This week on the InSession Film Movie Poll, we want to know what you think about movies that are “based on true stories.” A recent article was published, that intelligently discussed fact-checking and how sometimes critics will base their reviews on the accuracy of movies that are about true stories. It was an interesting piece and a topic we’ll discuss on our podcast this weekend (10/20). One big example this week, is the new movie The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch and my new guy, Daniel Bruhl. I’m sure by now you know that Julian Assange, the character Cumberbatch is playing, has issues with the films accuracy and portrayal of Wikileaks. And if you didn’t know, Cumberbatch has responded to those remarks and it’s pretty intersting.
Anyway, there’s been many other films that have come to the same scrutiny. So we wanted to toss out the question to you guys. Does the accuracy of a movie, that is based on real-life events, affect the way you see a movie? Or does it not matter at all. Personally, I think it may depend on the subject but if the movie is made well, like Captain Phillips, it’s okay if it’s not 100% accurate. I mean, it’s the job of the director to make the movie good right? Well for the sake of the story, sometimes directors and writers need to take some liberties for the movie. But at the same time, maybe a good story can be by itself?
Well whatever your thoughts, let us know in the comments below and be sure to cast your vote!
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It definitely matters on if the movie itself works. The Bling Ring was highly inaccurate not in the story but the character changes. That was significant enough to alter the portrayed story. Captain Phillips they do spend a small amount of time in the beginning pointing out that the crew outside of the bridge didn’t like him. It’s toned down but not enough to affect the story. Pain & Gain merged 2 characters into the one played by The Rock and it had added value.
Yeah that’s a great point. I think sometimes it’s hard to fit every detail into a 2 hour film so sometimes character choices or little things can change to make the movie work. Thanks for the comment Kia!
See, this is a difficult one for me to pick because it really depends on the movie. I saw Captain Phillips last night, and regardless of the historical accuracy, it was a GREAT movie! Then there’s Patch Adams, which was cute when I was younger, but now that I know more about the real PA, the movie just looks childish and an insult to a great man. Then there’s Zero Dark Thirty, which was supposedly written around the actual events based on the words of real people, but resulted in an extremely boring and uninspired film from my perspective.
So I guess my real answer would be… it’s not the details, it’s the execution.
Yeah that’s a great point and why I wanted to throw the question out there. And we’re gonna dive more into it on our podcast too since it is a loaded question. I would disagree about Zero Dark Thirty tho. I think the film is extremely inspired and they took a lot into consideration for it. But i do agree it’s slow, it’s in the details, behind-the-scenes. I also agree about Captain Phillips and Patch Adams. On the flip side, a movie like Pain & Gain wasn’t going for accuracy. It was a mockery of the bad guys and a satire on that, so any criticism toward the films accuracy make no sense. But yeah those are great points. Thanks for the comment too!
Indeed, my criticism of ZDT seems to be in the vast minority. I’ve actually been working on a list of specific reasons why I didn’t like the movie, so as to clarify my 2/5 review rating from my video earlier this year. Not looking to change any minds, just establish that I didn’t not like the movie just because “it was boring/slow”. 🙂
Yeah I know what you mean. I do that all the time too. Although for me, I feel like I’m mostly the opposite. I tend to like a lot of movies that people and critics hate, so I’m always trying to ask myself what about it I enjoyed vs what the majority thought. But it’s okay, that’s your opinion of the film and it’s what makes you unique. I’d be interested to hear what the specifics are, once you find them.
I just watched Downfall again. Sometimes a good story just speaks for itself…
Yeah I agree. Sometimes you don’t need to mess with the story and if the filmmakers do, I’d like to hope it’s to make the story fit what they are trying to do.