Fighting Over Fiction

We watch Forrest Gump and ask...Does Forreat drive his own narrative, or is he carried by it?Is Forrest a reliable narrator?Does Forrest activley affect the live of Jenny and Lieutenant Dan?Do the filming techniques support Forrest’s version of events, or encourage us to question them?

We watch Taxi Driver and ask...Is Travis Bickle a compelling protagonist even though he isn't a typical 'good guy'?Can we sympathise with Travis is any way?Does Travis’s violence feel justified when it shouldn't?Why are we still engaged by Travis even when we don't like him?What does Travis tell us about Paul Schrader?

We watch the end of Game of Thrones and ask...Did the ending of Game of Thrones ultimately have more strengths than weaknesses?Did the major character endings feel ewrned or rushed?Does the finale balance story and spectacle?

We watch A Knight’s Tale and ask...Is a Knight’s Tale a clever reinvention of the medieval epic, or a superficial modern mash up?How effectively does the film blend fantasy settings with medieval elements?Did William Thatcher’s story follow the traditional fantasy hero epic, or is it shaped by modern storytelling conventions?Do the themes of class and changing your stars hit in a meaningful way?Do the films various tones add to its originality?

We watch Sinners and ask...Is Sinners a Genre defying masterpiece?Does the fusion of hostorical drama, blues culture and supernatural horror break genre boundaries?Does Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance elevate Sinners?Did the film’s stylistic choices push it beyond traditinal horror filmmaking?Does Sinner earn its award season recognition or is its cultural significance doing some of the heavy lifting?Is it better to go into a movie blind, having watched the trailer or fully spoiled?

We watch Mad Max : Fury Road and ask...Does Mad Max : Fury Road prove that action alone can be a powerful form of storytelling?How does the film use action sequences to reveal character motivations and relationships without relying on dialogue?Do the visiuals and pacing communicate the world effectively?Would more dialogue elevate the story?Is Mad Max : Fury Road a feminist film?

We watch Napoleon Dynamite and ask...Is Napoleon Dynamite proof that low budget film making breed creativity?Does Napoleon Dynamite capture the spirit ofnthe 2000s?Does a low budget create better storytelling through constraint?Does the low budget change how you watch the film?

We watch The Shawshank Redemption and ask...Is Shawshank meaningful storytelling or emotional manipulation?Does it earn its emotional impact through character and story, or does it rely on Morgan Freeman's voiceover?Are Andy and Red realistic characters?Is the film’s popularity driven by cinematic craft or cultural reputation?