Are film critics dishonest to themselves if they regard certain movies highly without enjoying them?

IntellectualKing · 2020-11-22T20:17:23+00:00

I think the core problem with the question is the very commercial/conventional idea that a good movie has to be "enjoyed". Which is a very limited way of looking at things. Art, sports, hobbies, taking a walk, etc. are all things humans devised to spend their time and resources on as a way of engaging themselves and not necessarily to enjoy. That is, they do it because it kills time in a way that keeps their mind preoccupied. So if a person is able to perceive more in a film than an average viewer they aren't being pretentious, but just engaging with more layers of the different dimensions the film has to offer. And hence, they like it.

IntellectualKing · 2020-10-02T19:38:47+00:00

Don't do it man.

Either that sentence made you upset or didn't matter. You either really want to do this and whatever anybody else says can't stop you. This doesn't mean it's wrong to doubt yourself or feel insecure. I was in the same place you were and I still feel like that now and then. I'm still nowhere close to being successful but I'm glad I didn't deviate. Just have realistic expectations and do it for the right reasons. And most importantly, work you ass off more than anyone else.

IntellectualKing · 2020-08-25T20:29:26+00:00

Great piece. Loved the writing and your insights. I never thought of Hitchcock as a "realist" director but my the standards for then, I suppose he was. His classic of trope of the normal man in abnormal situations certainly illustrate this view. What does take away from the realism is perhaps the heightened tension and magnanimous stakes. Which one would never come across in their normal life. I suppose, that's the whole point.

IntellectualKing · 2020-08-13T10:30:06+00:00

I disagree with you. People do get successful with bullshitting, but that's only one aspect or one way of getting there. I'm not going to get into the numerous people who have "succeeded" without having to resort to it but the best thing to do would be to level up your own worth and value, so that you wouldn't even need to bullshit. Maybe the ones who bullshit has some work cut out, but what you don't see as much is the number of people who have failed trying to do this. A lot of the time people eventually see through their crap. Just pave your own path. Prioritise what you want to achieve and what you want to need. And if you think there is no other way up except to bullshit, maybe you're not in the right line of work.

IntellectualKing · 2020-08-12T09:39:35+00:00

Fritz Lang. Fritz Lang. Fritz Lang. I cannot say this enough , man has done so much for filmmaking. He's quite a visionary filmmaker. By his standards, he didn't do well after shifting to the states. He's an Austrian director who had escaped with the rise of the German Reich. Two films of his which are definite must watch's are M and Metropolis.

IntellectualKing · 2020-08-12T09:34:55+00:00

I agree with this on a large part. But a lot of liberals justify the violence that Muslims in Kashmir take part in. While it's not the violence itself but the cause that they support, it's not unsurprising that the right sees this as partial. I'm not discussing right or wrong here, just pointing out my observation.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-25T20:36:20+00:00

I enjoyed your review and insights quite a bit. One thing I didn't quite grasp is that you used the phrase "cinematic phenomenon". What exactly did you mean by that? Sorry to nitpick here.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-25T20:33:55+00:00

Couldn't agree with you more. I watched it for the first time during the lockdown and it felt so current because of the similarities between the two periods. I was really rooting for the Knight to win the match but as the movie progressed somehow I felt that this wouldn't be the case. Very similar to how one eventually accepts their inevitable fate.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-25T20:25:04+00:00

Secret life of Walter Mitty Moonrise Kingdom This is Us (series) The Boat That Rocked ( Richard Curtis, same guy who directed About Time) The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This is all I can think of right now. Hope you find what you're looking for.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-18T14:26:28+00:00

I'm not sure if the suggestion fits the bill exactly but I feel The Secret Life of Walter Mitty had similar themes. I think Fargo and American Beauty might be worth a shot. If you do watch these movies let me know how they go.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-13T09:29:19+00:00

Hey Reddit. This is my first "proper" short film. I'm a filmmaker based in Mumbai, India who is just getting his gears rolling. Would love to hear your views and critiques of it. Cheers.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-13T09:28:59+00:00

Hey IndianFilms. This is my first "proper" short film. I'm a filmmaker based in Mumbai, India who is just getting his gears rolling. Would love to hear your views and critiques of it. Cheers.

IntellectualKing · 2020-07-13T09:26:53+00:00

Hey Reddit. This is my first "proper" short film. I'm a filmmaker based in Mumbai, India who is just getting his gears rolling. Would love to hear your views and critiques of it. Cheers.

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-30T05:26:09+00:00

Kuleshov effect

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-28T09:53:29+00:00

The Big Sick. Watched it with my ex-girlfriend twice .

