A slow build up to a climax ... in a movie, I mean.

June 18, 2009 6:35 AM

I thoroughly enjoyed "Little Children" and "In the Bedroom", and Todd Field only puts out movies so often. What other movies / directors might I enjoy?

I like the slow build up to a climatic ending (but no gimmicks like "The Sixth Sense", or anything too M. Night Shyamalan-ish), although I guess I am just looking for some solid and well crafted dramas ... I am just at a loss for where to start.

Any mefites out there who'd like to share some suggestions?

posted by TheyCallItPeace to media & arts (19 comments total)

Blood Simple
Magnolia (may be considered a bit gimmicky, but it's an excellent film)
Barry Lyndon

I'll post more as I think of them.
posted by happy scrappy at 7:05 AM on June 18

Not sure if you like foreign films, but the Dardenne brothers have made some excellent dramas over the years, including their most recent "L'Enfant" (The Child) which won the big award at Cannes a few years back. The amount of raw emotion they generate from a very low budget is simply astonishing.
posted by the foreground at 7:10 AM on June 18

House of Sand and Fog and Life as a House

Not sure why but these two came to mine when I saw "in The Bedroom" listed in the original questions. Both where solid movies that other enjoyed when I recommended them.
posted by tman99 at 7:17 AM on June 18

Foreign movies are good too -- although they can be kinda hard to find where I live. Then again there is always the internets ...

For example, I liked La Haine, although it is not quite up there with the other movies I mentioned.
posted by TheyCallItPeace at 7:18 AM on June 18

Once Upon a Time in the West
The Lives of Others
Crimes and Misdemeanors
posted by happy scrappy at 7:26 AM on June 18

The Squid and the Whale (not really a climactic ending, but a nice solid drama)
The Lives of Others (It is in German, but is really just amazingly good)
Children of Men
posted by ephemerista at 7:27 AM on June 18

Oh also, you might like Robert Altman's early films, McCabe & Mrs. Miller in particular.
posted by ephemerista at 7:29 AM on June 18 [1 favorite]

You Can Count on Me
posted by slyrabbit at 7:46 AM on June 18 [1 favorite]

Ikiru
Happiness
Punch Drunk Love
posted by happy scrappy at 7:48 AM on June 18

I just watched a french film last night " I've loved you so long" and it was really good. Came out just last year.
posted by Rocket26 at 7:58 AM on June 18

You would probably really enjoy "Enduring Love" (note: it is not a love story). Also, "The Ice Storm" and possibly "Reservation Road" (not to be confused with "Revolutionary Road", which I haven't yet seen).
posted by yawper at 8:07 AM on June 18

Taxi Driver
Gerry
Autumn Sonata (pretty much anything by Ingmar Bergman)
posted by happy scrappy at 8:09 AM on June 18

25th hour
posted by travis08 at 8:32 AM on June 18

House of Sand and Fog
Punch Drunk Love
Squid & The Whale

I'm not sure why *these* films rang true to me as an answer for your question, but I know that I might have asked this Q myself and this would have been my answer.

That said, I'm not sure there's anything quite like Little Children, which I enjoy immensely.
posted by GilloD at 9:24 AM on June 18

I wasn't a huge fan of Little Children (more because of the characters, I think, then the actual film) but if you're looking for the same suburban dystopia sort of film, and you've not seen it already, American Beauty might be a good choice.

Just for the record, Children of Men was so disturbing I had to shut it off and take a break at one point. Great movie.
posted by elder18 at 10:47 AM on June 18

Hmm. I don't know how to move from Todd Field to movies that I would recommend, having only seen Little Children. But, here are some good dramas, some more climactic than others:

The Day of the Locust
Japanese Story
Dead Man
Deep Water (not a drama -- a documentary, but a great one)
Faces
Magdalene Sisters
The Door in the Floor
Talk To Her
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
The Age of Innocence

I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. Also, didn't mention any movies made before the late 60s (and only two made before the late 1990s), but this is against my better judgment. Also, I didn't list any because I'm not sure if you;re just looking for movie recommendations, but some of the most brilliant drama I've seen lately has originated on tv (in episodic form, I mean) in case you haven't heard.
posted by theefixedstars at 11:36 AM on June 18

I've only seen 'Little Children', not 'In The Bedroom'
I'd recommend
'My Life Without Me'
'The Reader'
I've seen 'Revolutionary Road' and recommend that as well, although it's not exactly a slow build up, but still it was as powerful as 'Little Children'.
posted by threesquare at 12:43 PM on June 18

Marion Bridge
Caché (Hidden)
Red Road
The Celebration
The Sweet Hereafter
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:31 PM on June 18

I am marking the suggestions with movies I have seen and which I have liked (along the same vein of Little Children and In the Bedroom).

Caché
My Life Without Me
Revolutionary Road
25th hour
Talk to Her
Punch Drunk Love
Ice Storm
Magnolia
American Beauty

As I watched the new suggestions, I will try to come back and mark the other ones I liked as well! Thanks for all the suggestions, and please keep them coming!! (I wish there was a service out there along the lines of "other people that have liked this movie also liked ...").
posted by TheyCallItPeace at 8:03 AM on June 19