I do so know the feeling of Movies We Are Obligated To Watch (that we never actually get around to watching). I'm a big Spielberg fan from way back, but I must admit I went to the theater to see Schindler's List way back when thinking:

1) It's gonna be hella long

2) It's gonna be hella depressing

And yeah, in an absolute sense, it's both of those -- but wow it is a riveting movie, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, it's so well paced. When it was on TV a few years ago, I tuned in for just the beginning, and ended up sitting through the entire thing.

Yes yes yes it's an experience but it will really and truly keep you enthralled the entire time! Highly recommended!

You know, I came here bearing the same news.

Schindler's List certainly has its critics (I'm not one of them), but those criticisms tend to attack it for its dubious story of uplift in the midst of the infinitely overwhelming story of the Holocaust entire.

Rarely, though, will you hear anyone who has actually seen the movie say it's dull or not enthralling. It is Spielberg at the top of his storytelling game... and while I understand how some people might cringe at the idea of such slick filming, editing, pacing, scoring, and Ben Kingsley's acting - every tool in Spielberg's kit, essentially - put in the service of this topic, making it... er... entertaining.... that is what it in fact does.

I even think there are people that may have seen it years ago, and enjoyed it, but have since let it fade into an abstract memory of black-and-white and cigarrette smoke... but they've forgotten how much the film moves... for lack of a better term.

Obviously, there's very very dark stuff in the movie... but the montage sequence of Ben Kingsley working his balls off forging the papers of individiual Jews, training them in his factory, pulling people out of line, holding up a cooking pot, is bravura filmmaking at its popular-entertainment best.

The Lives of Others and Pan's Labyrinth were two others mentioned in the article that jumped out at me. Both films were pure entertainment that happen to be subtitled.

I think there are films that are like eating-your-vegetables, but many of them have this reputation that don't deserve it.