Don’t Bother
On this page, I’ll occasionally list a film that I didn’t like.
Let’s Be Cops I’m always on the lookout for a good comedy, and I was assured this was really funny, but with an hour left to go, I just said no.
In Time I watched for a while, then stopped; then tried again, but wished I hadn’t bothered. It was an interesting concept, but…
Take This Waltz (American) I kept watching, waiting for it to get better, but at the end thought “blah, who cares about this silly young woman?”
Tower Heist (American) 2011 I thought some of the cast members might have helped pull this off, but like the caper’s stupid premise, no.
Octubre (Peruvian) 2010 Although this is an award winner (Jury Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival and Golden India Catalina Best Director, Cartegena Film Festival), I just couldn’t get into it. Supposedly a dark comedy, the moments of even the slightest humor were few and far between.
Black Swan (American) 2011 With all the fuss about this movie, I decided to watch it, although I’m glad I didn’t pay to see it in the the theater. I found it sensationalistic, although the music was (as expected) outstanding and the occasional brief dance sequences were lovely.
Cape Fear (American) 1961 The original version, despite Robert Mitchum’s great performance, just didn’t seem genuine enough to draw me into the story. Watch The Night of the Hunter instead. I haven’t seen the later version of Cape Fear (1991), with Robert De Niro.
Dogtooth (Greek) 2010 This won an award at Cannes but I thought it was too bizarre to care about the story. Watch Home instead.
Flash of Genius (American) 2008 Based on the true story of Robert Kearns, a college professor who invented intermittent windshield wipers, and then had to fight long legal battles with the Ford Motor Co. to claim the rights to his invention. The movie didn’t have a lot going for it, and it was difficult to sympathize with Greg Kinnear’s portrayal of Kearns, who became obsessed with the issue for years. Read an article about it instead.
FILMS TO CONSIDER 
I’m looking forward to your ‘Don’t Bother’ picks! My own top pick in this category is a film called ‘Open Water’ based on the true story of an American couple who become stranded when they are left behind during a scuba diving trip. It was so excruciating that the predictable ending couldn’t come soon enough.
Thanks – will not bother with that one.