Not only have I developed keen sense of what makes a movie great by watching so many of them, and not only do I know how to write about them, there's one other thing that makes me an ultimate authority when it comes to movie reviews:
I love movies of every kind.
Except musicals. There, I said it. Get over it.
From sci-fi to chick flick (or rom-coms, as most of them are being nicknamed nowadays), from mystery to war, action to drama, even from horror to b-rated (amazing how often those two coincide, actually), I will watch just about any movie under the sun.
There is something about memorizing lines of comedies and going through dialogue with my sister (also an avid movie watcher) or friends, even after we just watched the movie or a particular scene, that is so enjoyable. Call it innocence. Call it not having anything better to do, I don't know. All I know is I once went through the entire Men In Black movie while reciting every line (with the exception of the cuss words, which, in turn, cut out 10 percent of the lines...and that's only a slight exaggeration). That's one of my most proud accomplishments. Please, no sympathy.
What's great about watching a movie is seeing how a director and writer try tackling a particular subject, event or whatever the topic. It's interesting to see what parts of a character's development are shown and what are left out. Or whether the director lets the audience in on what's going on, or whether the audience is just coming along for the ride. There are so many mechanics that go into making a movie, and every time, I am anxious to see how the story is delivered and progresses, how attachments to the characters are formed, and how the ending will tie all of it in.
Reviewers and critics these days are no fun. That's not what this blog is about. Sure, I'm a critical person, but I think what's getting lost in reviews these days is trying to consider what function a movie is trying to perform. Not all movies are trying to garnish Best Picture noms. Not all movies are trying to make statements. Sometimes movies just take us through a storyline, cliched or not, just for the sake of telling a story. That really is the most important part of a movie. I'd rather watch a movie with a well-told story and nothing else than a terrible movie with good actors or lots of special effects (though I do appreciate those very much). After watching a movie, I'm just concerned about whether the movie accomplished what it set out to do.
There are several movies deemed to be "great" that I haven't seen. There's several terrible movies that I shamelessly admit I have seen. What's I've learned - and hope everyone else gets through this blog - is that my opinion is what matters. I'm not going to let the writings of the great Roger Ebert dictate what I should and shouldn't see, or how I should feel about a certain flick. That's what I'd encourage everyone to do: like what you like without remorse. Having said that, I'm also careful not to see movies just because my friends are seeing it because, honestly, sometimes they'll see stuff that I'd never see. Don't get me wrong, I've got an open mind, but I can only take so much Will Ferrell crap before I want get a plane of my own, fly to Beverly Hills, ring his doorbell and just punch him in the face.
On that note, I think it's important for you readers to know the actors/actresses I generally despise and the ones I can't get enough of:
First, there's the "Movies I'll see just because this actor is in it" type, whether they deserve this status or not (most of them do):
Actresses - Kate Beckinsale, Rachel McAdams, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Stiles (there are a few others, but these are the main ones). Also, I don't go screaming "I got to see her", but Anne Hathaway is remarkable.
Actors - Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Hugh Jackman, Ed Norton, Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr., Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio (moreso because of his more recent pictures). Honorable mentions: Matt Damon, Gerard Butler (He's almost there).
Secondly, there's the up-and-comers, the new wave of younger actors/actresses who are becoming mainstays:
Actresses - Emma Stone, Mila Kunis, Ellen Page, Zoe Saldana. Amanda Seyfriend may be added to this list soon.
Actors - Justin Long, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Jesse Eisenberg. Honorable mention: John Krasinski.
Okay, now for the bad. These are a few of the "I don't care for them at all, even though most people love them" actors:
Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, Steve Carrell, Kevin James, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn
Actresses - Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts.
And finally, these are some of the actors who get no respect from me, and I rather wish they'd quit making films:
Will Ferrell, Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Reynolds, Sarah Jessica Parker, Megan Fox (She shouldn't even count as a real actress).
There will be plenty of time for more fleshed out lists of best/worst actors/actresses, as well as lists of favorite movies.
Here's a hint: Star Wars is the greatest set of films. Ever. No debate.
Thanks for checking out the blog, and enjoy!
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