Undervalued, misunderstood, unseen or just generally unliked there are some films which we all have strong feelings about being underrated. Here are eight classics which I don't quite feel get the credit that they deserve.
8.) CHARIOTS OF FIRE
"Now there are just two of us - young Aubrey Montague and myself - who can close our eyes and remember those few young men with hope in our hearts and wings on our heels."
Maybe its because
Vangelis unforgettable theme has been parodied so many times that people can no longer take the film seriously but
Chariots of Fire is nonetheless an exquisite sports drama which features tense, well paced and expertly filmed running sequences that compliment the competitive nature of athletics in the same manner that Raging Bull complimented the bloody and brutal nature of boxing. What is really impressive about
Hugh Hudsons film is that it does not fall into the usual sporting cliché of winners and losers but rather examines the psychology of the start line where the athletes stomachs are tied in knots with their heart-rates accelerating by the second and their minds dizzy through nerves and pressure. It is an inspirational film about self-belief and giving something absolutely everything in a personal battle against pain, self-doubt and an equally aggressive competition. Still has a profound, raw power almost thirty years after it was released.
7.) CUBE
"There is no conspiracy. Nobody is in charge. It's a headless blunder operating under the illusion of a master plan." 
Although a recognised cult classic, a number of
Cubes harsher critics seem to have missed the point of the films drama. Whilst criticising the picture for its rather spare plot progression, they fail to comprehend that this is the key reason why Cube is such an effective and unforgettable movie experience.. By giving the power to the audience,
Vincenco Natalis film provides a thought provoking exercise throughout as we are left to philosophize and ponder over exactly what is happening. Are the characters stuck in purgatory? Is the film an analogy for the meaning of life where we search for reasons but never truly know what were looking for? Is the cube representative of a schizophrenic human mind which features a set of characters constantly debating and trying to get along? A film which takes such an intriguing, minimal approach should be applauded in a generally heavy handed industry which is constantly trying to spoon-feed answers to the audience. I love films which inspire deep thought and discussion whilst still able to entertain through thrilling and visually intriguing content and Cube does exactly that. 6.) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
"No, Tony! You can't fuck the future. The future fucks you! It catches up with you and it fucks you if you ain't planned for it!" 
Frequently dismissed as a loveable, camp melodrama of its time with a dated representations of fashion,
Saturday Night Fever is at its core an identifiable drama about growing up. Whilst the dancing sequences are audaciously presented the most effective scenes feature protagonist Tony Manero starting to realise that he's the king of a very small world and that the dance-floor that he dominates is but a mere escape from his empty, repetitive and meaningless existence. Not without it's flaws in terms of various character cliches and cheesiness,
John Travolta in the greatest performance of his career effectively drives home the poignant theme of trying to find ones place in the world. One of the impressive visual motifs in the film is the Brooklyn Bridge which runs through Manhattan. This presents the picture's very first shot and it is a structure which Tony seems to know everything about. Whilst at first this seems a curious obsession we gradually realise that the bridge is a subtle metaphor for Tony wanting to escape his surroundings but ironically for a man who struts his stuff so extravagantly at the dance-floor he does not possess the worldly confidence to attempt to broaden his horizons. An intelligent, relatable and mature character study which is frequently misunderstood.
5.) DEAD POETS SOCIETY
"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world."
Peter Weir is one of the few film-makers who can handle sentimentality well and he makes an art form out of the process in this film. To start with, we are introduced to a series of conservative and aristocratic schoolboys who are encouraged to learn facts as they go through the monotonous task of reading out poems from an old, worn book. Much like the school system of today this method of education does very little to inspire the students and makes the journey of knowledge both formulaic and dull. Then charismatic John Keating (
Robin Williams) arrives however and he is the kind of teacher that we all wished we had growing up. Rather than mindlessly stroll through poem after poem, Keating tries to inflame the imagination of his students as opposed to just teaching them facts so that they develop a love for learning that becomes the essential ingredient to intelligence. The impact that he has on the boys is profound as they realise that learning can be fun and creative and engaging. These are schoolboys who are on their way to becoming clones of their parents and being taught to be rigid and pompous and then suddenly they are made to see the world in a new light where opportunity and individuality can help guide them towards their dreams and ambitions. This is evident in the astonishing final scene in which some of the students stand on their tables as they look over towards the fired John Keating. He has taught them to see the world from a new perspective and they are standing tall in their enlightenment. It is a moment that gives me goosebumps every time I watch it. This film will resonate strongly with anyone who ever felt trapped or disillusioned by a close minded school system.
