As I mentioned in this post, and as you can probably divine by reading this blog, I am by nature a critic and an analytical sort of person, particularly when it comes to art and literature.
Many people I know are not this way; and they think that my criticism of an artwork, especially movies, is an indication that I don’t enjoy them. As a result, people don’t like to see movies with me. Many people, I have (finally) realized, enjoy movies in a different way from myself; a way that apparently involves less analysis of them.
The truth is, though, that I like analyzing and criticizing things. I really do enjoy seeing a film that I consider “bad”, and not in a “camp”, “so-bad-it’s-good” sort of way, either. I really do take pleasure in saying “that film is flawed in the following ways”, or “this scene is bad because [whatever]”. It doesn’t bother me in the least to take in a work I dislike, if only I get to think about it afterwards.
But some people who know me–understandably, when I think about it–don’t understand this. They assume when I say “that was bad”, it equals “I didn’t enjoy it”. And I suppose, in some sense I didn’t, but for me it’s still worthwhile if I can criticize it.
I guess I have no real point here, it’s just something I figured out today.
