Help me find movies similar to this...

October 9, 2011 10:49 PM

I am looking for movies that contain a lot of self talk. I don't know what kind of movies these are called and I don't recall the movie that I have seen that was like that. But in brief, the story is mostly about the main character how they view the world around them, they talk to themselves a lot and comment on the things that they see, the movie is slow paced, but deep, with the character sometimes having episodes of dissociation from reality, like surreal experiences, flash backs, and a lot of day dreaming. Any clues, suggestions?
posted by convex to media & arts (34 answers total)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off uses a lot of these techniques, but it sounds like you're looking for something slightly more serious/artsy.
posted by kickingthecrap at 10:51 PM on October 9, 2011

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind fits the bill nicely (also it's a fantastic movie)
.
posted by littlesq at 10:59 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Waking Life is a lot like this, as is What Dreams May Come. I think the appropriate tropes would be Contemplate Our Navels, or more cynically, Fauxlosophic Narration.
posted by Rhaomi at 11:01 PM on October 9, 2011

Bladerunner seems archtypical,
Perhaps also Raising Arizona.
posted by plinth at 11:03 PM on October 9, 2011

Miranda July's recent film The Future is like this.
posted by bubukaba at 11:08 PM on October 9, 2011

Memento is an interesting case.
posted by Abinadab at 11:09 PM on October 9, 2011

If I am remembering correctly, CQ fits your description.
posted by 2ghouls at 11:10 PM on October 9, 2011

Wong Kar-Wai's 'Chungking Express' uses this technique to excellent effect, though the dialogue is in Cantonese.
posted by Zé Pequeno at 11:13 PM on October 9, 2011

It's for TV not the screen, but you might enjoy the monologue of A Sense Of History. Give it time, give it time.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 11:16 PM on October 9, 2011

Cast Away.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:17 PM on October 9, 2011

Adaptation.
posted by hot soup girl at 11:20 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

High Fidelity.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 11:29 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Donnie Darko
Pi
posted by 23skidoo at 11:33 PM on October 9, 2011

My Dinner with Andre
posted by (alice) at 11:38 PM on October 9, 2011

this is Adaptation

and a bit of Spider-Man
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:49 PM on October 9, 2011

The Haunting.
posted by Afroblanco at 12:11 AM on October 10, 2011

(the original, not the shitty remake)
posted by Afroblanco at 12:12 AM on October 10, 2011

Enter the Void

posted by mikeand1 at 12:42 AM on October 10, 2011

Why has nobody mentioned Fight Club? There's a lot of dissociation in it. OH BOY, is there dissociation. If you haven't seen it, I am so not spoiling it for you.
posted by Heretical at 12:53 AM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

Any Terrence Malick film.

Also, Gregg Araki's movies are full of teens moaning about their lives and experiencing aliens, decapitations and Nazis.
posted by hnnrs at 1:46 AM on October 10, 2011

Any Terrence Malick film.

4real. tree of life has a lot of kinda...not "self-talk" but more like "self-thoughts" of the character(s).
posted by hal_c_on at 2:43 AM on October 10, 2011

Thanks all for the suggestions, some are close to what I have in mind some a bit off.
Self-thoughts? You mean you can hear the character's thoughts? I think this is more of what I am looking for.
I barely remember a scene of a movie where the character is in the supermarket pushing his cart slowly, and you can see what he is looking at and what he is telling himself about it, no conversations at that scene, just him looking at people, and reading labels of products and drifting off into his mind as he analyses things and comes up with theories and conclusions, only to be brought back to reality by someone who needs to pass. I don't know where I've seen that, but the whole movie is similar to the scene, and it is very interesting.
posted by convex at 2:48 AM on October 10, 2011

Based on this new information, I think the movie you are barely remembering is Cashback. Most of the movie is in the protaganist's head, as he has the ability to stop time. It includes many surreal sequences and flashbacks. Also, it is mostly set in a grocery store with many slow dolly shots down the aisles.
posted by 2ghouls at 5:32 AM on October 10, 2011

Thanks 2ghouls, that actually might be where I've seen it, but I am really interested in learning about similar movies. I am interested in this kind of movies and looking to discover more.
posted by convex at 5:39 AM on October 10, 2011

Trainspotting
I ♥ Huckabees
posted by 2ghouls at 5:53 AM on October 10, 2011

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead . I think that is spelled correctly. Lot's of disassociation with reality, lots of trying to determine the nature of reality, lots of very clever dialogue and acting and Hamlet thrown in in the background for good measure. One of my favourite films.
posted by wwax at 6:09 AM on October 10, 2011

Secret Honor
posted by cali59 at 6:46 AM on October 10, 2011

You could try IMDB's "Voice Over Narration" page, possibly refine your search with additional tags. It may also be worth it to check TV Tropes' "Narrator Tropes" page, particularly entries like Fauxlosophic Narration, Inner Monologue, and Present Tense Narrative.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:52 AM on October 10, 2011

Maybe "Vanilla Sky"..?
posted by foxhat10 at 8:41 AM on October 10, 2011

I think Moon might apply to your criteria. Plus it's a great movie.
posted by sacrifix at 9:52 AM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Lynch's Dune. You can decide whether the addition of "mental narration" was a good thing.


Full disclosure -- I love this movie, but the thought-narration wasn't a plus in my book.
posted by blurker at 10:57 AM on October 10, 2011

The Informant! - a large amount of the movie is the character's internal monologue.
posted by O9scar at 12:18 PM on October 10, 2011

Thanks everyone, you guys are the best.
posted by convex at 2:52 AM on October 11, 2011

Stranger than Fiction?
posted by costanza at 12:18 AM on October 16, 2011