A History of Violence was pretty underrated.

Quite so.

Barry Lyndon bored the hell out of me,

Not the most fast paced movie that ever was, I will agree on that. Still, I first watched it as a teen (already into history) and was in awe. This was first time I could walk into painting of those long gone times ;)

In a similar way, Peter Greenaway, the English director did a few great movies too: The Draughtsman's Contract, 'The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover', Prospero's Books,...