4.) FRENZY
" I don't know if you know it, Babs, but you're my type of woman."
It is perhaps not regarded as one of
Alfred Hitchocks true classics but this is most likely due to the fact that
Frenzy feels so far removed from the rest of the directors catalogue. Featuring no star names and filmed in a gritty, authentic style Frenzy is nonetheless an absorbing and technically astounding piece of horror. Through use of clever dramatic irony, a terrifying and unexpected reveal of the films villain and intelligently staged set-pieces Frenzy prevails as a gripping cinematic experience with a string of great scenes and fantastic interjections of black humour in order to provide key moments of light relief. The film sits in good company alongside Dial M for Murder and Shadow of a Doubt as undervalued Hitchcock classics.
3.) MILLER'S CROSSING
"I'm praying to you! Look in your heart! I'm praying to you...."
Miller's Crossing seems to have fallen under the radar within the
Coen Brothers fine catalogue although as a gangster picture it is right up there with masterpieces such as Goodfellas and The Godfather. Featuring exceptional performances from the likes of
Gabriel Bryne, Albert Finney, Jon Polito and
John Turturro the film is great in pretty much every aspect from its cracking, no-nonesense dialogue, to its impeccable set designs, deft plotting, character driven storytelling and adrenalin pumping set-pieces. The film is also the Coen Brothers most hilarious picture but still never descends into farce or sacrifices the impact of the story and the characters. It's a film which I think really hasn't been seen by enough people.
2.) LOVE AND DEATH
"Sonja: Oh don't, Boris, please. Sex without love is an empty experience. Boris: Yes, but as empty experiences go, it's one of the best."
I'm generally not the world's biggest
Woody Allen fan but I think that
Love and Death is undoubtedly a work of pure comedic genius. As a parody of
Tolstoy's heavy handed classic
War and Peace, Love and Death features an irresistible combination of physical gags ,post-modern wisecracks and characters who hilariously take themselves and their lives far too seriously. Having to usually root for Allen as the indulgent, intellectual hero it is refreshing to see him in this film as an object of ridicule; a complete hypocrite of a protagonist who tries to flee war only to boast about his badges when he becomes an accidental hero of the battleground. As the multi-award winning writer/director would probably attest to himself, this film really is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
1.) THE KING OF COMEDY
"It's better to be king for a day than schmuck for a lifetime."
It was a box-office turkey upon release and critics hated it. Even the film's own screenwriter
Paul D. Zimmerman who felt that Martin Scorsese had taken liberties with his script famously said that the film was "like having a baby which looked like Martin Scorsese." Yet years later and the film could not be more relevant as a satirical look on the fickle nature of fame where anyone can earn respect and admirers as long as their face has been plastered on peoples plasma screens. The films protagnist Rupert Pupkin is a deluded stand-up comedian of whom numerous comparisons can be drawn with today's reality television stars. In a flawed but ultimately succesful plan he decides to kidnap comedian
Jerry Lewis so that he can blackmail him to earn a comedy slot on his show. Despite going to jail for his antics Pupkin becomes a celebrity sensation whilst behind bars and is released as a star despite possessing no discernible signs of talent or humour.
The King of Comedy not only comments brilliantly on an increasingly celebrity-obsessed world but also features wonderful doses of black humour from Pupkin alone in his basement using cardboard cut-outs of celebrities to practice running his own show or his banal, fantasy sequences which don't go any deeper than people elaborately informing him of his genius. Scorsese once said that this was his favourite performance of
Robert De Niro and the actor's comically, unhinged psychopath has the brilliant knack of making you laugh and feel disturbed in equal measure. Martin Scorsese's unheralded masterpiece. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU6TBPQRM0c&feature=related So there's my list. What about yours? Please share your thoughts in the comments box and let me know about which films you feel are criminally underrated.