Article: What makes a good movie?

What makes a good movie? I mean a really good movie? Well, here is my take on what a movie needs to be great. Most times it's just a script change, other times it needs to be a total overhaul of pre-production: Change of director, actors, and crew. But most times? All it takes to make a movie great, is just a really great actor. Inside we'll talk about what factors a movie needs to be a great film.

A method Actor:
When I watched The Dark Knight, I thought it was going to be a bittersweet occasion, knowing that Heath Ledger had recently passed away. But when I went to see it, it wasn't bittersweet at all. Not because I was any less sad about him dying, but because when I saw Heath ledger, I did see him at all, I saw The Joker.This was because Heath had explored Method acting, a style of acting very rarely seen. Method acting calls for a higher degree of discipline that most in the acting world cant and/or wont live up to.Daniel Day-Lewis is a very good example of a method actor. Another good example would be Wesley Snipes in the Blade films, who remained in character between takes. Method acting may be complicated and sometimes dangerous but it offers the viewer a better depth of character.

Saying rather than acting:
Movies while always scripted are far too scripted today. Meaning the actors don't act their parts but rather say their lines in a dull and unflattering fashion. A good example would be the film The Final Destination.The idea of a movie is not to identify with the actor but with the character only, this can be especially difficult if your a top ranking actor like Angelina Jolie. Despite her acting chops, the fact that her face and look is so well known makes it hard for you to forget that it's Angelina Jolie when she's playing a part. Which is why big stars often have problems playing the parts of comic book or video game characters.

A movie Make:
The biggest thing an actor needs to do is research what he or she is playing. If it's a cop, then research, spend some months with a force. If your playing a deranged character, then you need to study that. And once you have, immerse yourself in it. Think of it not as a movie but as something that is actually happening. realism is what makes a movie great, but if you have a bunch of actors talking at each other, and without any kind of emotion then what you have is a big mess.

However, most times it's not the actor at all. Most of the time a script can kill a movie entirely. If the script is bad then it doesn't matter how good the actor is or whether or not he or she is a method actor, the movie will still be bad because of the writing. I think a good movie relies on 4 things: Story, Script, Chemistry, and Music. Having even one wrong, can kill a movie.

Having all those ingredients however, can make a perfect movie. But it all boils down in the end, to how serious an actor takes his or her job. It's easy to tell the ones who do it for the passion, and the ones who do it for any other reason....