Confessions Of An Ex-Movie Buff

While I've always appreciated the art of filmmaking, I no longer identify as a cinephile. What started out as a healthy interest, analysing dialogue and characters, quickly turned into a superficial fixation with what was or wasn't cinema. 

Watching movies is a social hobby. We watch movies to speak about them, share them with others and maybe write a quirky caption on Instagram. But because it is a social activity, when you're a cinephile, your opinion on movies (whether you're aware of it or not) is largely influenced by what other people think.

I felt like I had to like certain kinds of movies to prove that I was intelligent or interesting enough. My list of favourites was a curated, bald-faced lie. But I didn't know this. Until I asked myself... what do I genuinely enjoy? What are the movies that give me joy, that I can watch over and over again? 

They don't need to be 'smart', layered or critically acclaimed. They just have to mean something to ME – no one else. Perhaps they reminded me of a childhood memory. Perhaps it was a movie I had enjoyed with a loved one. Loving movies is supposed to be FUN, not a trial or judgement of good taste. 

So. Here are some of my truthful opinions on movies that I've been afraid to say out loud:

*The movies I truly like are the ones that make me and my sister laugh. Classic ones we grew up with, and have built an entire vocabulary around. See: Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Miss Congeniality

*I love the first few movies of the Fast and Furious franchise. They are great comfort movies and perfectly captured the era they were made in.

*My favourite trope is… friendship. 

Whether it’s the power of friendship, or the bond between a human being and an animal/creature. What I especially love is the 'unlikely' friendship: where two people who don't see eye to eye, begin to understand and appreciate the other's differences. 

Gets. Me. Every. Time. 

*I’ve never seen Star Wars. I know that it’s probably amazing, and I'll definitely like it. The opportunity just never came up... I've decided to save it for a special occasion. Like a gift to my future self. (also see: Lord of the Rings)

*For a long while I had a 'fixation' with old Barbie movies, but I don't truly enjoy them (Not you, Princess and the Pauper) 

*My favourite Spider-Man is The Amazing Spider-Man. 

*I've seen Casablanca all of once, but I collected pictures of Ingrid Bergman like she was my hero. 

*I’ve seen every single Cinderella adaptation. It's a classic story that never gets old, and I love seeing how it's interpreted across different cultures and time periods.

*My favourite Studio Ghibli film is Ponyo, even though I say it’s Howl’s Moving Castle

*I thought Coraline was weird and creepy. I did not, at any point, ever feel the need to rewatch it. 

*I love romantic comedies. It's one of the few genres that centre women, their unique experiences and inner worlds. The romance is just a bonus. Okay fine, I love the romance too. 

*In The Mood for Love bored me to tears. But I persevered because it's so beautifully made. 

*Wong Kar Wai is not my favourite director, and I find his film style unbearable. But I thought Chungking Express was charming. 

*I liked the Mulan live-action, and had the shock of my life when everyone hated it. 

*I've seen Diary of a Mad Black Woman like 100 times...

*... and Dreamgirls about 50

*Back in college, I would collect old black and white movies on my laptop. Cause I thought it made me look sophisticated. 

*I didn't appreciate Parasite until I watched some lengthy YouTube videos analysing its themes. 

*The Transporter is one of my childhood favourites. But my favourite part is the fashion choices... Particularly the brown wool skirt and white blouse that the hostage wears. That look is engraved in my mind. 

*I can quote the movie The Hot Chick, back to front. It gave me so many incredible memories with my friends.