A few years ago, I spent a summer constructing a definitive list of my five favorite movies. After rigorous research, I concluded that the best movies of all time are, in order: The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, The Matrix, The Karate Kid, and Away We Go. It’s a pretty eclectic list, I admit, but I think it neatly sums up my tastes in film: I live for the quirky dramas, the underdog stories, the tightly-choreographed action scenes, the romances, and, above all else, the adventures that movies offer.
When it comes to entertainment, I’m relatively easy to please. I want to like things. If you’re a comedy, I’m ready to laugh; if you’re a thriller, I’m eager to get engrossed in the twists and turns. But I’m always ready to be critical, whether it’s recognizing flaws in my favorite movies (Wanted, while pretty cool, lacks any real substance) or speaking out against a popular film that I felt fell flat (I’m still confused about the positive reviews for Blue Jasmine).
There are some truths I can always rely on when I go to the movies: I know I’ll love the latest offering from Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, I’m first in line for anything featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and I’ll eagerly re-watch any Marvel superhero movie. I certainly bring a lot of my personality and perspective to movie-watching. I love movies, television, and books, but perhaps my greatest passion is for video games: you’re just as likely to find me debating the themes and merits of a new game as you are to find me discussing film.
Ultimately, I like to be challenged by movies. I like to be left thinking, whether it’s dwelling on the layered arguments of Boyhood, unpacking the complicated romance of The Spectacular Now, or just trying to figure out what the hell happened in Primer. And if you have an opinion, I’d love to hear it, too: getting multiple, conflicting perspectives on film only helps drive my own understanding.
Unless you don’t like The Princess Bride. Then we have nothing to discuss.