My Film Criteria

What Makes Excellent Filmmaking

           What makes a movie not just a movie, but an exceptional piece of art that one wants to return to after viewing it once? There are so many aspects to choose from; the protagonist, realism, setting, composition, point of view, mise-en-scene, and the narrative, just to name a few cinematic categories.  I find, for myself, that the realism, composition and the narrative are big factors for me to want to view a movie over and over again. 

            Realism, as related to film, is defined “as an interest in or concern for the actual or real a tendency to view or represent things as they really are.” (Barsam & Monahan, 2016, p. 56)  When I watch movies I enjoy how real it feels, if I can imagine myself there the more I want to watch the movie. 

            The composition of a movie “is the organization, distribution, balance, and general relationship of stationary objects and figures, as well as of light, shade, line, and color, within the frame.” (Barsam & Monahan, 2016, p. 172).  If I can visually see the textures, the lighting, the true to nature composition of the world that is being portrayed, then it allows me to immerse myself deeper into that world that the movie wants me to be in.

            Narrative film also known as “a fiction film.  A movie that tells a story—with characters, places, and events – that is conceived in the mind of the film’s creator.  Stories in narrative films may be wholly imaginary or based on true occurrences, and they may be realistic, unrealistic, or both.” (Barsam & Monahan, 2016, p. 122).  To me, as long as the narrative is able to convince me of the story it is trying to depict then I will allow myself to be taken in by the story.

Oscar winners Brian Helgeland, Kim Bassinger and Curtis Hanson

            After watching L.A. Confidential (1997, dir. Curtis Hanson) based on the L.A. Confidential novel by James Ellroy, for the first time I find that this neo-noir film fits my categories for an exceptional film, however, I never really felt like I was part of the movie.  This film won numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay to Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role to Kim Bassinger.  I do not know if it is because I cannot relate to the realism as being part of law enforcement or if the narrative was too far-fetched with multiple twists and turns in the plot.  

Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), Bud White (Russel Crowe), Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey)

               I do not doubt that this kind of inside corruption does not happen on a daily basis, but I have never been interested by who-done-it films.  I understand that the three main characters; Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), Bud White (Russell Crowe) and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) all had restricted views of the narration, but I had figured out that Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) was behind the good cop facade the whole time.  The composition, I believe, was very well done. The homage to 1950s Los Angeles Cinematographer Dante Spinotti and Production Designer Jeannine Oppewall embodied Los Angeles true to the time with the clothing, props, vehicles and spoken language..

The final shootout in classic Film Noir style

            The final shoot-out scene done in classic Film Noir was impeccable, especially with the vertical blinds, darkness, shadow and lighting needed to pull off that final scene were brilliantly shot and framed.

             Two of my most favorite movies to watch over and over and over again are Meet Me in St. Louis (1945, dir. Vincente Minnelli) and Ratatouille (2007, dir. Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava).  These two films hold true to my three main criteria for outstanding films.  

Opening scene from Meet Me in St. Louis

            The narrative of Meet Me in St. Louis was set during the early 1900’s in St. Louis, Missouri leading up the 1904 World’s Fair.  The film does an excellent job of showing a family’s daily life of the time.  Cinematographer George Folsey does a superb job of capturing the time period with his compositions of that time period of the houses, the street views, the costumes, and how people had a great party during that time.

  

Esther Smith (Judy Garland) singing The Boy Next Door while admiring John Truett (Tom Drake)

            All the while director Minnelli moves the camera with angles, dollying in and close ups of Esther Smith (Judy Garland) that help focus the affection she has for her neighbor John Truett (Tom Drake).   I think we can all relate to that special someone we have a crush on in our everyday lives, and I think we can all relate to a time period that has had its time in history as a romantic era when dating someone simply involved casually taking a stroll with them or having an escort follow you to make sure there was no funny business brewing.

Partying the night away in 1904 while singing Under the Bamboo Tree

            The narrative for Ratatouille is set in present day Paris, France about a rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt), who longs to create inspiring dishes for anyone willing to embrace his culinary art.  It just so happens that Remy is accidentally forced to be a chef in a French gourmet restaurant.  Remy is the friendly puppet master behind Alfredo Linguini’s (Lou Romano) success as a pseudo-chef.  France is known as a place to build one's culinary skills and Remy learns to become a master chef through the use of Linguini. 

Remy realizes he is in Paris

             I do not know about other animal lovers, but I know I have always wanted a sure fire way to be able to communicate with my furry friends.  I understand that a rat that can create delicious delicacies is unrealistic, but I have seen elephants that create art, cats that can use a tablet better than an adult and dogs that are trained in things I could never accomplish.

Remy makes Ratatouille for the infamous food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole)

             The composition of the way this animated film immerses you in Paris is breathtaking.  Cinematographers Sharon Calahan and Robert Anderson allow for sweeping backdrops of Paris, the sounds of the gourmet kitchen, the food cooking, the Parisian music that plays in background (Michael Giacchino), details of colors and lighting and how they make you feel that the world is against vermin is so realistic and true to nature and done so well by the Production Designer Harley Jessup and Art Director Dominque Louis.   

Remy (Patton Oswalt) learns how to manipulate Linguini's (Lou Romano) movements