My Relationship with Review Culture
Over the course of this blog and its various entries, the predominant focus has been the audience's relationship with critics, and how that relationship has evolved and shifted due to the popularity of social media.
The World Wide Web has seemingly replaced "expertise with amateurs, fanboys and obscurantists" (Dissent Magazine) but has also arguably enhanced criticism and review culture into a new realm where audiences can be just as influential. It's also provided new opportunities for critics to produce impressive work and has, in the words of Charles Taylor, "given a new home to film criticism" - a sentiment that I agree with. I am a fan of film criticism and heavily engage with it, both as a consumer and as a producer: I co-own a blog entitled The Cynical Cinephiles where I write and publish reviews of films that have recently been released in cinemas of my own. Without the means of the World Wide Web, I would not be able to explore this outlet or potentially find an audience that my writing could reach.
I'm aware that my own blog does not have a solid and established readership which therefore means that I can virtually write anything I want in the reviews I post. I can give my unfiltered thoughts, and I generally try to do so. However, there is always something that stops me from giving my brutally honest opinion - and that is the concern for other people's (the internet's) thoughts.
One example of this is when I reviewed Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok. Being a fan of the cinematic universe and the film's director, Taika Waititi, I was very excited to watch it and was even more so when the film's early reviews from critics started to come in and the response was near-acclaim. Audiences seemed similarly enamoured by the film so I entered with high expectations. While I enjoyed the film, I found it to be slightly disappointing and not different enough from either Marvel films to be considered a unique entry into the expanding franchise; it was less funny than anticipated, the first act seemed rushed and the villain was underwhelming. Although I alluded to and mentioned these points of contention in my review...
...I was reluctant to come across as too negative because I was aware of the amount of love that the film had received. However, there have been instances where I have been extremely blunt in my assessment of a film's quality, most notably Suicide Squad where the conclusion of my review read:
I genuinely disliked the film and my opinion aligned with many of the critics and audience members who watched it. Although admittedly, I felt more freedom to give the film a scathing review because it had been similarly panned by nearly everyone else.
I also write for a website called UK Film Review, a film review website based in London, UK. They promote and review big blockbuster and independent features, as well as short films in an effort to promote promising filmmakers and help raise their profile. Although I have reviewed films such as Sully (2016, dir. Clint Eastwood), First They Killed My Father (2017, dir. Angelina Jolie) and To The Bone (2017, dir. Marti Noxon), I primarily cover short films for UK Film Review.
Although I care less about general public opinion in terms of the content that I write for UK Film Review, I must consider a different audience; the filmmakers whose work I am reviewing and critiquing. There have been several occasions when I've watched a short film and found very few redeeming qualities in it but have had to temper the thoughts in my review as I am very conscious of the fact that the people who made the film will most likely read the piece. I never intend for my reviews to be too negative and discouraging, hence I, for lack of a better term, sugarcoat the film I'm reviewing's bad points. However, I still try and provide honest feedback and criticism but keep the overall review balanced by not minimising the short's achievements rather in favour of emphasising its flaws.
Overall, whilst I cannot classify myself as a "critic" due to the fact that my work goes largely unseen and I am unpaid for it, I contribute to the culture. But I am very much still an audience member who relies upon critics to gauge whether a film is worth my time and money or not. I, personally, value their voice and opinion very much despite the prominence of social media that has allowed us and our peers to become a virtual critic. That's not to say that I am unaffected by the opinion of audiences online, as I have mentioned that the apprehension of facing backlash for something that could be considered "controversial" can prevent me from sharing a thought. Ultimately, I am influenced by both review and audience culture; as a reviewer, I must provide my honest assessment of a film's quality but also the audience for which it is intended, but as a consumer of film, it's wholly my decision who I listen to when it's time to purchase a cinema ticket.
