Any trivial element of a movie can make it noteworthy, from the technical elements like Direction, Cinematography and Editing to a single performance, scene or ensemble. A movie could be “noteworthy” for the subject matter or the style in which it’s told. I think all movies are noteworthy for every conceivable reason, including how bad it is. Every movie we watch, be it good, bad, perfunctory or excellent, becomes “of note” in our minds, especially the ones we wished we didn’t waste our time on, as much as the ones we find compelling or deserving of an award.
A compelling movie is simply a movie an individual finds interesting. Unlike being “noteworthy” however, a compelling movie is one in which the pluses out weigh the minuses and the movie itself is worthy of spending ones time watching and remembering for many different or singularly isolated reasons.
A movie deserves an award, or becomes “award caliber” when it reaches the highest level of achievement in a given category. Movies that are made in such a way, tell a story in such a way, evoke emotion in such a way, that it has reached the heights of cinematic quality and is worthy of praise. The term “awards caliber” however is called into question by the proliferation of awards like “The Razzies” in which people feel compelled to note the poorest quality films and give them an award for it.
CASABLANCA (1942) – Casablanca sits at #3 on the AFI top 100 list and for good reason. It holds noteworthy and compelling performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Their performances are iconic entries into the canon of film history. It has managed to pass the hardest qualification out there, the test of time. It’s balance of themes and tone as well as possessing highly quotable dialogue, makes this an easy choice. It won awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
ALIEN (1979) – Alien is easily the greatest Science Fiction and Horror film of all time. It is both noteworthy and compelling due in large part to the design of the film and the manifestation of H. R. Giger’s dark imagination. Of note is the strong performance of female lead Sigourney Weaver in a time where women were not thought to be able to open a movie. Not to be outdone, the movie is masterly crafted by Ridley Scott, creating tension and realism in the fantastical universe of outer space. The combination of futurism, realism, and special effects allowed it to win awards for Special Effects and Art Direction.
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