We Need Movies.

It’s funny. I’ve often tried to measure the worth of my dream career, which is film criticism. Oftentimes I fail to find its merit. People are building things, discovering new horizons, curing us of our greatest afflictions, saving people… With a plethora of greatness of careers, what role does my pesky little “Is that a job?” have.

It wasn’t until a momentary existential crisis I realized my dream job has worth because its subject has worth. It’s no secret that books are heralded as greatness, the accessible and noble art with which all good and (at least somewhat) intelligent people must pursue. I love literature like the next guy. Books have incredible worth. As much as students whine and moan about the English class they are in and the monthly 400-page novel they must analyze, I am certain that at least everybody has a book that has impacted them dearly.

           

For my generation, this was J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It wasn’t just an engaging 40,000-page adventure that people have an unhealthy obsession over because of that cheap thrill. It taught us about humanity and how to be good to our fellow man and those who are different than us; it created relatable characters who we can learn from in similar circumstances (outside of defeating the Dark Lord); it showed us the reality of death and the beauty of life, of friends, of family. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things but ask your local millennial; they can fill you in on the rest.

In many ways, film and television are the “new book.” (In reality, they’re merely a companion in the art of story, but they function much the same as books.) Much like we need books, I believe we need movies. In many ways, it’s easier to relate to a character in a movie than in a book. Sure, we can technically know a character better in a book because we have several paragraphs that inform us about them and get in their head. Yet in a film, you see the actor’s portrayal of a character: you see this representation of a character go through events and relatable crises; lines stick out more because you heard them—they’re not merely phantoms of impressions that most books tend to leave behind (often one has to read a book multiple times to remember a notable quote).

I think of Begin Again, a recent musical film with Kiera Knightley and Adam Levine. As Levine sang “Lost Stars” in the final scene, I was blown back by how the scene—the lyrics, the performers’ expressions, the melody, Levine’s tone—affected me; I related to them. It brought me back to a time when a relationship with a friend was at its nadir and later remedied. I think of The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick’s magnum opus. The film impacts me spiritually in the way only a film can, with stunning imagery and effective musical cues, with a difficult theme to tackle—our place in the universe and our relationship with the God that made it. I think of the TV show The Office and the many times I felt a personal connection with these characters, relating with the real-life situations they go through outside all the chaos. Even now Andy Bernard’s farewell line has relentlessly hooked itself to my mind and emotions as I’m in a whole new and unfamiliar college environment: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” And I think, in the wake of a controversial and divisive election, we all enjoy a good two-hour musical or comedy to take us out of the vitriol and sadness that has invaded our casual conversation.

           

Movies have an underrated worth. They have the artful quality of literature yet transcendentally affect the common man in all of us. As much you may celebrate the high art of a The Grapes of Wrath or The Scarlet Letter or (somehow) Things Fall Apart, you must admit you were captivated with Ross and Rachel’s many “breaks” (or when Chandler and Monica got together!) and the fate of Luke Skywalker when facing Emperor Palpatine. Movies are more than conduits for escapism, though. They harbor the lessons and characters and stories from which we learn and relate and become better people. They act as windows to the things we need, and show us that in a relatively short amount of time (and they’re cheap!). Sure, there are countless bad ones, but we can all admit that that is a relative way of speaking. They are contemporary and real; they help people through their stories they may never here anywhere else.

I remember watching an interview with the writer of the 1993 film My Life, where Michael Keaton plays a man afflicted with cancer. The film was critically derided for being melodramatic and cliché. Yet the writer was still proud of it, not because of the ego all writers have about their “babies,” but because of certain audience reactions. At some moment of time after the film came out, a family came up to writer Bruce Joel Rubin and told him how that movie helped them get through a similar crisis in their lives. “We write movies for them,” I remember him saying. This is the transcendental quality of film. So go out and watch movies and learn from them. Let them impact you! I hope in my work I can guide you to the right ones you need.

Coming Down the Home Stretch: The Last 2016 Movies I Want to See

2016 is coming to a close, which means the end of the fall term is also coming, and winter break is nearing, which means it'll be time to go see movies! Frankly, the end of the year seems to have several movies that pique my interest, so I figured that since I cannot get out to the cinema often due to a general lack of transportation or a budget great enough, I might as well talk about something of note!

