What makes something a good movie?

Okay. I did notice a kind of synth woooooorrorrrrr when Chigur is crossing a metal bridge in one scene and that is all.

Actually, it's a subject worth having a think about. I might try to find a list or compile one myself (yeah right...).

Really? That many films with score? I think it's very few films without score. What films without score?

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Timetravelfan
www.timetravelmovie.com

GREAT question. So my ranking would be:

1. Cinematograpy (Bad cinematography is what makes a movie unwatchable, IMO)
2. Writing (Even great actors can't salvage bad writing)
3. Acting (Goes without saying)
4. Music (Music sets the good and great apart)
5. Art Direction/Set Decoration (Same as music but less important)

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**Tia**
Movies in Tucson

A director should have seen the movie in his mind already...he should be able to bring out the imagination into almost near reality in the screens.......

What if they dont like a director's visualization? It's not simple about a director. Other factors are involved.

What makes a good movie is a powerful element that makes go "WOW!".
Here's a few examples:

1. Edward Norton's performance in American History X.
2. T-Rex attack in Jurassic Park.
3. The visuals in Avatar (even though Avatar is a little overrated).
4. The dialogue and acting of Pulp Fiction.
5. The harsh realism of Schindler's List.
6. The unnerving and hilarious black humour of Fight Club.

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

Gratuitous violence.

I agree with the concept of a "wow" moment, though several of those I would not call "wow" moments.

A film can be imperfect and get a 10/10 (perfect) if it has enough "wow" moments where the director really, really, really succeeds amazingly, even if she/he can't carry the success throughout the rest of the film. Someone I know told me this, and his prime example was Spielberg's A.I. There's a lot of crap in the middle, and it's pretty uneven throughout, but the ending is just stunning so the film is still a 10/10 for me.

Pulp Fiction's "wow" moment for me was when Bruce Willis decided to come back to save Marcellus and he was choosing through the weapons. Probably one of the most perfectly shot, paced, contexted, and "scored" scenes ever. It just works, flows, and clicks so strongly. A perfect scene is a hard thing to pull off, and a film should get credit even if the rest of the film is crap (PF was not crap by any means!).

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"Loves them? They need them, like they need the air."

Yeah, if there's just a couple of scenes that are just spot-on perfectly directed, it at least gets a worth watching rating.

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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)

Great question! What, indeed? I guess de gustibus non est disputatem applies: there is no disputing taste. What can be said or done when you like something no others do? Variety being the spice of life, movies are all so very different, and some suit one person while appalling another. Of course, as an artistic medium, film must be subject to some means of quality assessment. I think so many on this thread have made excellent points, and they will help me in the way I watch movies!

Primarily it's the story, the "property"

Without that, no big budget, slick director, special effects, hype or the latest producer's kid "star" can make that turkey fit for human consumption.

Thx

Characters
Story
Acting

The 2 things that I think make a good movie are:

1. The Actors/Actress in the film
2. The Storyline

A Good Movie requires :

A Good Story and Good acting by the cast!

That is so true!

Immersive story, sparkling dialog, confident direction, engaging acting, evocative images ... yup, all those are ingredients of a good movie.

But to me those are "just" mechanics. My criteria? If I wake up the next morning thinking about the movie, then I know it's a good one. Maybe I'm wondering why a character chooses a particular course in a drama. The absurdity of a situation in a comedy. A touching, insightful or cutting snippet of dialog. A revealing gesture or expression. If things like this stick to me, I know it's good.

Very close to what Tyler's saying about the "wow" moment, though for me it's not so much a "wow" as a sigh or a laugh or a smug grin ... or having to turn my head when something's hard to watch.

(Great thread by the way. Have enjoyed reading the differing opinions.)

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Scarecrow: I haven't got a brain ... only straw. Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain? Scarecrow: I don't know. But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they? Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.