This is something I’ve been meaning to talk about for a while. What makes a movie, at least for me score the full 5 /5 points on this blog? It’s for one thing not about perfection. Even the greatest movies you could pick issues with, no … to score such a score, a movie I think needs to first and foremost entertain, and then also surprise. I sometimes go into a movie not expecting much and then can be pleasantly surprised when I enjoy it, or I can be hyped about a movie, love it and then discover it manages to throw something in I couldn’t have predicted – sometimes that’s an emotional feeling like a sad or heart-wrenching scene, or a feel good uplifting scene … or in the case of say a horror movie, managing to genuinely scare me when I’m a totally jaded horror fan (The Conjuring).
To score full marks a movie can be flawed, it can have some issues, but those issues must not annoy or distract from the overall experience. I have so far given just one movie this year 5 /5 which had only been moderately hyped; Straight Outta Compton. But it surprised me, had an effect on me I didn’t expect and entertained massively; doing it’s job well without throwing in anything that took away from the intended experience. I love cinema, movies and the art of movie making so a movie that is both well acted and well made on a technical level scores a lot of points with me (Bird Man).
Yet giving this score is something I don’t do easily and often ruminate over whether that movie really deserves it. I’ve been tempted to knock a movie down to a 4 in the past for exactly that reason, but then again I don’t think a 5 /5 is something to only be given to a tiny few. It should be an award for a movie doing not just what it set out to do, but doing it well enough that it creates an experience that is both memorable and leaves the viewer feeling satisfied. All the movies I have granted this score to have done that for me …. not all will necessarily hold up to that experience over repeated viewings, but … this blog is about first impressions, on seeing a movie for the very first time mostly, so I have to go with my initial reaction, even if that movie is either better or worse on a second viewing. It can happen, and movies I’ve marked down improve when seen a second time. But I also am a great believer in that a movie should do it’s job first time around, and if it needs to be seen multiple times to fully appreciate it, then there is something fundamentally wrong. There are exceptions to this such as movies like The Usual Suspects or Mulholland Drive which are so intricate in their storytelling they’re actually difficult to get one’s head around first time.
So a little advise for anyone just starting out in review writing, something I would never say I am an expert at but have been doing it as a hobby for many years enough to know what I like when I see it … Your enjoyment comes into the final score, Your taste can effect the final score, but always take into account what the movie is attempting to achieve – does it do this? Does it do it well? And most importantly if you are going to give it full marks – does it make you feel, think or experience anything you hadn’t initially expected it to? If all of the above is a yes and your expectations were met, then that’s top marks, depending of course on your scoring system.
Above all else, enjoy movies, cinema and the whole experience. Movies for me, are there to entertain and effect the viewer, to mean something or do a particular job. If they fail to do any of those then I’ll score them appropriately based on their merits and what the movie was trying to achieve. Happy movie watching everyone!
This was great
LikeLiked by 1 person
Craig, I think it’s an interesting question and your point about the emotional impact the film leaves on the viewer is part of that score. The enjoyment factor. I’ve got a lot of films that please me but I can’t say they are “good” films technically. For instance, “The Fifth Element” is so cheesy and I’m embarrassed to admit I love everything about it. The characters–all of them, have me mesmerized. Is it a 5 film? Hell no. But my heart would rate it so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonder how you’d score The Fifth Element…? I gave it a 4 a while back…it’s cheesy, but intentionally so in that very French new-wave style Besson is good at. Oldman especially hams it up. Its not perfect (some of it’s humour is a bit limp) but it is a lot of fun, and it’s oddness and eccentricity in its look and style go in it’s favour but also make it an acquired taste for some.
LikeLike
Hmmm. I suspect it’s a lot like how I would rate “Romeo and Juliet” by Baz. So crazy and wacky you either love it or hate it.
LikeLike
For me it’s a combination of a good story well-told and entertainment. I need to be entertained, engrossed and moved… whether to tears, laughter or even disgust.
LikeLike
Yeah. For me it’s got to be something that makes me think even after the film has finished. On mine I don’t give a rating so can’t argue the same way as Abbi.
LikeLike
Thanks for commenting. I have pondered getting rid of my ratings system, but on the other hand I’ve been using it for a log time so will most likely leave it as it is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great piece. For me the way it makes me feel decides the final score I give. Technical things can play a role, but if the story doesn’t make me feel anything I’m not afraid to give it a low score. As for my 10/10 scores, those are movies which manage to move or “wow” me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I pretty much agree with all your points. Thanks for commenting.
LikeLike
It’s already been said here but for me it definitely comes down to how the film makes me feel afterwards. If it’s pure enjoyment, affects me emotionally or just managed to blow me away it’ll get a 5/5. I also have a policy of viewing every film as a 5 from the beginning. The film then knocks it’s own score down rather than earning the rating. It’s a strange way to do it but it means you give each movie, regardless of prior opinion, the benefit of the doubt.
LikeLike
A good approach to movie reviewing I’d call that. Thanks for your comment.
LikeLike