Simon, surely you liked Barry Norman ( loved his spicy pickled onions which may no longer be available like him ) back in the day and now Mark Kermode !? Enjoy(ed) their reviews and insights .
Have a favourite film ?
Two of mine would be old films , Same Time Next Year (Alder & Ellen Burstyn ) & Harold & Maude ( Ruth Gordon & Burt Cory ) .
Best MM
PS Didn’t really enjoy Hamnet even though a fan of Jessie Buckley, great shouting though…….
Mike, I think far too many are either po-faced and/or feel like an industry / studio shill.
Kermode, funnily enough, is exactly the review I was mentioning with regards to
Michael and, in fairness, often seems one of the more independent ones. However, and stating the obvious, any review is a subjective analysis of a piece of art, which seems to tell me more about that individual than whether I'd view the topic in the same light. Perhaps my own views on film critics are based on vivid memories of being forced, in school, to deconstruct art to the infinitesimal degree and find meaning in each and every aspect!
As for films I've enjoyed, like you, mine tend to be older. If asked, for something recent, I'd struggle as I genuinely can't recall a film in recent years that I've thoroughly enjoyed or that made me think 'wow, that was brilliant'; and that includes the ones that have had the critics praise and had them waxing lyrical. On that note, and in saying that, they don't have to be high brow, deep, meaningful, or have a message; I'm quite happy with a film that doesn't take itself too seriously and allows me to sit back, suspend disbelief, and have a laugh. I'm also an easy sell on whimsy and light-hearted. If forced to name one, and setting aside all the obvious classics, I do really enjoy 2001s
Amélie.
