Jodie Foster is a terrific artist, and her sentiment here,
“I feel like I make movies because there are things I have to say in order to figure out who I am or my place in the world, or for me to evolve as a person.” —Jodie Foster
is closely connected with what I found written about Rian Johnson’s Star Wars movie recently.
Because at the end of the day, art is about expression as held in both the short- and long-term frames, and in balance.
For if everything were left to the rationalized and optimized delivery of the perfect and pleasurable experience to maximize value for a company’s shareholders, then you are making a world that will become out of balance. Is that bad? Well, more like it is just a bad idea in the long run — because then you lose sight of the broader universe of where greater possibilities may like. I say “may” because we don’t really know. And that is what art can be about: becoming more comfortable with the world of the unknown. —JM
Footnote: This interview with Anthony Mackie adds another facet to the problem embedded in the evolution of the superhero movie genre how now:
“Anthony Mackie isn’t a movie star. Falcon is.”