You ever have that friend who can't stop talking about a movie while the same movie is playing right in front of you guys? Yeah, I'm that friend but without all the spoilers; all I bring are scene and technique analyses.
A lot of people have adverse opinions on movie analyses. Some call them pretentious, over-analytical, or plain made-up. I digress. With any types of art forms be they movies, paintings, games, analyses and feelings are dependent upon the viewer. We all feel things differently and our views should not be dictated by anyone else thinking that they're right and we're wrong.
And all that applies to movies. A movie should be treated as a work of art. It should be viewed explicitly, skimming the surface level, and implicitly, digging deep in to find the underlying tones.
Take Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for example. Focus on Jim Carrey's acting. He was spectacular in that role—a role of a depressed man who had to live with the fact that the girl he loved chose to wipe her memories of him. Think about this for a second. Jim Carrey's roles are also in comedies. And here he is, landing the best role of his life with his superb acting. Is it because he's good? Sure it is. But there's another reason, one that takes analyses and research to find out.
He recently broke up with the love of his life and in his miserable state, he was reached out by the director for the role because the director thought that his current state is perfect for the movie.
Sounds ominous? You're darn right. But that's what makes the acting so convincing. The art of realism allowed for such truthful emotions that we couldn't help but feel pity for him.
Look at another movie, Good Will Hunting. Notice the armchairs that Will (Matt Damon) and Sean (Robin Williams) sit in. Initially, their seats were opposing each other. But as the movie goes on, we could subtly notice Will sitting closer to Sean, symbolizing his opening up to his psychologist. We could see this "reconciliation" in many movies like Clint Eastwood's Invictus.
At the end of the day, movie analyses make movies great. They give rise to meaningful reviews. They create an entirely new branch of filmology, and of course they create internet drama. The best of three worlds, I may say.
