The kind of movies I truly enjoy
Ok, so here’s a left curve for you. I just got done watching the movie ‘Fight Club’ with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. I thought I had an idea what the movie was about, but it turns out, I didn’t have a clue. I think that is why I enjoyed it so much.
I discovered a long time ago that I am not a huge fan of any film that is predictable in terms of knowing how it will end. 95% of films these days have some predictable rhythm to them. You meet the main characters, you find out what is troubling one of the main characters. They struggle, and usually win. Romantic comedies, mysteries, suspense films, all predictable after 15 minutes. They have some entertainment value, but I do not truly enjoy them. I once heard that there are only 7 basic movie plots and 99% of films follow one of them. I have searched long and hard to find the actual listing of them but have failed. I bet if I just sat down and thought about it, I could come up with them.
Then there are those cool films that you have absolutely no idea how it will end. Hell, you have no idea what will happen in the next 10 minutes of the film. Those intrigue me for the unknown. I am riveted to them because I DON’T know what will happen next.
Here’s a few off the top of my head.
Fight Club – You think it is just some guy flick about beating up people and enjoying it. Its not.
Leaving Las Vegas – The first film I realized how much I like unpredictable movies. It starts out at a certain emotional mood and goes downhill the whole way. There is no happy part of this film. It’s cool, though
Magnolia – This is a seriously weird film. I have watched it few times, and still don’t get it.
Final – I love Dennis Leary and this one is one of his best.
Memento – If you were to see the movie in linear time, it wouldn’t be very entertaining. The film is shown in reverse by scene (you see the last scene in time first) and then step backwards. It is really weird.