The Idea Behind Movies Worth a Look

As someone with a strong interest in seeing movies that are worth my time—for example: comedies that make me laugh; dramas that present credible characters coping with problems I can identify with; movies that give me insights into other cultures and other times; and films whose innovative and superlative technique expand the possibilities of the medium—I've learned a lot from reading what professional and avocational movie critics have posted online and on paper.

And among the most enjoyable features of their work is, of course, The List.  Usually, it's the Best Movies of whatever year; sometimes it's The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time or The 50 Best SciFi Movies.  I suspect I'm not alone in this pleasure.  And that's what gave me the idea for Movies Worth a Look.

What Movies Worth a Look will offer going forward  is short lists of movies along the lines of Three Great Old Comedies That Make Me Laugh Out Loud;  10 Chinese Movies of the 1990s Worth a Look; or Sacrebleu! Half a Dozen French Films Noirs.  You get the idea.  

For each movie, I'll offer a brief review focusing on why you might want to see it and what's special about it.  I also plan to refer you to especially useful references—reviews, books, websites—that helped me better appreciate the movie or the context within which it was made.

When I learned to love movies in a way that was something more than just going to a theater and enjoying—or not—what I saw on the screen, it was because, back in the early 1960s, I was lucky enough to hear by chance the late Pauline Kael broadcasting her movie commentary via WBAI-FM from New York City.  Then I read her early collections of reviews and essays, books including I Lost It at the Movies and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  Her enthusiasm was infectious; but she also suggested that learning about what makes a movie special can help us better appreciate what that movie has to offer—if we know a bit more, we'll better understand what's on the screen.

Unfortunately, at that time, there was no easy way to see so many of the great older movies, or films from around the world, Kael had written about.  Only if you lived in a megacity with repertory movie theaters, or nearby a university with an outstanding film society, did you have any chance of seeing many of these movies.

Today, of course, we can see just about anything from anywhere and anytime, right at home. Yes, I agree with Roger Ebert and many others that the best way to watch movies is with other people in a theater.  But the chance to see movies as a kind of time and space machine via DVD has been too great a temptation for me to resist.  And I consider myself fortunate to be able to share the past century's cinematic cornucopia.

Now it's true, no matter what your personal critical standards are, 99.9 percent of virtually anything is simply not worth your time—books, music, movies, whatever.  So much of everything is aimed at—and hits—the lowest common denominator.

But that precious 0.1 percent!

So...I don't intend to post lists of movies that I'll claim, generally speaking, are the "best" or the "greatest."  Instead, my postings are based on the assertion that I found these Movies Worth a Look.  I hope some of them will also prove entertaining, even rewarding for you, and I'll look forward to your comments.

© 2009 Bob Fauteux