Movies What's the most intelligent, thought provoking movie?

[arathans]

starship troopers

"figuring things out for yourself is the only freedom anyone really has, use that freedom. make up your own mind"

 

[mixmastermo]

Absolutely is a plot hole, among others in the movie. They even showed the wife surviving the invasion and the prick from the insulin needle.

Here's another one- his condition is wildly inconsistent. He can remember certain things seemingly for hours, minutes, or seconds, depending on what the plot needs. He remembered everything Teddy told him, even after leaving the scene and driving away, but he couldn't remember the bartender spitting in a drink right in front of him.

It's still an entertaining movie and the stuff I mentioned doesn't really take away from the central them that someone like that can easily be manipulated.

I'll elaborate a bit more on Memento, and why despite the questions and flaws in logic it is still a great movie

Spoiler: climax

If Teddy is in fact lying to Leonard and Leonard's wife did die at the home invasion and Sammy Jankis was the one who inadvertently killed his wife, it actually makes the movie less interesting.
Leonard has been living his life one day at a time, one moment at a time, and people have found ways to exploit his condition to convince him to do horrible things- including himself. He literally does that to himself at the end of the movie.
Somehow he remembers the events of a woman overdosing on insulin. Rather than live with the guilt and shame that his condition didn't help him realize he was slowly killing his wife, he created a reality where someone else did that.

If Teddy was lying about Sammy Jankis it just becomes a relatively straightforward affair. In a way, the plot holes are needed to make this movie work.

 

[moreorless87]

Absolutely is a plot hole, among others in the movie. They even showed the wife surviving the invasion and the prick from the insulin needle.

Here's another one- his condition is wildly inconsistent. He can remember certain things seemingly for hours, minutes, or seconds, depending on what the plot needs. He remembered everything Teddy told him, even after leaving the scene and driving away, but he couldn't remember the bartender spitting in a drink right in front of him.

It's still an entertaining movie and the stuff I mentioned doesn't really take away from the central them that someone like that can easily be manipulated.

I mean ultimately if your talking "thought provoking" I would say the commentary on the malleability of memory and the toxicity of revenge is a lot more interesting than considering the exact details of the plot which as you say are just about logical enough for it to get away with but don't stand up to intense scrutiny.

Thats really the big divide on Sherdog I would say, the "Film bro" side tends to focus on the details of plot and setting rather than the details of character and theme.

 

[mixmastermo]

I mean ultimately if your talking "thought provoking" I would say the commentary on the malleability of memory and the toxicity of revenge is a lot more interesting than considering the exact details of the plot which as you say are just about logical enough for it to get away with but don't stand up to intense scrutiny.

Thats really the big divide on Sherdog I would say, the "Film bro" side tends to focus on the details of plot and setting rather than the details of character and theme.

Exactly. I haven't seen all of Nolans films but some of his other ones also have similar flaws

Inception
The Dark Knight and Rises

The prestige is airtight though. I can't think of anything wrong there

 

[Revolver]

Matrix

 

[moreorless87]

Exactly. I haven't seen all of Nolans films but some of his other ones also have similar flaws

Inception
The Dark Knight and Rises

The prestige is airtight though. I can't think of anything wrong there

I think Nolan is good at what he does but that tends to be high concept thriller set pieces, I think Memento is probably his most interesting film character wise but I wouldnt say he's really known for great depth there.

I actually liked Tenet and Dunkirk more than a lot of his career because they were so focused on just building up tension and set peices, what I think he does best.

 

[moreorless87]

I always felt like the big divide between what people look for in such films was the original Blade Runner.

On the face of it a high concept thriller but I would argue its really much more concerned with character and theme than it is the exact details of plot and setting. I'm guessing a lot of people go into it wanting a detective story were the tension comes from the unfolding plot of Deckard hunting the replicants and maybe the Tyrell Corps involvement but really the details of the defective story are not what the film is focused on.

I spose thats why Br2049 was more popular with some viewers as whilst it does have characters substance and ideas to it as well its more heavy on the action thriller plot, Gosling connecting the dots and the tension around that is more of a focus.

 

[Natural Order]

My brother used to have it on a loop playing in his room when we were in high school

Back when Alex Jones was cool and interesting and not just a puffier, fatter Republican talking head

miss them days

OG Bohemian Grove days. All down hill from there....

 

[Bob Gray]

12 Angry Men

 

[Aegon Spengler]

Wall E

 

[terrapin]

i dont know about intelligent but the thin red line is very powerful and thought provoking. more than any other movie I've ever watched.

 

[Sobek]

What dreams may come

 

[badascan]

It's not Upstream Color but it could be...

 

[Prutfis]

Kids

 

[Osculater]

Kids

Bully LOL

 

[Rationality]

The Dark Knight trilogy actually has some pretty powerful underlying themes. "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain", "He's not the hero we deserve but the hero we need right now." "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stranger" etc etc

 

[Rob Rain]

I'm going to say Memento for me, just love how it's edited and layed out for us.

Quite a ride it takes us through and for me I'm constantly glued to the screen.

Have you unlocked the easter egg?