Or, at least the one who blathers on at WWTW …
A colleague suggested I share a bit about how I come up with my reviews, and I thought it was a fine idea. Then, it hit me … how do I come up my reviews?
A little self-reflection is never a bad thing.
Movie critics come from various backgrounds like any other profession. Mine happened to include the arts – I’m a recovering art major with three degrees I only use now to entertain my nephews and nieces.
My movie criticism rarely evolves from a fine arts perspective. For me, it’s all about the gut.
I typically bring paper and pen to the theater, scribbling down notes, important snippets of dialogue or themes I’ll want to revisit when I’m back home in front of my laptop.
Yet I often bang out a review without even glancing at my cheat sheet.
It all depends on how a film hits me. Some movies leave such an indelible mark it’s a chore just to edit my feelings down to a manageable length.
More often than not, the minute I leave the theater I start forgetting the film I just saw. Yes, that’s a condemnation of Hollywood circa 2010.
The journalist in me is always seeking a punchy lead to begin my review. It’s often the toughest part to write, and once I nail it the rest of the review flows easier.
Next, I’ll consider how the film works within its genre and expectation level. Is this a blood-n-guts zombie film trying to jolt me from my seat, or a probing drama enlightening us on the human condition?
It’s no fair to slam “Zombieland” because it didn’t change how I view the world.
Sometimes I’ll put my pen down mid film and just get lost in the moment. That means I’m either entranced by the movie or so unenthusiastic that I’ll be able to cobble together my negative thoughts easily at a later date.
I rarely X-ray a movie for content, consistency or creativity. To do so does the medium a disservice. A clunky performance jumps off the screen. So does a great one. I don’t need to look for either … they’ll announce themselves soon enough.
And movies are meant to be enjoyed on a visceral level. It’s not an academic exercise.
My film reviews are far from perfect. I don’t have a great command of accents … so it’s hard for me to tell if an actor is nailing an accent on screen.
And while movie scores can play a pivotal role in the emotion of a given scene, my reviews too often leave the musical portion of the film behind. It’s something I’m working on, suffice to say.
I hope that sheds a little light on what makes WWTW tick. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have about the film reviewing process.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Good post, man. Get asked the same question every now and again, cool to see your thoughts put down like this. Love the reviews and dig the site. Keep on keepin’ on.
About expectations? When I see some previews (and some DVD choices at Blockbuster) I ask myself “what the hell are the studios/writers/producers thinking?” Does pushing the ‘gore, societal dysfunction, and sickness of the human condition’ window benefit anyone other than industry? Sorry for the art/life,life/art question.
Nice article, Toto! Too many critics tend to think of themselves as academics lecturing to the unwashed – they’d never write something as accessible as this.
More often than not, the minute I leave the theater I start forgetting the film I just saw.
I know what you mean. I put this down to almost every movie being composed almost entirely of snippets of things we’ve already seen a few hundred times. E.G. Pocahontas in space.
Nice explanation, Christian. Now, *three* degrees? Wow!
Three degrees I’ve yet to use professionally! Can’t forget that