If you build it...!

We all have them. Films we like but shouldn't.

I am happy to admit that I'm a bit of a culture snob and my snobbery extends right across the cultural and artistic landscape from books to art, from theatre to dance, from architecture to music and, of course, movies.

However hidden within my cultural highlights are dirty, dirty secrets. Secrets that, if discovered, woud force me to move away and live out my remaining years as a hermit or hobo. I have music on my iPod that I would be embarassed to share with the rest of the world and I have movies that I will happily sit down and watch on my own but would deny all knowledge of liking in company.

Now some bad films are good bad films. It's OK to like them because they have some sort of kitsch charm or they contain a redeeming performance or a great scene or a memorable line. The films I'm talking about are the ones that are just..... well, bad.

I can't live this lie any more. I have to purge myself. I have to confess.

And the first confession is.....

Field of Dreams

Kevin Costner has made many, many mediocre movies, from Waterworld through to the Postman via Dances with Wolves and with once possible exception (The Untouchables) they are all average at best.

The majority of them will pass me by without a second glance, but Field of Dreams is one of those films that I have a lot of affection for and, if it's on, I'm more than happy to sit down and engage with it.

The film is not particularly well written, the plot is confusing in a quasi-mystical kind of way and the performances seem to be telephoned in without much thought for character development but it I like the feel-good way it asks question about what we are doing here, and what happens once we're gone.

There is something I find life affirming about the film and I'm always left in a better state of mind once I've seen it.

Forgive me!