Sad Movies

REMEMBRANCE OF FILMS PAST Recent films all sound and fury?

AS MUCH AS I TRIED to do justice with what these popular films has to offer lately, I couldn’t help but consider them inferior compared to those flicks from decades past, especially films from the last quarter of the 20th century, where they are as culture-changing as with a social upheaval. Of course, that was just my take.  

No disrespect to the Avengers or the Justice League of the world, but there’s a lot less to be desired with these types of films, save for the effects that they can give you from a wider screen or from a technical standpoint. Maybe moviegoers have grown tired thinking about the subliminal aspect of a film’s plot or getting exasperated over an extended epiphany that left them sleepless for days. Those who flock to the movie theaters today will have none of that. Most of them are simply scouring for something new and relentless dig for its next installment immediately after watching it. 

And that has since become the business. These films have been stretched out to infinity for it to sustain the interests of the movie-going public. Not that there is something wrong with prequels or sequels or what have you, but it is becoming too methodical, automated, that you could actually transition a particular incident with the Black Widow to that of Darth Vader without necessarily developing the plot or the characters for that matter, even though it may look like some inspired central casting. A closer look, however, shows you why these films have had its fair share of letdowns despite having that relentless buzz of keeping it afloat.

You may have cringed at the triteness of the story (most of the time forced), or may even recall that you already figured out that scene beforehand and that you could readily tell what happens next. But that’s not your fault, in the first place. And you can blame it on Jennifer Lawrence if you feel like it.

Who cares about being sublime as in that classic war drama, Apocalypse Now, or presenting a story from a psychological milieu as in A Clockwork Orange? Just offer them something spectacular, something extraordinary like a hip yet horrifying creature from outer space, or a character that is much closer to home like Ed Sheeran. Anything but the heavy stuff since that has become its criterion, and, unfortunately, will remain in that peculiar limelight for quite some time.

The case with independent films are an entirely different story, but what's going on with mainstream movies seemed anemic to say the least, it is as if that lack of strong storytelling is masked under the shenanigans of some intricate, special effects and online gossip.  

I think our contemporary films are a reflection of our societal fatigue. We go to the movies and get lost, and that’s about it. Nothing more. We’re being reduced into something inanimate, and in return, those that are lifeless in itself are being humanized to create a more universal, personal appeal somehow, which is what grows in our films of late. The reversal of roles has become strange bedfellows. 

I don’t necessarily know what that means other than being entertained with it or that this series may come as a form of conversation topic over a beer or a cup of coffee. Again, these are mere movies, the cheapest form of entertainment until Harvey Weinstein elevated it to another level, but we deserve something profound and meaningful still even from a cheap seat.

What’s stopping me from watching these films anyway? Though I’ll just have to settle with their unflinching and uncompromising sound and fury, signifying that they actually have something to give other than offering me something I can’t refuse. I don’t think this has something to do with my movie preference or my age or my favorite director. A great story is still worth two in the bush, with or without that elaborate promotion or some superstars in its billing. Otherwise, you can be kind and call these recent films “good”.