From time to time I manage to make it to a movie theatre and sit down to watch a film that I have heard nothing about (which is really hard to do these days), and then am treated to the pleasure – if the film is at least half-decent – of having a film open before me like a box of delights, letting me discover all the things it contains completely as the film-makers intended: right in the moment. When a film is half-decent, novel, or merely pretty good, it can be made into a very enjoyable film-going experience by doing thisa. When a film is very good, or extremely good, this business of having seen it cold can really make it a truly wonderful experience, reminding me of when I went to see movies for the first few times as a youngster. Remember those times?
It’s not easy to pull this off these days with so much (too much!!) information out there about the content and story and back story of a film everywhere in the media, well before you see it. For particular films I want to see, I try to ignore as much as I can by not reading reviews, not listening to stuff that comes on the radio, or tv. But sometimes, it all sneaks through because often you don’t know in advance whether you want to see that film. You might not have even heard of it, and then it is spoiled a bit by too much detail. It has to be said that even a film tht
Anyway, I’ve had that lovely see-the-film-cold experience happen with a small number of films in recent times, and it happened last night. I was set to see another film, but my brother (who showed up in town to stay overnight unexpectedly) arrived a bit too late for us to go to that one, and so the only other thing we could agree onb to see was Children of Men. In retrospect, I think that the film would have been great to watch even if I’d heard all about it in detail, but oh my goodness ! It is very rare that I have such an unquestionably enjoyable feeling about so many aspects of a given film. Usually, I can be pretty forgiving with some films, perhaps suspending judgement in some areas and letting myself enjoy the bits that are done well… There was really no need to do that with this film. It was just marvellous all around, in my opinion. Thoroughly enjoyable.
If you don’t know anything about the film – even what it is about or who is in it – consider just not finding out. Instead, just go and see it. I’ll say no more at this point (beware of the comment thread below in case people come in later and express thoughts about particular details of the film, which they are welcome to do). I apologize in advance if it turns out to be not your cup of tea, but I think it’s worth the risk.
-cvj
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aThe Matrix was such an example for me.
bYou’d have to shoot me in the head, and then have a big fight with my lifeless corpse in order to take me in to a theatre showing the current Mel Gibson thing, for example.
The last time I went to the movies I saw possibly the worst movie I have ever seen: “Perfume: the story of a murderer”. I tell you this only so you know to avoid it. It was bad all the way through, but became excrutiating at the end. People were guffawing and sniggering, and shifting around in their seats because it was actually embarrassing to view. I left a minute or two before the end because I just couldn’t take any more, which I have never done before.
I’m glad you have been having better cinema going experiences than me!
Something I can comment on. (:
I’ve stopped reading reviews, because I found that most reviewers give too much information out that prejudices my view of the movie. I do read the reviews afterwards to compare notes, so to speak, or get ideas about things I may not have thought about. I read several movie critics whose tastes over the years have proven so similar to mine that when they give, say, an A- to a movie, I’m pretty sure it will be somewhere around that grade for me and so I’ll go see it in the theater. Or I may like the director’s previous work. (I like Cuaron’s previous work.)
So, having read nothing about Children of Men, I took Clifford’s advice and saw it on Saturday. I’m not familiar with the book, but I read that other than the basic plot line, it’s radically different from the book. However, what Jude said about the book I think applies to the movie: there are flaws, but it stays with you. I found myself mulling over it hours later, thinking about all the items in the background – posters, signs on buses, the political messages, imagining a dystopian future such as this, seeing some parallels to situations today. There are a few contrived items in the movie, but all in all it was definitely one of the better movies I’ve seen this year.
Reviewer Lisa Schwarzbaum described it as “invigoratingly bleak.” I think that’s an accurate description.
Thanks for the recommendation, Clifford.
A future with no screaming kids?
SWEET!!!!
Agreed! I was lucky to see both The Matrix and Fight Club completely cold, and they wouldn’t have been half as good had I seen ads or read reviews.
Atom Egoyan structures his films in an unfolding sort of way that is beautiful to watch if you know nothing beforehand, but which is tedious if you know the premise already. I would recommend his Exotica – don’t even look at the box, just get the folks at the video store to hand you the dvd.
Romain… Yes, that it most often the case. I see wonderful films “cold” that are from overseas most often.
Dimitri… Yes, I am planning to see Babel too. I also know very little about it, so I am looking forward to learning about it in the theatre.
Best,
-cvj
I was feeling like going to the theatre soon, now I know what I am going to see 🙂
To avoid being spoiled by the media, you may watch unknown and/or foreign movies. Well, I don’t know how it is in the USA, but in France or Denmark, the movies with adverts on TV and on posters are only (with some exceptions of course) those from the USA or from respectively France or Denmark, and produced by famous producers. And there are very good films with tiny budgets that can’t afford advertisment.
Too bad I missed that in the theaters… I guess I will go get the dvd when it comes out in February.
Last time I saw a film cold was about a month ago, and it was a great experience. I had dinner with a friend in great (Argentinian?) restauran, we had enough wine…after which she dragged me to the 22H seance of “Babel” without me having heard of it before. It was great!
I saw this a while back on the UK release and was very glad I saw it — although I will say it isn’t the cheeriest of movies, but it touches on so many of my worries about the world that I found that it really resonated with me.
Another British film: saw the Queen on the plane today (I almost never watch plane movies) and also enjoyed it.
It is worth doing a trip to see it. Maybe do a bit of a trip to do other stuff as well…?
Good Luck…
Cheers,
-cvj
I read the book it’s based on, so I already know the plot. It seemed to me from the few previews I saw that the director/art director had captured the way that reading the book felt–if that makes sense. The book is one that sticks with you in spite of its flaws.
I’m not sure when I’ll see the film since in rural Colorado, the nearest movie theater is a 60-mile round trip, and it will probably be more like 120 miles to go see it in Grand Junction or 80 to see it in El Jebel–if it even appears in those venues. In other words, I’ll probably have to wait for the DVD, thereby reducing the amazing direction and sets to a tiny screen. Oh, well.
Agreed 100%. Just. Go.