Filmspotting Review: At A Theater Near You

When I want to get a new camera, I go to Consumer Reports. Replace the siding on the house? I head to Angie's List. And when I want to know which movies are worth my time, I listen to Matty Robinson and Adam Kempenaar at Filmspotting.

I'm not exactly a movie buff, but I figure if I'm going to spend ten bucks to sit in an over air-conditioned theater and inhale the migraine-inducing scent of fake popcorn butter for a couple hours, I better enjoy the rest of the experience. With the help of Filmspotting, I almost never end up watching a movie I hate.

It's true that there are reams reviewers who offer the convenient, time-saving film assessments with stars and thumbs. But anyone can do that. I'm looking for guides who can get under the proverbial hood of a movie and explain what's going on. I want to know if—and why—I should care about a movie.

The two front load the hour-plus podcast with the good stuff, including a 15-minute review of a recently released movie. Having these guys reviewing a movie is a little like bringing a housing inspector and an interior designer with you to an open house. They'll let you know if the structure is sound and well constructed. They'll also let you know how it looks: is there interesting camera work? Do the actors bring their A game? Does the film drag or zip along? When they disagree, they do so in interesting ways, and without the distraction of yelling. Well, rarely, anyway.

Better yet, they bring more to the review than you can get just from watching the movie. They offer up interesting tidbits to those who will never see the movie, whether it's comparing actors to the characters they play (comparing the arc of Mickey Rourke's acting career to that of the character he plays in The Wrestler) or examining a film in light of the political climate (Milk and the battle over gay marriage). They're reviews that help you bring something to the table when you see the film. And if you've already seen the movie they're reviewing, their commentary will likely help you appreciate it more in retrospect.

If you're a huge film fan, you'll appreciate the other segments of the show, which include top-five lists, polls, and occasional (slightly fawning) interviews with directors, writers, and actors. The show's listeners are smart, funny, and opinionated—and they're not afraid to send scathing messages when they feel that the two have missed the boat on a review (They gamely read an awful lot of letters that begin—or end—with the phrase "for shame!")

James Wood, a book critic for the New Yorker, says that the best reviews are "vivid and passionate redescription." For me, Matty and Adam's reviews go one step further. Their discussion doesn't just help me understand a movie, it often prompts me to take off my headphones and head to the theater. 

And that may be the best kind of review of all.