Here are some other rules that
govern this web site:
All films named on this web
site will be rated by each of us.
A film must be rated at
least a three by each of us to be included.
If one of us rates the film
below a three, it will not be included on our list.
If a film is not included,
that means either that we haven’t seen it (yet), or
we’ve seen it and it failed to meet our criteria. In
other words, our database will contain no negative
entries.
Each film included on our
list will have a capsule summary in the database (with a
maximum of fifty words) to accompany our ratings.
As you scan our database, you
will see that we gravitate to films with a certain heft and
weight, films that “stay with us” and “nourish us” on
some level after the credits roll. Here are our ratings
categories:
To help you understand these
categories, here are a couple of examples from the work of two
very well-known artists.
As a vehicle for Audrey Hepburn,
the movie SABRINA
is filled with delightful moments, but we find the movie itself
dated. We each rate it a three. BREAKFAST
AT TIFFANY'S will always be a timeless touchstone for a specific place
and time. We each rate it a four. But ROMAN
HOLIDAY transcends these boundaries. It resonates with
mythic qualities familiar from the work of Joseph Campbell --
Princess Ann learns that she “must be what, in fact, she
is.” We rate it a five.
Like SABRINA,
Steven Spielberg’s SAVING
PRIVATE RYAN is filled with wonderful moments that never
quite come together. We rate it a three. ET
is filled with magic moments hooked by a driving narrative that
carries you along and compels belief. We rate it a four. But SCHINDLER’S
LIST transcends its intense subject matter and finds
itself in the mystery of human motivation. We rate it a five.
Even if you disagree with our
examples, we hope we’ve conveyed our framework. It has to do
with the relationship between the parts and the whole. In a fine
film, the parts are knit together and the whole is seamless. The
viewer suspends disbelief. It isn’t “just a movie,” it’s
a complete world with internal coherence. So, to summarize:
If
we believe the whole is less than the sum of its parts, we
rate the film a three.
If
we believe the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, we
rate the film a four.
If
we believe the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,
we rate the film a five.
So here goes. We’ll do our
best, but, in the end, only you can say if films42.com has a
place in your own busy life.
