I’ve had a long yet sporadic conversation with a fellow movie geek about rating movies – specifically, in giving something a top score (10 out of 10, 5 out of 5, or where The Matinee is concerned, 4 out of 4).

While I believe that most other scores can’t be taken at a glance, a top mark is a pretty clear declaration that the film achieved something extraordinary…be it scary, funny, or moving. But is that top mark lessened if its given out too often?

Scanning the reviews I’ve written since starting this blog, I see that I’ve given 168 films the full treatment, and that 30 of them nabbed 4 star reviews. That’s close to 18%. Remembering that the sample isn’t an exact science (since I’m choosing what i want to see, and deliberately skipping titles I think would waste my time) that means that two of every ten movies I watch theatrically rock my world.

Does this mean I’m being too generous? Does it lessen such a high score by giving it out so often?? Perhaps. Looking over the list, there are certainly one or two that I could potentially demote upon further reflection. But how many of those would be offset by elevating a 3.5/4 film to the top of the class after I’ve had a chance to soak it in?

Of course, the four I’d give THIE GODFATHER and the four I gave INCEPTION aren’t equal in the long run. Furthermore, the score I give a film doesn’t matter a lick, except to me and to those of you who keep track of such things. But I believe that for those of us who keep score, it’s worth looking at how hard a marker, or how lax we tend to be.

Sure every film is different, and in the grand scheme sometimes one can go a wickedly long stretch without any of these touchstone films to rave about…but I think it says more about the critic when they can’t hand out a top score with a certain degree of regularity.

What say you folks? How often do you give top marks? Any you’d like to go back and take away? think you’re too tough on films and find you like them more in hindsight, or too lax…giving out gold stars like they’re candy on Halloween?