I seem to see things in films others tend to miss. I think I take every film so personal it become part of my being which in turn makes me see something maybe not being said. A lot of people have said ‘The Menu’ is about eating the rich, nope, for me it was about a man using his career, which is toxic in its own right I know I’ve been in it for 20 years, as a good scape goat for being a psycho path. ‘Mr. robot’ is about the three masks of Taoism for me and how life is a Koan not to be fixed or impossible to control. ‘Another Round’ is not about the liberation booze brings but the darkness it opens in you through the trick of fun or looseness, that is not a happy ending instead an ending showing that they will all slowly slide back into alcoholism because they have not grown or found purpose.
I think these are all fun exercises to do when looking at art. What is the meaning of it truly to you?! How can it improve your life or illuminate something in your world for you to grow? Just mindlessly consuming seems the norm because their is so much now how cant you. You can’t remember every little moment of every media thing you watch especially with Tik Tok and Instagram and the likes. So you have to meander through certain things, I find myself even grasping for a phone when I’m at home watching a film or show. That is why I still love movie theatres they force me to pay attention I never look at my phone in them. That I will always find important like going to an actual museum or art gallery of music show or play or cinema, no matter how big or small, these are important tasks to do. For connections sake.
When I consume things I try to find a depth. Try to put my self in the place of the artist or creator, I really believe who ever makes a film is trying their damn best to make it interesting. Going deeply into art or pondering on artistic expression comes with a double edge sword where some critics will make excuses for something that is just plain mean or harming like in the case of how Kubrick used to treat his actors or how Frank Ocean or Axel Rose will show up to shows almost 2 hours late and people will make excuses saying its an artistic choice. People pay hundreds of dollars to see you, as an artist you have a responsibility and you should have respect for your fans that’s just my hot take. Sometimes artists just don’t give a fuck or try something that doesn’t work and isn’t brilliant, even if they are. Shit happens, its okay, you don’t have to drag them but you can admit it and not use mental gymnastics to make excuses for them. I think we have to think deeply but from a humanistic aspect not letting marketing sway us or their larger than life persona or personality. Artists shouldn’t be looked at as Gods, I’m talking to myself here. Just as films shouldn’t always be dissected to a micro organism. They should always be seen differently on how they can connect to YOU, instead of how they look to society.
None of this makes sense I know. I guess this is just me still pondering on the ideas of what art is to me. What film means to me. What judgement or criticism means to me. And in turn what it means for me to write things for other people to read. Art makes me always think of what it can do on the small scale to each billionth individual to change and hopefully open them up, a ripple. Art shouldn’t be about control but about freedom to let whatever is inside out. So it shouldn’t be taken too seriously if you get my meaning. A grain of salt, even though that grain is needed badly to give anything flavor, especially life.
