The Post Critic

My brother is a screenwriter, and whenever we get together, the conversation invariably comes around to the subject of movies. We talk about what’s good, what’s bad and what’s changed (for better or worse) in the transition from script to screen. Most of all, we discuss what’s being sold and what kind of stories studios want to make. Lately, he says it’s all about the “high concept.”

From Wikipedia: “High concept” is an ironic term used to refer to an artistic work that can be easily described by a succinctly stated premise. The term is applied to films that are pitched and developed almost entirely upon such a simply stated premise rather than standing upon complex character study, cinematography, or other strengths that relate more to the artistic execution of a production rather than simply an engaging high concept premise with broad appeal.

The Final Destination Rated R (violence/terror, language) Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m. 82 min Essentially, can you explain the story of a movie in one sentence? This week’s showings can all be considered “high concept.”

The Final Destination: This fourth entry in the series once again features Death stalking teenagers. Julie and Julia: A woman decides to work her way through the Julia Child cookbook and finds her life paralleling the famous chef’s. Gamer: Real-life convicts are used as the characters controlled by players in a real-life video game.

“High concept” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, great movies, and even great stories can be summed up succinctly and don’t have much to offer in the way of complicated plots or themes. That doesn’t mean they’re not entertaining. Take the recent success of Zombieland (which if you haven’t seen, do so now. I mean right now. Go ahead. I’ll wait until you’re back.) “A group of strangers travel across a zombieplagued America.” A simple story that is incredibly well acted and hilariously entertaining.

Julie and Julia Rated PG-13 (brief strong language, some sensuality) Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m. 123 min The Final Destination doesn’t offer much in the way of fine acting or hilariousness. Truthfully, the only reasons to see this one are if you enjoyed the other three or are just interested in watching a run-of-the-mill horror film with a twist that was unique three movies ago.

Julie and Julia, on the other hand, is high concept done right. It’s a simple idea, but a clever one. Personally, I couldn’t decide which was the more interesting storyline: Amy Adams (who has never been less than perfect in any movie she has ever been in) as Julie, a secretary who finds herself by cooking; or Meryl Streep’s Julia, the woman who would go on to become one of the world’s most famous chefs. The movie is fun, engaging and goes down easy, much like one of the tititular character’s recipes.

Gamer Rated R (strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity, language) Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m. 95 min Gamer is an interesting situation. As a high concept film, gamers control real people in a simulated video game world, works, the action is intense and pretty much non-stop, and the cast, led by Gerard Butler and Michael C. Hall, all play their roles well. Without doubt, if you have a pulse, you will be entertained by this movie. However, this is a “high concept” that’s begging to be explored in more detail. Some questions are raised, but never answered. Others are simply ignored in lieu of another shoot-out or explosion. The subject matter has the potential to really examine the values of our entertainment industry as well as a culture that might allow a combination of reality television and first-person shooter games. Still, if you’re looking for an hour and a half of “high concept” entertainment, it’s not bad.

Critics often try to find fault with movies. We don’t do this maliciously, we just see so many that we get tired, bored, or indifferent, especially when it’s a storyline, idea or “high concept” that we’ve seen a thousand times before. We tend to forget that sometimes, those familiar tropes or those simple stories can still be entertaining, and even comforting. It’s the reason we all have our favorites that we will go back and watch again and again. Something about that particular story, or that particular character, appeals to us.

Plus, think of all the great films, classic films that were high concept. Jaws: three men hunt a killer shark. Indiana Jones: an archeologist races Nazis around the world in a quest for biblical artifacts. Star Wars: every myth ever written combined and set in outer space.

Remember, just because a movie is simple, doesn’t mean it’s bad.