Why Javier Bardem Hates Watching His Own Movies

Something you often hear from artists working in the film industry is that they find watching their work incredibly difficult. Once everything is locked and put in front of an audience, it can be like pulling teeth without the added fun of drugs. For directors, it actually makes a lot of sense. A film is something they have shepherded for several years, pouring every ounce of themself into the project to make it the best it can be. They've written or lived with the script for a long time, gone through a rigorous shoot, and meticulously combed through every second of footage in the editing over and over and over again before settling on a finished film. After all that, you need to distance yourself from the film for your own sanity and focus on other things. This is why it was so surprising to me when Mike Leigh, in a Q&A with Film at Lincoln Center, said he actually enjoyed watching his films if there's a reason to do so and considers himself lucky in that respect.

For actors, their reasons for not being able to watch their work on screen are a little different. Of course, part of it is about the experience of doing the work and needing to move on from it. This is something they shot many months earlier and have probably already done other roles since then, not to mention any other parts they might be preparing for or shooting at the moment. They also may have had a poor experience making the movie, and watching it brings back bad memories. In general, though, the reason a lot of actors cannot watch their own work is much more superficial, and one of our best actors, Javier Bardem, falls victim to it as well.