Good Reputations: Are They Helpful or Hurtful for Films?

Advertising and word-of-mouth are extremely important within the context of judging arts and ultimately account for the most disappointing part of the mass arts (film specifically) -- popularity. A film's success lies inherently on the views of the popular press and mass public, and this can either help a film or account for its downfall.

Of course, the positive aspect is for the filmmakers in getting their work seen. But for the viewer, something can become hyped up so much as to create an unnecessary demand for it. This could happen to such an extent that once seen, the high expectations not being met account for a negative opinion of the piece. One that would have otherwise been positive.

Love Actually is a prime example of this. This film was surrounded by such a great amount of positive reviews and feedback from viewers, which made for an extreme showing at the box office. When told by a trusted friend that this film was the best seen in a long time, my interest was piqued. I became so excited to see the movie and was ultimately let down. Had I heard nothing about the piece prior to my viewing it, I'm sure I would hold it in higher standards. This is why I prefer to approach every viewing with little to no knowledge of the "quality" of the piece.

Sadly, this is relatively impossible, and also where money comes into play: people don't want to waste money on something which they won't enjoy, hence the importance of reviews and films of the "critically acclaimed." But personal preference is also important, and genres were created for better judgment ability based on a limited understanding of a film (i.e. what the preview shows or what a friend relays). A minor exception to this is the independent film, but there are still multiple outlets through which to gauge the success of an independent in festivals and venues of the like.