Is There Such Thing as Perfect

We've been discussing movies at work and I've found somthing interesting in some people rating systems and am curious to see what others think.

The boys at work think that a 10 is unattainable perfection and that there will never be a 10 rated movie for them. I think without a 10 to base everything below it off of that their rating system is a little messed up. To me, a 1 should be rubbish, a 5 average and a 10 the best of the best.

So do you have a movie that you would rate a 10? If so what is it? Also any imput on their logic?

I'm just interested in whether this is common thinking.

I have 3, Godfather 1 and 2, and Inception.

Also realize how people rate from 7-10 i go from 7-Good, 8-great, 9-awesome, 10-perfect. But I also rate by screen play, acting, story and directing so it depends on how they rate

I'm pretty dreadful about how I rate things and tend to be rather scattered. Unless I have re-watched a film and I'm rating it for the second time.

However, I really don't respect people who don't give out top ratings for any film or horde their ratings as if there is a limited amount of gold stars in the world. I like films and I respect the hard work that those involved in film making put into their craft. If someones standards are so high I wonder why they even bother to watch films.

Ideally I try to only give out 10 to films that have a great script that has come through on the screen with above average craftsmanship (actors/directors/cinematographic/sound) and carries some historical weight or relates a human condition.

Mary & Max is a good example... because it is one of the few films where the medium & story are blended perfectly. The film would have been horrible if they had tried to make it live-action... it would have been too dark. So... with animation I feel that it was able to talk about dark and serious subjects without insulting the viewer or the subject.

I am not being paid to watch movies and give my opinion. My ratings in no way will every effect some award... of any kind... so Meh... I rate what I like. If I'm over generous it is only because I do respect the hard work that goes into film making especially outside of the Hollywood industry.

For me a 10 does not mean perfection, but in the case of entertainment, it means a rare breed of visual recreation that managed to entertain, enlighten or move me in its entirety.

Take the "Fellowship of the Ring" for instance (my first real 10). When I was not completely enthralled by its story-telling, I was thrilled and in the edge of my seat with the action-oriented adventure or simply stunned by the beauty of the universe. So there was not a single minute wasted in my eyes in those 3 hours of a movie, and that is a 10 in my book.

I rate max if for me it's is a clear piece of a art(in other words - something that is clearly made by skilled people and at the same time bearing this higher feelings or should I say giving the viewer (me) these feelings/emotions). You may call this snobbery because it's often hard to express what particularly I find good and charming but, imho, this is more a matter of education to me (I probably won't study stuff involving film theory but still) and poor English vocabulary when it comes to expressing myself in this language.

Currently there are about 30 films that I've rated 10*-9.5* but these are only numbers. Often they stand for different things depending on film. I often can't decide whether give 5* or 4*, 3* or 4*, etc. I really like that listal's rating scale visually consists of five starts, 10 stars would waayyy too much for me.

I rate by 6 being average, and everything above or bellow being very noteworthy for either high quality or glaring falws. I think rating a movie as ten means that you think no film will ever surpass it, and that a tie is the best a new film can hope for. The only film I have listed so far at that level is perfect blue, unless I am mistaken or forgetful.

I rate films solely on how much I enjoy it and if I think it's actually good or not. Perfect movies are subjective. I realize that what I like others don't like at all. I also tend to watch a lot of classic, musical and Disney/family films. I don't view a film to critique it on it's artful appeal. I view a film to enjoy it or get something personal out of it. I have several films I consider a 10 and some that other consider a 10 that I don't like at all. Some consider Citizen Kane one of the best movies of all time. I found it dull and it didn't engage me at all. In fact, every time I tried to watch it, I fell asleep. I rate it about a 3-4 only because I realize it's artistic and historical value. But I rate The Wizard of Oz, Amistad and The Goonies as 10s. :)

My rating system derives from the fact that a 5 is average, a 1 is complete rubbish and a 10 is perfect (in my eyes). I don't, however, dissect every little thing that goes into it's making but the finished product and, especially, by how much I enjoy it.

There are about 150 that I have given 10 stars to, out of the 2400+ that I have seen, and I feel that they deserve it completely...yet everyone's opinion is different.

@Fortunato

[nitpicking mode ON]
5 is not "average" in a 1 to 10 scale. 5.5 is average :) :P
[nitpicking mode OFF]


Anyway... My own rating system derives from the traditional grading system in Italian schools. Sufficiency starts at 6. A 6 is just good enough to pass.

Basically, anything 4 or below... sucks, to my eyes!

Anything 8 or above... I love.
10 is top class, but doesn't necessarily mean "perfection".

5 to 7 is the grey area in the middle.

BTW, I have an IMDb account too, and according to IMDb statistics my rating habits are as follows:
10 - 7% of rated items
9 - 13%
8 - 19%
7 - 21%
6 - 19%
5 - 12%
4 - 6%
3 - 2%
2 - 1%
1 - 1%

I've never seen a strictly perfect film. A 10 out of 10 from me simply means absurdly excellent. The 10 rating doesn't make it perfect, though. Beauty and the Beast and Inception are both very imperfect films I've given a 10.