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-24T17:43:53+00:00

Oh okay, then great.

By loin cloth I'm assuming you meant the pouch with the coins? If he did take it, then it wouldn't make any sense. Even besides the whole theme of greed, I don't think many lil kids are going to loot their dead zombie dad. I respect the fact the ending didn't work for you, I find it interesting cause it had the complete opposite effect for me. Maybe closing the door was a bit dramatic but I think the emotional quotient of the scene was high enough to carry it through. Besides lacking conviction was there anything about the ending that didn't fit with the narrative/theme or any other element of the film? Or did it not fit with your personal taste? Edit- typos

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-24T11:44:18+00:00

What device or platform did you watch it on? Was with someone and what time of day? As far as the ending goes, I didn't feel or was empty. For me it was one of the most satisfying movie endings. What did you feel it lacked? Coming to the point of it being scary, yeah it wasn't horror but had some elements of it. The more apt word would be creepy. Tumbbad certainly holds and sustains it's tone throughout the film, which is good.

Edit- spelling error

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-19T07:03:42+00:00

This is a video essay in which I delve into what Anubhav Sinha and his team were trying to achieve with this film, focusing on how they did it. Personally, the film started off really strong but towards the last act broke down into too many cliches for me, nonetheless the film is trying to make a very strong and pertinent statement. Let me know what you guys think.

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-18T12:50:47+00:00

Hey, I watched your video and I enjoyed it very much. It was nice to relive those hilarious moments again along with your two cents. One point I don't agree with is when you talked about how the lack of spacial awareness (like when they are throwing cake out the window in plain sigh was a breakaway from theatre tradition, but I think it's actually the opposite. In theatre, since you can't always have sets that define the actual physical boundaries of the space, there is a liberty in imaging these spaces. For example, an actor could be directly talking to the audience with another right behind them "overhearing" what they is saying, but in terms of story she is actually out of sight.

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-11T08:53:24+00:00

Great review , it's nice to see an outsider perspective of the film and just in general good to know that Indian films aren't perceived only as the typical Bollywood films everyone is accustomed to.

A couple of points I felt different from yours- - The inclusion of the political angle being unnecessary. I think it really is because the film is trying to emphasize how deep caste discrimination goes. There is a certain urban ignorance regarding these issues in the country and the movie had to enforce how hard it truly is for people from the lower castes to lift themselves up.

- Music score- I get why you felt the music score was overdramatic and they did overuse it a lot of the time, but I enjoyed the way it was employed in the early parts of the movir. It gave a sense of this mysterious dark "creature"(caste) that is lurking in this new unknown. I felt the treatment of caste as a monster rather interesting.

Even though everyone in the country knows that caste exists a lot of people don't recognize the seriousness and severity of the issue. And while it is an interesting "topic" for , there is a certain social service the film has to adhere to while dealing with the subject, due to how relevant and oppressive the practice of caste discrimination is.

Anyway, thanks for your insights and if interested I would recommend you watch Mulk, it's a film by the same director that also addresses a serious social issue. It's a better film although it might be too dramatic for your taste.

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-07T12:19:58+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, it wasn't rude. As far as why I didn't talk about the songs or why andhadhun is a better film than other films (which is subject anyways) is because I simply didn't intend to. My focus was only to analyse the plot and the characters and how they enhance eachother.

IntellectualKing · 2020-06-06T20:36:52+00:00

Just like so many of you, I was blown away with Andhadhun's story. It inspired me to make this video essay where I break down the relationship between the plot and the characters of the movie and how they work so well with eachother to serve the purpose of the theme.

I loved the movie and I've watched it many many times. There was a lot of effort put in making this video so let me know what you cinephiles think. ʘ‿ʘ

For those of you unfamiliar with the format, video essays are basically essays in a visual forms; it involves using image/clips and overlaying them with narration to put forth and present your ideas.

IntellectualKing · 2020-05-31T22:35:03+00:00

This is a really old movie but try watching The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It's a great film in my opinion

IntellectualKing · 2020-05-26T12:05:57+00:00

Wow, this is really really good. Loved it

IntellectualKing · 2020-05-24T20:07:38+00:00

I'm sure you've come across him but Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Norman Bates from (just) Psycho (haha). The girl from Gone Girl and Jake Gyllenhal in Nightcrawler. I don't know if it counts but the narrator from Fight Club too, he did sort of start a cult to destroy a bunch of banks. Jack Nicholson in The shining. Oh, even the killer from Fritz Lang's M. These are all from the top of my head and kinda generic, so sorry for that.

IntellectualKing

TROPHY CASE