Citizen Kane - Great in the black & white era, not now.

Rating: 3/10 (11 September 2014)

This film is a prime example of the difference between film critics and film watchers. Whilst there is no doubt that the script, acting, cinematography, direction etc are first rate, it's actually rather boring. It's worth watching once, to see what all the hype is about, but it just doesn't have that entertainment value. I'm probably alone in this view, but if it came out now it'd most likely bomb at the cinema because it's just not watchable enough, particularly for today's audiences who only really want to see modern stars they know or special effects and loud explosions ! Maybe my rating of 3 is a bit harsh, but I'm a great lover of 30s and 40s films, and if you hold this up against, say, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Gone with the Wind, or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it just doesn't have that X factor. I'd be the first to admit it's a landmark film, but too many critics still hold a candle up to this film as the ultimate movie experience, but I'm sorry... it's not !