worst movie ever
It's not though is it.
Not by a long shot.
Maybe you could have said; "Disappointing", or "Confusing", or "Not my cup of tea". Or even; "one of the worst movies I've ever seen".
Maybe you could have given some reasons as to why you think it's the "worst movie ever". Simply writing "worst movie ever" makes you sound like an empty-headed bratty adolescent seeking attention. And no one really wants to sound like that. Do they? I suppose these boards would often sadly indicate otherwise...
[][]::WARNING::LONG, BORING AND SANCTIMONIOUS PART IS COMMENCING::WARNING::[][]
Art, in the broadest sense of what that can encompass, is not duty bound to entertain anyone (although Holy Motors entertained me). Some things are great entertainment; The Avengers, for example, is designed to entertain and in my personal opinion succeeds. If The Avengers hadn't entertained me then that would be a problem because that is its primary function: entertainment.
However, some things are meant to function differently. Maybe they seek to make you think, or confront difficult issues, or present an experience that you may not normally encounter. Maybe they aspire to foster in you a curiosity about an abstract thought, or an atrocity, or a minority perspective. Maybe they wish to put you through the mill for 90 minutes in order to convey an idea more effectively or question received wisdom. Whatever it is, there is no rule book that states that they have to entertain anyone. Especially you specifically.
For example, I didn't find The Master entertaining. In fact, I often found it hard work and overly oblique. I did however find it beautiful to look at, fascinating and intriguing. I thought about it on and off for a good few days after watching it. I talked with other people about it. Eventually I wrote something about it. I now think that, along with Holy Motors, Cosmopolis and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, it's one of the most complex, thought provoking and well-made films of the year. Not 'the best'. Not 'the most entertaining'. Not even 'my favourite'. But complex, well-made and thought provoking. I think it succeeds in what it set out to achieve. As does Holy Motors.
There seems to be a tendency amongst people today to demand 'entertainment' and personal enjoyment from everything, all the time. I can understand it in the young as they haven't lived long enough to engage with complex or difficult work that deals with themes as-yet alien to them. I was a teenager too once and many so-called 'great works' didn't really resonate with me until I'd garnered some real world life experience. Some good, some bad. But all useful.
But to come across adults who "won't watch subtitles", or can't handle abstraction and non-linear open-ended narrative to the point where it makes them angry is a little bit depressing. I understand, and appreciate more than most, that not everything is for everyone but I seem to encounter a lot of narcissistic solipsism these days wherein people seem to get really angry if something hasn't been created just for them or if it didn't explain everything in a really heavy-handed and obvious manner. The new-ish trend on here seems to be to inappropriately scream "PLOT HOLE!" at anything they didn't like or understand in the film. It's very weird.
In a world increasingly geared to entertaining teenagers and feeble minded adults I'm glad that adult oriented mainstream-ish cinema like The Master, Cosmopolis and Holy Motors manage to get made. Never mind receive media coverage and awards. It reassures me that there are people outside of my social circle who still like to be challenged sometimes by what they watch, read or listen to in their spare time.
Art has many roles and facets, of which 'to entertain' is just one. Not everything is supposed to be 'fun'. (Fun is totally frickin' addictively awesome though.)
And to anyone complaining that this post is 'too long': you were warned, nobody forced you to read it and it was free. It cost you nothing but five minutes of your fun fueled life. It wasn't even trying to sell you any products.
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cinesteam
12 years ago
You can bore me anytime. Well thought out provoking post to the above.
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deleh
12 years ago
It's one of the worst films i've ever seen. An utter waste of time.
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