you the same thing, and so on. Social flip-flopping, I like to think.
Someone said they liked movies, and I asked the fairly obvious question...
"Your favourite movies?"
"Blah blah blah..... yours?"
Here was the sticky bit. I couldn't name any. I think I've seen more
movies than most people within a 40 km radius, yet I couldn't come up
with five movies I liked the most. Why was it so difficult?
Movies have always been in my life. They hinted at a bigger world
beyond my grasp. Different people, different places... acting skills
or cinematographic prowess didn't seem to matter. As long as there was
a tale to tell, I was hooked. Every film, good or bad, was a glimpse
into the mind of another person, and I was hungry for that.
Every once in a while there would be a film that resonated with me, in
a way that had nothing to do with how good it was. They meant
something to me at that point of time in my life, which if I saw now I
would probably classify as drivel. So do I consider them my favourite
films? Or do I consider films I thought to be especially good? Most
films I found to be especially good, and works of art, meant nothing
to me personally, and were forgotten a week later. So that can't be a
favourite, right? What justifies the designation of "favourite film"?
Is it possible to play favourites?
6 comments:
i totally understand what you are saying, but surely you can name a few films which have affected you immensely and are brilliant in terms of the craft too...I am sure that you dont have to name obscure or famous films...the whole point of thinking about favourite films is that you mention the ones ecthed deep in your heart.Incidentally who was the friend you were talking about films with?
hmm...seems you have hit the right note which resonates with a number of people..
if some body says, that terminator 3 was their favourite film, i would probably sneer at them for going after popular opinions....but true with changing times it is pretty difficult to gauge your favourite story.......i remember the time when i loved the cartoon - Aesop Fables, then there was this Jackie Chan movie - Spanish Connection, Stargate..there are so many...
To define favourite would mean, the movie that you can see a number of times at different stages of your life...so yes i believe that your favourites would actually qualify as current favourites....so from this context my current favourite movies are - October Sky, Finding Forrester, Meet Joe Black, Indiana Jones - Raiders of the lost ark and Chokher Bali (bengali version)
and tamal, what do you mean "affect" you the most? I remember "Kyun Ho Gaya Na" coz it affected me the most - i bought tickets in black...i dont think a movie is supposed to leave you amazed and overwhelm with you its greatness....it could be a great movie - like Schindler's List but then it would not figure in as a personal favourite...its a touching movie and all but not a personal favourite..
incidentally rohan, what are your favourite movies !! hehe...
A movie isnt supposed to leave you amazed and overwhelm you with its greatness? Ok..then what is
a movie supposed to do? Beyond the more obvious pleasure principle that is.Yes, not every movie
is supposed to do that,absolutely right.Some are designed to merely entertain and its effects are
not supposed to last beyond the point when we walk out of the theatre. But my question is, that
any art form, be it writing or painting or filmmaking, how can they make a claim to be something
more than just the obvious? That also brings us to the question that has been asked by many
minimalists over the ages-do we need art at all. And if we do, what purpose does it serve? I am
sure, there are many artists, whose work can be percieved as being entirely self indulgent.
I would like to believe that all art forms constantly try to make us see ourselves in a new light, to negotiate our identity, our humanity with our ever changing situations. Anything that makes us
see ourselves in a new light, or opens new paths in our minds and hearts, which questions our
values, or prejudices and of course our practices and makes us want to think beyond the
supericial will be what art is all about. If all that films has to offer is merely the pleasure
factor, then I dont see how it is different from daily mundane television programming (not that I look down upon it- even television has produced some brilliant results-I am currently in the thrall of Angels In America) albeit on a much larger scale. Come to think of it, principally speaking, then there is hardly any difference left between that and p0rnography. The same goes for all other art forms too.
Playin favourites?? now now, it doesn't seem to be difficult.. I see you have more than 5 movies listed on your profile.. ha ha... but i do believe, with time, one's favourites, likes and dislikes change...
-Sunshine :)
To answer the question - what's a favorite movie? - I will relinquish my movie critic arm chair and instead focus on movies that I connect with emotionally/mentally...and yes, that could be very contextual and hence they may not be "great" movies. Who cares? I just like watching Andaz Apna Apna over and over again :)
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