Want to be a Film Critic?

Pauline Kael once said during a radio broadcast, "...if you think it so easy to be a critic, so difficult to be a poet or a painter, may I suggest you try both? You may discover why there are so few critics, and so many poets".

Of course, this was said before the advent of The Internet... a foundation from which, film critics have sprung up left and right; self-applied "movie geeks" all eager to get their two cents in before the sun goes down on opening day of the latest blockbuster. Even so, it can be said that while there may not be one right way to write a film review, there are multitudes of wrong ways.

Before pen meets paper, there needs to be a critical understanding of films and the filmmaking process. I can't count the number of times I've heard friends of mine state that they didn't like a movie, only to come up short when pressed for reasons or examples. It usually just boils down to "I don't know, I just didn't like it". Although this is arguably a valid response for casual conversation, it just doesn't pass muster for critiques.

You must be able to watch a film and see it through a critic's eye; see precisely what made a scene work or flop. Was the editing choppy? Did the color not fit the mood? Did the soundtrack not compliment the scene? Was the emotion given by the actor too over the top; would it have worked more to have had a subtle performance? What about that scene struck you as gripping - perhaps the fact that it was one long take instead of over-the-shoulder two camera editing? Most importantly... what was the goal of the filmmakers and did they achieve that goal?

That's not to say that you can't enjoy movies. I love a good popcorn flick as much as the next guy... which is why I think that last question was so important: did the filmmaker achieve their goals? Not everything has to be emotionally gripping or involve the audience. Many times, filmmakers just want to take you for a carnival ride and to attempt to read any further into it would only serve to illicit a barrage of eye-rolling from your readers.

To properly break down the movie, it helps a great deal to understand the process of making a movie. When the glitter and glamour of Hollywood gets brushed out of your eyes and you truly see that to many people, it's just a job like any other, you begin to appreciate how everything comes together. Films are a remarkable group effort and I strongly encourage you to participate in as many of the filmmaking processes as you can.

Such was the realization that dawned on me after writing reviews for a little over a year. So, I signed on as a volunteer for a little independent feature-length film. I walked through the processes of pre-production, casting, rehearsals, filming, editing, post cleanup, scoring, sound, and promotional materials creation. Although the film didn't win any awards and currently only exists on the shelves of the filmmakers, I came through it with a much better understanding of movies and the little things that make them tick.

One of my friends tells me that he pities me - that I can't just enjoy a movie... I have to break it down and review it in my mind as I watch it. To a degree, he's right. It's very difficult for me to turn my brain off and go through a movie entirely on "autopilot". Still, I am careful not to cross that very ill-defined line that plagues many film critics in print today; the expectation of greatness from every single movie. Would "Caddyshack" or "Army of Darkness" hold up under the same scrutinous pen that reviewed "Casablanca"? In my mind, all are fantastic films in their own regard, but should be reviewed on a much different level from one another.

So, now that you have the tools required to start writing your reviews, we will look at the mechanical process of getting your thoughts and opinions across to the reader, in part 2 of 3 - "Breakdown of a Review".