In this list, I'll talk about the seven movies I'm most looking forward to seeing at the end of the year. Two films of note that I didn't want to include here due to the fact I'll probably not see them but still interest me are Army of One and Voyage of Time: Life's Journey. Army of One is a direct-to-video comedy based on the true life story of a middle-aged American (played by Nicholas Cage) who thinks God (Russell Brand, because why not?) has called him to go to the Middle East with only a sword to take out Osama Bin Laden--alone. I don't expect the movie to be good--I really don't--but I feel like based on the one trailer we got, it'll be fantastically insane in all the best ways. And Voyage of Time is Terrence Malick's follow-up to his divisive film The Tree of Life (which I love dearly). It's been subject to several delays over the years (it was in my most anticipated films of 2014 list, for some perspective), and even though it was finally released (in two versions, no less), the release is so limited that it'll probably be a long while before I see what the wait was for.

Now without further ado, the real list:

7. Assassin's Creed (PG-13)

Typically, video game movies don't have the best rap. The Resident Evil movies seem to exist solely as guilty pleasures, Warcraft bombed hard at the domestic box office this summer, Prince of Persia is rather a bore, and Super Mario Bros. is something else entirely. Yet I'm still cautiously excited for Assassin's Creed. I don't have a terribly close relationship to the games; I've played some of the first game, but the concept is so intriguing. Michael Fassbender is one of the most celebrated actors today, and he's been a strong proponent during the film's development. Together with a cast including Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, this historical science fiction film about assassins during the Spanish Inquisition may be the game-changer for video game movies (or a fluke).

6. Moana (PG)

Disney has had a steady track record with its "canon" films since Tangled. Even if they aren't all the best they could be, you'd be hard-pressed to say that they're less than good. What sets Moana apart from a film like Frozen for me is all in the recently released clip of Maui (Dwayne Johnson) singing his song, "You're Welcome." Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame is one of the composers on this film, and that's part of the reason I'm excited. The performances seem to be especially good for an animation, and the animation looks pretty great, too! Overall, it looks like it will be a safe bet for a great film, and surely an Oscar contender; Disney's been neck-and-neck with neighbor Pixar in recent years.

5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (PG-13)

My anticipation for this film comes from the fact that I very much like the Harry Potter franchise. The seven books were marvelously translated to screen, save for a handful of quirks, and they all still hold up. I'm interested to see how author J.K. Rowling does in her first foray into the cinematic screenwriting world, and so far, the trailers look promising. The underrated Colin Farrell (Saving Mr. Banks) and Oscar favorite Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) should bring engaging performances to the forefront, and if anything else it'll be a grand return to the wizarding world on screen, as it is, basically, an original story (its source material had next to no story, serving merely as a fun magical encyclopedia created to raise money for Comic Relief). My only trepidation is that the most recent expansion of the franchise, the two-part play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, had a less than stellar script that was released. I'm so hoping that Fantastic Beasts can hold up.

4. Hacksaw Ridge (R)

This film is already out, and I still want to see it! Mel Gibson returns to the director's chair after 2006's Apocalypto and stint on the Hollywood blacklist due to a controversial outburst. This tells the true story of a man who fought in World War II and never fired a gun because of his moral beliefs. Reviews for this movie have been glowing, and it may turn out to be one of the best of the year if what people say is true. Simply put, I want to see this as soon as I can.

3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Not Yet Rated)

Like I said when Episode VII was coming out: it's Star Wars. Of course I want to see it. More than that, this is the first risk that the franchise has taken since 1977. Rogue One now deals with an entirely original cast to tell an entirely original story separate from the Skywalker Saga of the main episodes. The concept is interesting, and the tone they're going for--that of an actual war film--should be a fascinating experiment if nothing else. But it's Star Wars. I'm gonna see it.

2. La La Land (PG-13)

This is the part in the blog post where I'm bouncing out of my seat because of how excited I am for this film. La La Land, a darling at film festivals, is an original musical film by Damien Chazelle, director of Whiplash, another acclaimed movie that I want to see but still haven't. I am a sucker for musicals, but there have still been a handful of stinkers in that department. The best way to describe the vibe I'm getting from this is magical. It's refreshing old-fashioned yet modern-feeling, like the precious love child of Singin' in the Rain and Begin Again. Ryan Gosling plays a jazz pianist and Emma Stone plays a struggling actress; they fall in love and work together, and I know my heart will be full seeing an original musical. I could give it a perfect score after seeing the latest string of trailers, but I promise I'll give it its day in court.

1. Silence (R)

La La Land would be most anticipated film for the rest of the year if it wasn't for Silence. Martin Scorsese's passion project based on Shusaku Endo's novel of Jesuit missionaries who endure persecution in Japan is, for me, building up to be the most powerful film of this awards season. The only snippets we've seen from it are haunting photographs of Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield in costume, but I'm still so excited to see this film. The subject matter and its importance to Scorsese lead me to believe this film won't be anything less than excellent.

What about you, dear reader? Are there any films you still need to see this year to mark off your movie list? Whatever you have to say about me and the movies, comment below!