The purpose of this list is not to give a critical lambasting to what a great number of viewers consider to be cinematic treasures. What I would like to provide my readers with is an alternative and admittedly more critical perspective to consider, one that hopefully will not detract from a person's appreciation for the films under review. At the same time, I'd question whether these motion pictures really deserve the high accolades bestowed upon them by many in the critical community. Perhaps it's like this: instead of "The emperor has no clothes," I'm saying "He's not quite as well dressed."
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The following are 10 of my personal favourites that cannot in good conscience be fully recommended to everyone. That's not to say these films don't have some positive qualities, for example in originality or how their stories are crafted. They all have, however, inherent flaws; perhaps it's a subject matter too limited in value, or overly simplistic characters given too much unwarranted attention. At the very least, the ten listed suffer from a self-imposed lack of "universal appeal." Below, I will attempt to take an objective look into why these movies fail to reach a higher artistic level while describing my own thrills when viewing them.
(They are listed in alphabetical order)
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Films on this, the highest level of artistic merit, must contain an extraordinary breadth of insight into the human experience, one that transcends any geographical, cultural or genre limitation. Furthermore, their story's development must appear spontaneous and natural, without apparent signs of its author's manipulation. At the same time, the narrative groundwork must be subtly laid so that an audience can strongly identify with, and feel for the characters' outcome. If the work is abstract in nature, it must enthrall and ignite the viewer's imagination. These motion pictures must not only be supremely crafted but reach deep into the bone marrow of our existence to create an everlasting spiritual experience, not unlike that produced by any of the other arts' greatest achievements.
They are listed in alphabetical order:
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