Practice. I've been told all my life that if I want to be any good at anything I need to practice and seeing that my latest attempt to find a satisfying occupation has lead me to writing. I must practice. So I'm going to write a film review and/or some thoughts about film every day. A paragraph probably, not an essay, just a comment, a rambling thought.
To begin then. I have been watching, analysing and dreaming about films since I was very small and my passion for them has only grown over the years. It has, however, changed. I used to watch films for the simple pleasure of existing in a different world for a few hours. I could be anyone or anything and there was a beautiful freedom in that. I still feel like that occasionally, but only occasionally. The kind of film that can open that part of my psyche are few and far between, and those that can were made a long time ago.
Now when I sit down to watch a film, I can no longer switch off the part of my mind that knows what immense effort went into every frame. I notice the mistake, the clever tricks, and the wasted time and effort put into redundant Visual Effects. Its annoying to think to compare the two ways of watching films, realising that a large part of the pure enjoyment of film has been swamped by questions and knowledge, but it doesn't make me like films any less.
I find them essential, profound and absurdly liberating. Without the stories of my favourite films I would be utterly different and unable to make sense of the inconsistencies and dichotomies of life. With this blog I will explore these stories and see if I can make sense of which essential parts have made me need them so much. Maybe then I'll be able to write a story that can bring back those days when I ask any questions or need any answers.
