Movies which gave me more than I expected
You usually have some sort of expectation when you watch a film, and every now and then something comes along which far exceeds what you thought you were going to get. Here, in alphabetical order....
List activity
1.2K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
- 25 titles
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsZooey DeschanelJoseph Gordon-LevittGeoffrey ArendAfter being dumped by the girl he believes to be his soulmate, hopeless romantic Tom Hansen reflects on their relationship to try and figure out where things went wrong and how he can win her back.I was expecting: a standard romcom.
I got: a bittersweet, well-written, unusually structured movie which went in different directions and had some delightful touches - DirectorTodd GraffStarsAly MichalkaVanessa HudgensGaelan ConnellA new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band -- together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.I was expecting: a High School Musical clone
I got: a quirky and original teen romance with some good music and an excellent first kiss sequence - DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsJennifer TillyGina GershonJoe PantolianoTough ex-con Corky and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caesar.I was expecting: sensationalist lesbian shenanigans
I got: a suspense thriller full of unbearable tension - DirectorCraig BrewerStarsChristina RicciSamuel L. JacksonJustin TimberlakeA God-fearing bluesman takes to a wild young woman who, as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, looks everywhere for love, never quite finding it.I was expecting: raunchy steamy sensationalism
I got: raunchy steamy sensationalism, but in the context of a suprisingly moving and emotional study of several characters - DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, in Montenegro.I was expecting: routine Bond action/travelogue with a new bloke who didn't look right
I got: Bond done right for the first time since From Russia With Love - DirectorMark NeveldineBrian TaylorStarsJason StathamAmy SmartClifton Collins Jr.Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker which requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.I was expecting: a standard Jason Statham action thriller
I got: a romp, hilarious from start to finish - DirectorDean ParisotStarsTim AllenSigourney WeaverAlan RickmanThe alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. However, they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.I was expecting: a Star Trek spoof
I got: a Star Trek spoof, but affectionate, thoughtful, well-written and emotional - DirectorDavid MirkinStarsSigourney WeaverJennifer Love HewittGene HackmanA mother and daughter con team seduce and scam wealthy men.I was expecting: a comedy, nothing special
I got: a well thought out and very funny film, with knockout performances from Hackman and Liotta - DirectorHarry ElfontDeborah KaplanStarsRachael Leigh CookTara ReidRosario DawsonA girl group find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy to deliver subliminal messages through popular music.I was expecting: an indifferent live-action adaptation of an indifferent cartoon series
I got: a well-cast satire, with some good music - DirectorPhyllida LloydStarsMeryl StreepPierce BrosnanAmanda SeyfriedDonna, an independent hotelier, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan. She invites three men from her mother's past in hope of meeting her real father.I was expecting: girls' night out superficiality
I got: 2 hours of joy - DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsNicole KidmanEwan McGregorJohn LeguizamoA poor Bohemian poet in 1890s Paris falls for a beautiful courtesan and nightclub star coveted by a jealous duke.I was expecting: turn of the century Parisian goings on
I got: an outrageous and hugely entertaining blend of influences and music - DirectorShawn LevyStarsHugh JackmanEvangeline LillyDakota GoyoIn a near future where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling ex-boxer feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot.I was expecting: some mild sci-fi
I got: A cross between Rocky, Transformers, road trip movies, and father/son bonding movies, which had me smiling throughout - DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsPaul DanoZoe KazanAnnette BeningA novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.I was expecting: nothing in particular
I got: a wonderful quirky little fantasy romance - DirectorBrian GibsonStarsStephen ReaBilly ConnollyJimmy NailFame, fortune and fornication drove the British rock band in the '70s until a divine end. 20 years later, Strange Fruit reunites and goes on a tour with ups and downs on the continent.I was expecting: a low key British rock musical comedy
I got: some terrific character work and some great music, with a musical climax which blew me away - DirectorPierre MorelStarsLiam NeesonMaggie GraceFamke JanssenA retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.I was expecting: a straightforward action thriller
I got: an unforgettable character who really meant business - DirectorJ BlakesonStarsGemma ArtertonEddie MarsanMartin CompstonA rich man's daughter is held captive in an abandoned apartment by two former convicts who abducted her and hold her ransom in exchange for her father's money.I was expecting: a thriller
I got: a claustrophobic 3-hander, full of twists and tension - DirectorHarald ZwartStarsJackie ChanJaden SmithTaraji P. HensonWork causes a single mother to move to China with her young son; in his new home, the boy embraces kung fu, taught to him by a master.I was expecting: a remake
I got: a film which took the story beats of the original and added to them - DirectorFrank DarabontStarsJim CarreyMartin LandauBob BalabanIn 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.I was expecting: a Jim Carrey vehicle (not necessarily a recommendation)
I got: a leisurely and involving story with real meat on the bones - DirectorRon SheltonStarsKevin CostnerRene RussoDon JohnsonA washed-up golf pro working at a driving range tries to qualify for the U.S. Open in order to win the heart of his successful rival's girlfriend.I was expecting: golf (snore)
I got: a thoughtful romantic comedy with a GREAT ending - DirectorRoger MichellStarsPeter O'TooleJodie WhittakerLeslie PhillipsLife for a pair of veteran actors gets turned upside down after they meet a brash teenager.I was expecting: geriatric indifference
I got: one of Peter O'Toole's greatest performances - DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsKevin BaconNeve CampbellMatt DillonA police detective uncovers a conspiracy behind a case involving a high-school guidance counselor when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students.I was expecting: lurid trash
I got: lurid trash, delivered with gusto and fabulous twists and turns - DirectorKevin SmithStarsSeth RogenElizabeth BanksCraig RobinsonLifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.I was expecting: disgusting Seth Rogen humour
I got: heart, sentimentality, and sweetness. And disgusting Seth Rogen humour - DirectorChristopher SmithStarsMelissa GeorgeJoshua McIvorJack TaylorFive friends set sail and their yacht is overturned by a strange and sudden storm. A mysterious ship arrives to rescue them, and what happens next cannot be explained.I was expecting: a routine horror flick
I got: a twisted, convoluted tale which went in unexpected directions, with some truly eerie moments - DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisThe husband of a missing woman becomes the chief suspect in her disappearance.I was expecting: a standard missing woman/murder mystery.
I got: a film which went in a number of directions I wasn't expecting. - DirectorTom TykwerLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsTom HanksHalle BerryHugh GrantAn exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.I was expecting: to be frank, I didn't have a clue what to expect. Accordingly, my expectation-o-meter was set at neutral.
I got: 6 interesting and vastly different stories with subtle connections, some wonderful eye candy, constant visual puzzles, and possibly the most dazzling editing I've ever seen.
