What draws you to a film?

What is the biggest quality you think a film should have?

What is the first thing or quality you notice in a film? What quality makes a film good or memorable or favourite in your mind, as a viewer?

For me, it would be good writing, memorable dialogues, solid acting by entire cast. I do not mind rest of things like locations or music etc., nor bother about dress or accessories of stars. Writing and acting matter most to me.

What about you, as a viewer?

A catchy screenplay and interesting story in that order.

If we're talking specifically about Hindi films today, it would be the concept or story. That's the first thing I look for before selecting what to watch. In terms of the factor that would make a film worth remembering, it would be acting. A mediocre script can be elevated by good acting. But if you have a great script, and bad acting then it's not worth watching. Very few Hindi films these days have a good script. There are films with decent screenplay, direction and acting but script is a different ballgame altogether.

I looked at director / scriptwriter only for older Hindi films. The only directors I like from the current lot are Shoojit Sircar, and Vishal Bhardwaj. I don't even know any screenwriters.

For other stuff -

Hollywood films - story / concept

Japanese films - screenwriter [directors also for older films]

Other Asian films - director / critical acclaim

Older Bengali films - director / actors

European films - actors

atominis: What is the biggest quality you think a film should have?

Clochette: That I connect to a) what is narrated, b) how it is narrated, c) how I feel for the characters

It's equal to books...if all three are positve received by my mind and emotions, it's full pleasure to me - regardless of critics, succes-ratio and genre.

The best movies are those where I'm immersed in the reel reality.

When a movie gives me pleasure, I'll watch other movies regarding a) actors/actresses, b) director, c) writer, d) cinematographer...etc.

The first movie I watched in a theatre, was like the best experience I ever had as a small kid relative to plunge into a magic world of other lives...a German kid's movie adapted from a book I would read later (and then reading almost all the books of that author)...

https://www.bookreports.info/anna-louise-and-anton-summary/

The author, Erich Kästner "was a pacifist and wrote for children because of his belief in the regenerative powers of youth. He was opposed to the Nazi regime and was one of the signatories to the Urgent Call for Unity. However, unlike many other authors critical of the dictatorship, Kästner did not go into exile." (Wikipedia)

Becoming a cinema-lover, I looked - of course - also for other criteria to watch a movie, but getting/making me connect remains the biggest quality.

If I am fond of the director's previous works, I will watch the film no questions asked. A director is a lot more important to the film than anyone else in the team.

Edit - Misread the question. I thought you meant what what makes you watch a film.

To your actual question I think it depends on the film. The appeal for a Spiderverse is very different from the appeal for a Past Lives. I wouldn't necessarily look for a meaningful plot or actual depth in Spiderverse. It's the visuals that I am there for. In Past Lives, it's the characters and the story itself.

A true to life but engaging storyline & a riveting screenplay (including acting that should enliven completely its characters) is all I seek from the genres / themes I prefer . Eg. - Ugly , Peepli Live , Luck By Chance , Bandit Queen etc. In case of horror/comedy , it should do what it is supposed to do that's it .

Signs that movie is working for me (mind you I watch on my e-device only) :

a) no yawning

b) unresponsive to external stimuli

Getting vibes of trying too hard to sound like an intellectual from the responses in the topic. 🤢

How can you judge the screenplay of the film from a short trailer?

Honestly, I never spend a lot of time to think what makes a movie stick with me. As I reflect on it, movies that stick with me tend to have quotable dialogues and iconic characters. My absolute favorite movies that I can watch again and again are - Mean Girls, Miss Congeniality, Legally Blonde, Bring it On, Pitch Perfect, and My Cousin Vinny.

Other movies that stick are not necessarily the movies themselves but the experience and rite of passage around it. As a nineties teen, DDLJ will forever have a place in my heart. It was one of the first movies I saw with my school friends. My dad never came with us for many things, but he joined us for Karan Arjun and that made the movie memorable. HAHK we went as a large group with three families from our building complex, my friend and I woke up so early to be early in line for advance booking tickets for all of us. Biwi number one was the last movie I saw with friends in India before coming to the USA. Each and every one of my building friends was there. A few of my friends at tuition bunked tuition to rent a VHS of Judwaa and watch it.

Titanic was the first movie I saw in townside/SoBo. We took the harbor line to VT station one weekend to watch the movie. And like many people - those were my first big screen boobs. Harry Potter movies, I was part of large group that would camp out in line for the movies - it was the era before assigned seating. We had tents and ordered pizzas and read fan fiction to each other.

A lot of queer cinema is forever etched in my memory as my "coming of age" all over again in my twenties. I had a list of movies that I wanted to see. Some of them were not easily available so I would drive to a blockbuster all the way across town to rent. I didn't even know why I had this compulsive need to watch them - Lost and Delirious, DEBS, Loving Annabelle, But I'm a Cheerleader, Boys Don't Cry, The Laramie Project, Fvcking Amal/Show Me Love.

My BFF and I watched a lot of them together, in my basement, doors shut, constantly on the edge that my parents would come in - Room in Rome was one that especially had me on the edge because there is barely a moment in the movie that is appropriate.

Some movies I love because my parents loved them and we would watch them together as a family - Star Wars, ET, Back To the Future, Indiana Jones, Teen Wolf.

And sometimes some stars just make an impact. As a little girl - I was a HUGE fan of Arnold Schwarzenneger. I don't know why - but I just loved his movies. My dad was probably grateful tp have a girl who wanted to watch action-hero movies instead of Disney Princess flicks - but I am sure even he got exhausted at how many times I wanted to watch Commando, Predator, and Terminator.

Genre

I'm more inclined to watch coming of age, stoner comedies, thrillers, social political satire. I don't have the appetite for action, fantasy and sci-fi (with exceptions).

Most days I don't have the brain power to watch lengthy movies. When I'm in the mood to appreciate good cinema I check out filmography of my favourite directors.

I rarely go by actors.

Watch the trailer and see if I like it