Five Underrated films from the early 10s

Here are five underrated films from the early 2010s that you may have missed.

One thing that has become apparent over the years and that is there are more classic films being made. With digital filmmaking making it easier for more people to make more movies. The downside is that it’s getting harder and harder to choose. It’s the abundance of choice that makes us go back to those old favourites. The upside of more films being made is that from a statistical standpoint it makes it more likely that more classics are being made.

The problem is how do you choose.

Due to the positive reaction on 5 horror films that I love I thought that I’d take the time to recommend a few more movies to you.

Now, let me make one thing clear. These films aren’t indie darlings, they’re all mainstream fare. However, they didn’t set the world on fire. You’ve probably heard of a few of these, maybe you’ve even seen them.

Whether you agree or disagree would you mind letting me know because I want to know what you think.

Without further ado lets get on with the list.

Morning Glory (2010)

This is a romantic comedy, it’s the only one on the list. I do have a soft spot for romantic comedies. There’s a myth that men don’t like them, it’s not true. The problem is it’s hard to do right, but when it is done right, it is some of the sweetest cinema. Don’t put on PS I Love You and call it Bringing Up Baby.

It’s got Rachel McAdams at her pluckiest. She is a small town tv producer who moves to New York to take over a Good Morning America style show. She has to balance the ego of a former beauty queen played by Dianne Keaton and curmudgeonly old school real journalist played by Harrison Ford.

The primary relationship between McAdams and Patrick Wilson’s character isn’t anything special. The movie comes alive when it’s the scenes between McAdams and Ford. The two have this electric chemistry that makes the whole thing transcend. This is as close as Ford has come to playing an antagonist.

Anyway, it’s a better than average romantic comedy that you might want to check out.

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011)

Let me tell you about how unbiased I am about this film. When I saw this, I hadn’t seen the first one. I wasn’t an RDJ fan. I’d seen the first two Guy Ritchie films and thought they were OK.

I didn’t have any skin in the game when it came to this film.

It was way better than it had any right to be.

There are two ways to describe this film. It’s either the gayest straight film or the straightest gay film. The film is a love story between two men. The relationship between Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr is a brilliant double act. RDJ as Holmes is jealous of Watsons (Jude Law) marriage. He ruins the honeymoon, kidnaps his wife and whisks him off on a trip around Europe. You might not see it the first time you watch it, but it’s there in the subtext.

Even the action is good.

The main reason to watch this film is for the double act.

Killing Them Softly (2012)

This one you’ll probably give me a funny look over.

I remember that someone referred to this as Boring them Slowly. This is not for everyone.

It’s a film about bureaucracy in the gangster world. I love movies about the decision-making process especially when it’s about low lifes whos neck are on the line.

It’s also a film about men and how they talk when women aren’t around. I recommend that if you want to understand men better, you should check this film out.

This is based on a book. The dialogue in this film is so raw and blunt. I asked myself if this was created for the movie or if it came from the source. I bought the book to find out. This book was written in the 70s and felt like it was written yesterday.

The film is nasty, brutish and short, you know, the perfect metaphor for life.

There’s an inevitability to events in the film. You know exactly what’s going to happen as soon as it starts and the fun is watching it all unfold.

You know what I don’t think that I can do this film justice in 200 words. So as you’re reading this know that I’m going to be doing something longer.

Of all the films on this list, I recommend this one the most. It flopped when it came out and was considered a failure by audiences and critics alike.

I, however, think that it is one of the top films to have come out in the last ten years.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

This English film is like Harry Potter, it features every British actor to ever Britished.

As spy films go, you can’t get much further away from James Bond than this. It’s way more realistic in that it depicts what the world of espionage is like. It depicts a bunch of civil servants and the only thing that they hate more than their jobs is their coworkers.

Like Killing Them Softly this is a film about men putting on a front to cover for weakness. Men not trusting each other turns out to be a great resource when it comes to making engaging films.

You may find the lack of action and pace a bit lax. Some of the plot can be a bit abstract, even I’m not entirely sure about some points, but you might like this.

A more restrained thriller where just as much rides on a look as much as a gunshot.

The Grey (2011)

I’m not a big fan of Liam Neeson. Just because he’s from Northern Ireland doesn’t give him a pass. Dark Man is good, and his voice work in the Lego Movie is amusing. This may sound like damning with faint praise but what I’m about to say I mean sincerely.

Liam Neeson is reliably wooden. Like Clive Owen, Keanu Reeves and Sean Bean. They’re dependable and unpretentious. They present you the viewer with a blank enough expression. That means you can project your own emotions onto them. You know, like good heroes ought to.

The Grey is Neeson’s best work, and I’ll say the same for writer/director Joe Carnahan.

I described the film to a friend as follows, “Imagine John Paul Sartre wrote a script for William Freidkin in the 70’s, but it didn’t get made till the 80’s”. I’ll admit that I was pitching the film to a pretentious friend, but it’s an apt description.

Neeson and fellow plane crash survivors traverse a barren snowscape chased by wolves.

The beauty of a film like this is in its simplicity. If you want it to be Liam Neeson fights a pack of wolves, that’s fine. If you’re going to read deeper into it, then go ahead.

Again, as I’m writing this, I realise that this is another macho film. I swear I didn’t mean to compile the list like this it just kind of worked out that way.

Is my subconscious trying to tell me something?

Check out the other list of films that I watched.

If you think any of these films suck would you mind telling me why in the comments because I want to know what you think.