# The tastes of critics are fundamentally different than those of ordinary people

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tastes-of-critics-are-fundamentally-different-than-those-of-ordinary-people/843028>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 5, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tastes-of-critics-are-fundamentally-different-than-those-of-ordinary-people/843028 "2019-11-05T14:18:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tastes-of-critics-are-fundamentally-different-than-those-of-ordinary-people/843028/41 "2019-11-07T16:29:12Z")

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> [@lissener](#):
>
> Movies are a product of their historical context. You can’t separate them.
> 
> Sent from my LG-M150 using Tapatalk

True, but nor does the presence of events outside the control of the filmmakers or actors necessarily make the film a bad one, or unworthy of viewing either. And nor does serendipitous timing with respect to current events make a film any better either.

Interplay with current events may make the film more or less relevant, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of the film, and nor should it really have much to do with a critic or reviewer’s perception of the film either.

I’d even argue that it’s their job to try and eliminate that sort of bias from their opinions of the film, being the supposedly more educated and experienced sorts involved.

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tastes-of-critics-are-fundamentally-different-than-those-of-ordinary-people/843028/42 "2019-11-08T23:12:02Z")

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I couldn’t disagree more.

A film takes place in three different points in time:  
-when it was made  
-the time it portrays  
-and when you’re watching it

Being aware of all three makes a movie a more fulfilling experience; ignoring any of them is a conscious choice not to see a movie as clearly as possible.

Sent from my LG-M150 using Tapatalk

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**Author:** ![ralfy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ralfy/32/600_2.png) [@ralfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralfy)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tastes-of-critics-are-fundamentally-different-than-those-of-ordinary-people/843028/43 "2019-11-10T23:35:34Z")

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Here’s a list of the best movies and TV shows for 2018 from one website:

> **[Best film and television of 2018](https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/12/31/best-d31.html)**
>
> The film world in 2018 can be viewed and judged in different ways and by distinct standards.

and they have lists for previous years. Here’s the one from 2008:

> **[David Walsh selects his favorite films of 2008](https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/12/film-d31.html)**
>
> 2008 will be remembered as the year of a great economic crash and a turning point in modern history. It will not be recalled as a great year in filmmaking, despite a few bright spots.

Almost all of the titles I don’t recognize or were only given limited release.

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