Why so cynical?

Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer becomes a food critic and everyone gets really fat because he tells them everything tastes amazing? That’s the way I write about films.

Recently I’ve been doing some freelance work for Screen Geek. This involves wandering around London trying to find tiny screening rooms and then eating little triangle sandwiches, drinking wine and avoiding eye contact until the film starts. After that I tend to escape, ponder and write. It’s a routine that seems to be working for me so far.

What I have noticed is that a lot of people who review films for a living; or at least for some sort of income maybe, are pretty disrespectful about most films. I don’t know if it is because I was brought up to believe that if you can’t say anything nice then you shouldn’t say anything at all or if I just have completely different tastes. I’m reminded of a line from Perks; be a filter, not a sponge.

I’m just of the belief that every film has some kind of merit. It is very rare that I’ll ever turn a film off or walk out of the cinema but then again I haven’t seen White Chicks or Solaris all the way through so maybe that’s why.
It isn’t even that I worry that someone of power will read my review and not approve of my negative critique, because I only ever write what I believe, and I think that 99% of films have some form of escapism to them, that there is something to be taken away, some kind of benefit, even if it is that you’ll never see that again. I’m a glutton for cinema and I’m going to bloat you all out on film pie.