A FILM IS MORE THAN A FILM

by Kelly Ann Beaton

I was at a dinner party recently and one of the guests who found out that I was a filmmaker asked what was my favourite film.  Instead of answering, I asked everyone at the table what their favourite films were.  The ensuing discussion was interesting and very revealing, not just because of the films that were mentioned, but because many couples did not know what their partner’s favourite film was.  The resulting, “you like that?” or “I never knew that”, was intriguing to witness.

As a singleton, as per Bridget Jones, I got a kick from watching the exchanges and when the question came back to me, I sipped my wine and said well it depends. Depends on what, they asked? Depends on you, I answered. For me, it's a combination of factors but the key characteristic for me was did the movie make me think or feel something.

I think is it easy to entertain, with a formulaic structure, dialogue and musical interventions to move us along, but it is really hard to make a viewer feel something.  For example, I saw Avatar, and while it is an extraordinary movie from  technical and creative perspectives, it left me cold.  But as the highest box office in history, it has resonated with many.

Considering your favourite film, is an exploration of who you are as an individual. It reflects ourselves, in a small way, just like your preferred food or places. It says things about us that sometimes we are too shy to say.

So if  you have a chance this week, think about what is your ideal flick and why. You never know, you may learn something about yourself.

Bon cinema.