Pretty good film, but I wouldn't watch it again

Rating: 7/10 (30 April 2017)

I think this film is good because of the exceptional acting, interesting characters, and a great plot. Definitely not my favourite, but still a good film. The film is a drama about a man named Will Hunting (Matt Damon) who is a janitor at a prestigious university and is found out by one of the professors that he is a math genius. He tries to get Will into a prestigious career because of his talents, but Will had a troubled upbringing and is afraid of failing and taking chances in life, and he receives help from a psychologist named Sean McGuire (Robin Williams).
In terms of the literary elements, the premise and plot are pretty interesting, and the main characters are complex and fleshed out, with a few exceptions. Will's girlfriend, Skylar, was given some depth in one scene near the end where she and Will are arguing, but that's about it. Also I find it hard to believe that she would even go out with Will in the first place, seeing as their first meeting involved him being a smug jerk to some random guy. The best character in the film, in my opinion, is Robin William's character Sean, the psychologist who helps Will through his internal conflict, and is an all-around great guy because he genuinely wants to help Will. Sean is a wise, intelligent character who serves as a father figure to Will. Will Hunting had some very interesting character development, but at the beginning and throughout the middle of the movie, he's a rude, smug, pretentious person, which are usually qualities of antagonist, but it was nice to see his character develop.
The acting in the movie was pretty good but some choices weren't the best. For example, Skylar being British didn't add much to the story, and while Will and his friends having Boston accents added to the setting, I found it hard at times to tell what they were saying. Will's friends were also a tad annoying in my opinion. Most of the actors did a good job of bringing their characters to life but Matt Damon and Robin Williams gave the most outstanding performances as their characters; Robin Williams even won an Oscar for best supporting role for this film, and I think it was well deserved.
In terms of cinematography, it was good, because the shots they used served purpose, but nothing special or new was brought to the table. There was an excess of shot/reverse shots and close ups in order to 'put the audience into a scene'. There was a long shot at the beginning of most scenes to establish setting. The music wasn't memorable at all, but at least when it was there it served a purpose to the mood the scene was trying to convey or it added to the setting. Also I felt the film dragged on a bit too long and the filmmakers absolutely could have made it shorter and more concise.
In summary, what this film lacks in exceptional cinematography and well-rounded love interests, it makes up for in having a great story and excellent acting, and I believe it is definitely worth a watch, though I don't know if I would watch it again.