I love movies, but believe when it comes to choosing and enjoying them I have the maturity of a teenager. Case in point: I have been to three movies in the theatre within the last few months: Inglorious Basterds, District 9 and The Proposal. I must learn that if a film critic finds a movie “intelligent” or “a multilayered, rewarding work” I should steer clear of it at any costs. But if the review states that the show is “…as predictable and comforting as a Happy Meal” or “shamelessly derivative, contrived and predictable” these movies are right up my ally.
When I leave a theatre, I want to feel as if I have been entertained. I want to have laughed, cried, clenched my seat in fright, or even resisted the urge to cheer on the hero/heroine. I want to be engaged in the story—to be sucked in. I don’t want to feel compelled to think about what societal message the director might be portraying or what hidden symbolism embodies a character’s actions.
I pride myself as a “thinker”, but when it comes to the cinema—I seem more interested in piffle. Of the tree before mentioned movies, the only one I really enjoyed was The Proposal. Chucked full of contrived and predictable plot lines with a healthy dose of shoddiness, The Proposal made me laugh, caused me to forget stressors in my life for a moment and step into a bit of romantic fairy tale.
It is for this reason I am a terrible movie-mate. My best friends enjoy those highly intelligent, mind stretching, award winning films while I just don’t want to put that much effort into the pastime. Why does all this matter? Quite frankly, it doesn’t mean anything at all. I just felt the need to proclaim my propensity for mediocre movies aloud, accept it as a part of who I am, and cease guilty about it. There, I said it (or wrote it).
So, this weekend we purchased, On Demand, three movies: X-Men Origins: Wolverine; My Life in Ruins; and Ghost of Girlfriends Past. For the first time in a long while, I enjoyed every last one of them. I got my money’s worth, didn’t feel cheated of the time, and was entertained -- just like any other teenager on the planet.
3 comments:
We have trouble finding movies that we enjoy. We have a running inside joke about whether or not a particular choice will feature a widowed person. Because, for the longest time, every - and I mean every - movie we picked did have a widowed character. (Or worse, when we have a family movie with the little one, there is usually at least one dead parent.)
We saw The Proposal in the theatre and it was pretty much as you said. And it was entertaining in that cliché sort of way.
By far, the best movie we've seen in the theatre in the last year or so was Star Trek.
My kids raved about District 9. We haven't seen it.
We usually find movies by watching the previews of other movies. Recently saw a western - Appaloosa - that was pretty good.
We find it's difficult to know about new releases, though, because we don't watch TV, and I guess we rarely look at any entertainment sites that would hype new films. That said, though, I have a preference for independent films and foreign films. Often, the output of Hollywood leaves me feeling like I've wasted my time.
Good on ya for coming to grips with your reality and for not trying to be someone you're not.
Interesting article as for me. I'd like to read a bit more about that topic.
By the way look at the design I've made myself London escorts
I couldnt agree more. i have always found critics reviews to be of another dimesnions. we here are mere mortals who as u pointed need our entertainment. i dont care for character development/subtle references etc. give me a story to remember pls :)
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