The Shape of Reviews to Come

So! I said I would occasionally do some film reviews.  This article won’t actually be a review but rather a foreword on reviews to come - a kind of ‘this is how it’s going to be, you may/may not like it.’ The thing is you all have access to review sites, magazines, and sections of the newspapers, all of which will approach a film review with more journalistic panache and industry insight than I can provide you with here blah blah blah!

Movie critics....lighten up.

However, if you’re anything like me, well….you just don’t read them! They are too long, try to be too clever and – to be honest –are usually loaded with so much of the reviewer’s personal taste that it can lead people to like or, more importantly, dislike the film before they have even seen it! That being the case there isn’t much point me trying to compete or replicate such reviews, nor would I want to.

The problem, as I see it, is that (a) current reviews often apply a critical template entirely unsuitable for the type of film being reviewed and – as mentioned before – stack the deck against the film in viewers minds and (b) – perhaps as a consequence of (a) -  it is becoming increasingly en vogue to think that some films should be more than they need to be i.e. people become overly harsh about certain films because they think that to ‘like,’ or even just be entertained by them, is culturally or socially unacceptable!

This isn’t all to say that you can’t have legitimate criticisms of a film it’s just that sometimes it feels like people almost want to dislike a certain kind of film. If it’s expected to be low brow or ‘popcorn’ it seems it can’t be given any kind of kudos.  I think a lot of this stems from our review system and movie culture and that old adage ‘everyone’s a critic.’ How can you review Fast and the Furious 5 and The Kings Speech and score both on the same scale? It can’t work like that.  There is a time and a place for both AND an audience for both.  Just because someone likes action movies and not historical dramas doesn’t make their taste or views on film any less valid. And, I should stress, vice versa.

So what is the alternative? Well I think instead of ‘scoring’ films I’m simply going to talk about them.  I won’t necessarily call them ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but will simply state who I believe will enjoy them regardless of genre, pedigree, hype or budget.  Of course despite this I will obviously give some of my personal opinion on what a film does well but I will try and avoid, where possible, from creating any kind of bias in your minds…..and if you disagree with me….your wrong!

Steve