The problem with reviewing art (films, tv, books)

Lately I’ve been trying to review the things I watch and read more than I used to. Why? Because it encourages me to engage more critically and closely with these things. To consume with a keen eye. This in turn helps me develop my own writing and my own tastes.

However, I’ve noticed how difficult this is to do! Reviews are kind of…shoddy? Subjective. Nuanced. Open to interpretation. Pointless in a way?

Here’s my problem with reviewing films, tv shows and books.

Time and perspective

The time that you watch or read something matters. Are you watching or reading it close to its publication/release or long after? This will effect how you interpret and understand it. Something like Harry Potter had great CGI at the time but would be considered poor quality and this effect one’s viewing for the first time now.

But I also mean time after you’ve watched something. I’ve found that writing or verbally sharing a review of something I’ve literally just watched or read will be different to waiting to review it after say a week. In that time, you’ve gained some perspective. Maybe you remember more elements. Maybe you’ve spoken about it with others who have shifted your view. Maybe once the excitement has died down, you’re left with the bare bones and you can look at it more objectively. Which feeling is right? The initial reaction or the one afterwards?

This will all effect what you ultimately think of the work without anything about the work itself having changed.

Comparison

We are all guilty of consciously or subconsciously comparing pieces of work to others of it’s kind. It helps us to categorise and understand. As soon as I started Red Rising by Pierce Brown I thought “this is like Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games!”

However, doing this takes away from what the work is on its own. It should stand by itself and be criticised and reviewed for its own merit, not how it compares to other films or books of its genre or release date.

I found myself comparing Babylon and The Fabelmans because they released around the same time in the UK and they’re both films about making films. But they are very different. They have different aims and arguably different audiences. Why can’t they both be great for their own reasons without even comparing at all?

All comparison really does is ask “which is better?”, which isn’t always useful in deciding something about the art in and of itself.

Subjectivity

Subjectivity is of course the main reason why reviews are problematic. Sadly, some people don’t consider how everything is subjective (a matter of opinion and one’s point of view). We can only ever review art from a subjective stance. Even if we started looking at it from a technical standpoint, to deem something good or bad will always be subjective because what someone thinks is technically good or conventionally appropriate can differ to someone else. Industry experts say different things all the time, thus proving there is no objective, expert opinion.

Authority

Which leads me on nicely to my next point, who has the authority to deem something good or bad? There are people’s opinions who seem to matter more or be held more highly than others. If Steven Spielberg says a film is good, you’re going to agree! The same for Neil Gaiman for literature. But they are still human beings with opinions and tastes that will effect what they perceive.

They’re just like the rest of us.

The same is true for the art itself. Just because it was created by or features someone of prestige and authority doesn’t mean it’s good! Sadly, certain actors or writers carry more weight than others but again, we should be able to look past these big names and see and critique the work for what it is and what it does for itself, only.

I’m still going to review things now and then, especially if I have something burning to say, but I guess I’m just rethinking this need. Maybe I should review for myself and not put it online. The last thing I want to do is unknowingly tear down someone’s work just because I didn’t enjoy it. Or invite people to argue with me because I did enjoy something. Let’s all enjoy what we enjoy and ask ourselves why when we don’t and maybe that’s just that?

Be careful of what you state as fact when it is in fact an opinion.

Sincerely,

S. xx