The thing with criticism is you need to be judgemental. You need to dissect things even when it might not be necessary. Sometimes the whole point of having to review something gets in the way. Its difficult to know to be convinced or annoyed, joyous or mournful, disconnected or living the tale when you try to judge things and evaluate them. Sometimes I frankly have nothing to say and some other times an overwhelming amount all of which I am not able to capture in any one sitting. Criticism is hard work and for someone who likes to carefully choose what he says it is harder. It sometimes spoils the bottom-line of watching a movie, to have some fun and to be engulfed in a new learning or adventure. That is where it hurts to objectify things you love. However I criticise because I love it so much and take in that every single frame a filmmaker has for me. Celluloid can spell magic like no other medium. I wish to be enthralled and hence I demand. When something falls short I am caustic and when something thrills me I am reverent.
After I watch any movie I reflect upon it. I analyse what I have seen, how I have felt and how the whole thing came off. This is something lot of us do. I have done it all my life and this happens regardless of me planning a review on it. Maybe that was the reason I started reviewing movies since the work was already being half done.
My mind makes out casts out of whatever material it has seen and tries to fit the remaining in one or some of them. Some movies don’t fit into any and are truly exhilarating in experience. Not all of the “mis”fits are ground breaking or appealing. They just are different and may lie anywhere on the whole field of rating. And there again I work hard to break those casts and see each as it can be. Sometimes those casts are basically what movies are all about. Well the point I am trying to make is that criticism can be tricky business and takes in lot of effort to not go wrong. However we tend to once in a while and that should be OK .
Some movies I give m
ore respect than they deserve and some other greater wrath. It may be due to various reasons and this trait is not unique to me. Movie watching is a very personal experience and everyone is moved differently. Most often the movement is in the same direction but seldom in the intensity. Someone who is here reading this is one who loves this medium and everything to do with it. We are brothers in arms and we know that different movies rub us differently doesnt mean that we perceive Cinema differently just that we have different points of view. In Cinema we find everything!
p.s: In the previous episode I had given Namesake a 8 and Khuda ke liye a 7. After a revisit, passage of time and listening to Chaitanya’s several valid points I Interchange the numbers and now genuinely like Khuda ke Liye more than Namesake.
