ‘actor’, Joseph Gordon Levitt comes to mind. See ‘Brick’ and even the recently mediocre ‘Stop-Loss’ where he was probably the only redeeming thing in the whole movie. Mark my words; JGL will be big. As for underrated movies, am I crazy for thinking that ‘Jackie Brown’ is Tarantino’s best film (after Reservoir Dogs of course)?
Bryan F. O’Byrne
There should be posters at your local movie theater with his name on the top, and in bold.
But there aren’t. Although, I’m not altogether disappoined, he garners such when upon stage.
I still really love The Fountain. Many call it pretentious but I find it quite genuine.
Cillian Murphy kicked ass in The Wind that Shakes the Barley
it won the Palm d’Or but I never see it mentioned much
I thought that was the best movie of its year, actually.
Even still, I don’t believe I’ve seen anything of recent that comes close.
It’s in my own consideration for best movie of the decade, this first of the new millenia.
Wow. Thanks for reminding me of that, Simon.
DB Sweeney
Christian Slater
Michael Cane
Chris Cooper
Alan Delon
Mikey Rourke
Vincent Gallo
to name a few.
I think Catherine Deneuve is a phenomenal actress. Doesn’t get the credit she deserves.
You know who deserves more recognition? Claire Danes. Finest actresses around right now, just people don’t realize it.
OK, I’ll probably think of more later but the two that come to mind right off are Terrence Malick’s BADLANDS and Martin Scorsese’s THE KING OF COMEDY.
These are certainly my favorite’s of the director and rank really high on my all-time favorites. Even this website doesn’t recognize them for me to add as one of my favorites.
De Niro’s performance in The King of Comedy is his finest to date. The King of Comedy is a very underrated film indeed, but I’ve never met a person who’s seen it and didn’t like it. So I guess it’s really overlooked, not so much underrated, but whatever.
DEADLINE AT DAWN. The only film directed by Harold Clurman with a Clifford Odets script based on a Cornell Woolrich novel.
An interesting cast too: Paul Lukas, Bill Williams and a very sexy Susan Hayward. Well worth checking out.
Channing Tatum in “Step Up”. Seriously! I kept thinking, “This movie sucks, but that guy can act! He’s the new James Dean!”
Barry Pepper. He is EXCELLENT in “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
I just rewatched Assassination of Jesse James and was reminded of how incredible Sam Rockwell is as an actor.
Patricia Clarkson in pretty much everything shge touches…but High Art,The Station Agent,and Good Night, Good Luck
I don’t know if Barry Pepper is underrated, but I like him, and I wish he were in more films.
Michel
what are some movies/actors that you find to be amazing but don’t get the proper recognition that they deserve.
The believer by Henry Bean
Lars and the Real girl by Craig Gillepsie
The Son by The Dardenne Brothers
As for actors, Ryan Gosling comes to my mind.
I will update this list as I think of more