Over on Slate.com, Amy Nicholson offers a fine article which focuses on some of the more dubious cinematic features released in 2016…

Raise a glass to the finest cinematic trash of 2016

If the article’s headline doesn’t make it obvious, Ms. Nicholson’s article defends some of what many perceive as the worst of 2016, be it films like The Brothers Grimsby, Gods of Egypt, or Warcraft.

She also states this about The Nice Guys:

Ryan Gosling’s 30-second pants-cigarette-gun-newspaper-bathroom door shuffle is better choreographed than anything in La La Land.

Here’s that scene:

It seems like only yesterday (well, it was actually two days ago) that I noted The Nice Guys was one of the most disappointing films, to me, released in the past year.  While I didn’t hate it, the plot was nonsensical, the action was muted (our dubious heroes never felt like they were in any real danger), and while there were some truly hilarious moments in the film, it seemed all of them were encapsulated in the movie’s trailers.  Including the scene above, which I agree with Ms. Nicholson was a thing of beauty.

While I may not entirely agree with Ms. Nicholson’s love for The Nice Guys (or, indeed, the other films she feels were unfairly trashed as…uh…trash in 2016), the reason I pointed out her article is because it reflects how people nowadays are becoming way too judgmental about other people’s opinions.

Once again: They are opinions.  Works of art, by their nature, can turn on person A while simultaneously turning off person B.  I may love movie X while the vast majority of people hate it…and its OK.  My liking the film does not negate your not liking it, just as surely as my not liking a film doesn’t negate your liking or loving it.

Yet this simple statement isn’t reflected in online comments.  Indeed, in her article Ms. Nicholson concludes her first paragraph, in which reveals she gave The Brothers Grimsby a “thumbs up”, by defensively stating:

Even so, when I filed my thumbs-up review, five weeks into a new job I adore, I sucked in my breath before clicking send. Sticking up for trash isn’t a fireable offense, but it does guarantee that for the next two years, any time I write a less-than-rave review of the latest DC gloommerung, some egg on Twitter will rebut, “Yeah, but your clearly a moron for liking Brothers Grimsby.” (Misspelling intended.)

I totally see her point here, even as she indulges in the same finger pointing (“DC glommerung”?).

Once again: So freaking what if she liked The Brothers Grimsby or Gods of Egypt or Warcraft or any of the many other films released last year that many panned and even more stayed away from?

Seriously: So what?

Even if the films are, at best, a “guilty pleasure”, if you’re getting enjoyment out of something, why does it become such a crime?  Many people hated Batman v Superman (you knew I’d get there eventually, didn’t you?), some almost hysterically so.  I’ve read many of the more even-keeled posts from people who state, point by point, the things they don’t like about the film and, in many cases, can’t fault their logic.

It didn’t stop me from nonetheless enjoying the hell out of the movie.

There were waves of biting comments regarding the new Ghostbusters.  It was “sexist”, it wasn’t funny.  It was stupid.  It was insulting the studios would dare remake such a beloved cinematic treasure.  Seriously?  I mean, I can see people being bothered by a remake of, say, Casablanca or Citizen Kane but Ghostbusters?

There was even an early preview review of the film, posted on YouTube, in which the person who saw the film ravaged it for its sexism (he felt the ending in particular and the use of the power weapons pointed to this) and the fact that it was just not funny at all.

I saw the film, hoping for the best but expecting the worst and, you know what?  It wasn’t bad at all.  Was it the Best-Damn-Comedy-Ever-Made™?  No.  Not by a long shot.  But it was an enjoyable time-killer with some very funny scenes and effects that weren’t anywhere near as “terrible” as some stated.

The point I’m making (over and over again) remains this: It’s fine to love or hate or anything in between a film.  Or a song/album.  Or a book.  Indeed, anything artistic.  It’s perfectly legitimate to have an opinion on it.  Just as its perfectly acceptable for others to have the same or opposite one.

The problem lies when people seem to feel their opinion is fact.

In the arts, it never is.