Bibliography
Taylor, C (2011). The Problem with Film Criticism. [online] Available at: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/the-problem-with-film-criticism [06.03.2018]
Brudenall, E. (2017). Thor: Ragnarok - Review. [Blog] The Cynical Cinephiles. Available at: https://cynicalcinephiles.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/thor-ragnarok-review.html [06.03.2018]
N/A. UK Film Review. [online] Available at: https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk [06.03.2018]
The World Wide Web has seemingly replaced "expertise with amateurs, fanboys and obscurantists" (Dissent Magazine) but has also arguably enhanced criticism and review culture into a new realm where audiences can be just as influential. It's also provided new opportunities for critics to produce impressive work and has, in the words of Charles Taylor, "given a new home to film criticism" - a sentiment that I agree with. I am a fan of film criticism and heavily engage with it, both as a consumer and as a producer: I co-own a blog entitled The Cynical Cinephiles where I write and publish reviews of films that have recently been released in cinemas of my own. Without the means of the World Wide Web, I would not be able to explore this outlet or potentially find an audience that my writing could reach.
I'm aware that my own blog does not have a solid and established readership which therefore means that I can virtually write anything I want in the reviews I post. I can give my unfiltered thoughts, and I generally try to do so. However, there is always something that stops me from giving my brutally honest opinion - and that is the concern for other people's (the internet's) thoughts.
One example of this is when I reviewed Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok. Being a fan of the cinematic universe and the film's director, Taika Waititi, I was very excited to watch it and was even more so when the film's early reviews from critics started to come in and the response was near-acclaim. Audiences seemed similarly enamoured by the film so I entered with high expectations. While I enjoyed the film, I found it to be slightly disappointing and not different enough from either Marvel films to be considered a unique entry into the expanding franchise; it was less funny than anticipated, the first act seemed rushed and the villain was underwhelming. Although I alluded to and mentioned these points of contention in my review...
...I was reluctant to come across as too negative because I was aware of the amount of love that the film had received. However, there have been instances where I have been extremely blunt in my assessment of a film's quality, most notably Suicide Squad where the conclusion of my review read:
I genuinely disliked the film and my opinion aligned with many of the critics and audience members who watched it. Although admittedly, I felt more freedom to give the film a scathing review because it had been similarly panned by nearly everyone else.
I also write for a website called UK Film Review, a film review website based in London, UK. They promote and review big blockbuster and independent features, as well as short films in an effort to promote promising filmmakers and help raise their profile. Although I have reviewed films such as Sully (2016, dir. Clint Eastwood), First They Killed My Father (2017, dir. Angelina Jolie) and To The Bone (2017, dir. Marti Noxon), I primarily cover short films for UK Film Review.
Although I care less about general public opinion in terms of the content that I write for UK Film Review, I must consider a different audience; the filmmakers whose work I am reviewing and critiquing. There have been several occasions when I've watched a short film and found very few redeeming qualities in it but have had to temper the thoughts in my review as I am very conscious of the fact that the people who made the film will most likely read the piece. I never intend for my reviews to be too negative and discouraging, hence I, for lack of a better term, sugarcoat the film I'm reviewing's bad points. However, I still try and provide honest feedback and criticism but keep the overall review balanced by not minimising the short's achievements rather in favour of emphasising its flaws.
Overall, whilst I cannot classify myself as a "critic" due to the fact that my work goes largely unseen and I am unpaid for it, I contribute to the culture. But I am very much still an audience member who relies upon critics to gauge whether a film is worth my time and money or not. I, personally, value their voice and opinion very much despite the prominence of social media that has allowed us and our peers to become a virtual critic. That's not to say that I am unaffected by the opinion of audiences online, as I have mentioned that the apprehension of facing backlash for something that could be considered "controversial" can prevent me from sharing a thought. Ultimately, I am influenced by both review and audience culture; as a reviewer, I must provide my honest assessment of a film's quality but also the audience for which it is intended, but as a consumer of film, it's wholly my decision who I listen to when it's time to purchase a cinema ticket.
Bibliography
Taylor, C (2011). The Problem with Film Criticism. [online] Available at: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/the-problem-with-film-criticism [06.03.2018]
Brudenall, E. (2017). Thor: Ragnarok - Review. [Blog] The Cynical Cinephiles. Available at: https://cynicalcinephiles.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/thor-ragnarok-review.html [06.03.2018]
N/A. UK Film Review. [online] Available at: https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk [06.03.2018]
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