Minority Report: The Stigma of Contrarian Film Criticism
by Parker Mott on Jul.17, 2012, under Essays and Other Works
Them trolls.
Film criticism is important, I believe, because it represents that uncompromising search for truth, beauty, and wisdom in cinema. It connects social/cultural patterns to what is on-screen. Without film criticism, we wouldn’t have thoughtful debates on how and whether certain films are moving or even masterful. Of course, I refer to good film criticism. With all the blogging and tweeting and facebooking now, the critical discourse has been slightly obscured by people, I must say, who really do not know what they are talking about.
But before I sound like a living hypocrisy to this following argument, let me add that it’s not these people’s opinions that bother me, it is how they express them. To award The Avengers 5 stars out of 5 because it’s just awesome and Scarlett Johansson is so fuckin’ sexy is not film criticism. It’s a fanboy orgasm. Save it for the departing march down the theatre lobby. Yes, I know I haven’t quoted anyone here but trust me these comments are out there. I have had a Rotten Tomatoes account for 2 years and, therefore, I’ve seen my rotten tomatoes.
Why start on this acerbic note? Because the essential of all blockbuster movies releases this Friday. In fact it’s so essential some of you are catching the midnight screening to watch this 165 minute movie! (and I thought my jokes were bad…) This movie, of course, is Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment of Batman’s legacy (here’s hoping). With 2008’s The Dark Knight, Nolan pushed the Bruce Wayne/Batman enigma to the extreme with a villain whose lunacy defied any previous schemer.
As of now, I have not seen The Dark Knight Rises (missed the press screening, damn!). I admit I have my skepticism, because The Dark Knight was like the Touch of Evil of superhero movies. It pushed the genre to the absolute edge, to the point we could see the twisted rocky waters of humanity below on the Jokers’s rictus. There was nowhere else to go. Or maybe there is. We have master filmmakers for many reasons, including that they can pull off the impossible. Like how Paul Thomas Anderson could create tour de forces like Boogie Nights and Punch Drunk Love…and in 2007 bring us There Will Be Blood, a new entry in my Sight & Sound Top 10.
"The Dark Knight Rises": Batman vs. Bane.
By now, I’ve realized I have avoided the topic of “Contrarian Film Criticism”. With all this build up, let me get to it. Last night, reviews for The Dark Knight Rises started to appear on the Rotten Tomatoes database. The anticipated praise was prevalent: “Potent and provocative” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone); “Remarkable for its all-encompassing gloom” (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal); “that big, that bitter – a film of grand ambitions and epic achievement” (Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine).
Then…Christy Lemire, the faithful writer of Associated Press, deemed this new work a “letdown”, specifically because of the big expectations Nolan’s films now bear. Fair. Now, I haven’t read Lemire’s full review because I am trying to avoid spoilers until I see Rises this Friday. What I do know is Lemire received nearly 500 comments in only a few hours after her review went up. Unfortunately, the comments were not respectful disagreements or harmless food-for-thought, but ignorant and bigoted insults and threats. The first comment prophetically wrote: “Uh oh, good luck Ms. Lemire”. Following those well-wishes, the trolling arrived: “she’s bias and ignorant”; “she gave Magic Mike 4 stars. She has no opinion”; “she dislikes this and loves Battleship. Wow!”; and even this card – “we have one more wannabe who wants [to be] famous overnight.”
These comments fascinate me with their impudence. However, they – in themselves – suggest why film criticism is important: because everyone is a critic. If someone dislikes a movie of merit to yourself, you inevitably become upset. It is like that fellow person failed or undermined you. We need film criticism to filter out those who think something is bad because it is “bias and ignorant”. I like to think we all are sometimes, but in this case such characteristics are in the eye of the beholder.
Firstly, Lemire is an excellent film critic. I have watched her on the Ebert Presents… show with Ignatiy Vishnevetsky and she speaks with remarkable clarity. Her writing, from what I’ve read in the past, is shrewd and concise. One of her reviews of Rises online was titled “The Dark Knight Rises is disappointing, just flat-out boring at times.” Maybe trolls only read that opener, because that’s a vague statement.
I must admit, during this article, I snuck a peak at Lemire’s review. It is very well-written, with clear and concrete criticisms. For example: “Nolan’s approach is so coldly cerebral that it’s a detriment to the film’s emotional core. It’s all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.” (Makes sense.) Funny enough, Armond White delivered similar criticism to The Dark Knight and he got his own share of vitriol.
Anton Ego, restaurant critic of "Ratatouille". A "cartoonish" representation of a critic.
I have read endless amount of film criticism. By now, I sort of just know when it is good writing or not. It is instinct. It’s like the more you do something, the better you become. But that’s not really the point. My point is everyone develops their own opinion, not always the same as others. No one deserves hatred for disagreeing with the masses, as long as they are clearly not looking for it. Ms. Lemire is not. Her review is wise and diplomatic, and she clearly respects Mr. Nolan. She was disappointed with Rises, though. So deal with it. It happens.
I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild two days ago and found myself disappointed. It’s earned nothing but praise from critics, plus Sundance and Cannes embraced it. When I was watching it, I experienced that sinking feeling you may feel when you realize this diamond – for you anyway – is really a rock. It took me awhile to formulate my review of Beasts, because it is so much harder to criticize a well-liked movie than laud it. I am sure Lemire had similar sentiments writing her Rises review and it is difficult to articulate an opinion you know most will choose to reject or oppose.
But that’s the beauty of film criticism. To voice your opinion and do it with gusto. I will see The Dark Knight Rises on Friday and maybe love it…or maybe not. If you ask me though, I also think Magic Mike is one of the year’s best films so Lemire and I aren’t far off. Film criticism should never be waged, however, between the comparison of one movie to the other – unless there is an argument why. That would be the death of film criticism…and perhaps of us all.
Ignorance is not bliss. Opinions are important, but only respectful ones. That also applies to professional critics themselves. Please remember that being a Galileo is okay, if you can support your feelings and withstand the heat. While I doubt this article will tame the trolls, I guess I can leave you with this: as a film critic, there’s no shame in uttering “and yet it moves”.
Click HERE to read Matt Atchity, editor-in-chief of Rotten Tomatoes, letter to the online public confronting the negligent commenters for reviews of The Dark Knight Rises.
Read Christy Lemire’s review of The Dark Knight Rises in The Washington Times HERE.
Read my review of Beasts of the Southern Wild HERE.
23 Comments for this entry
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TheGameGator.com » Blog Archive » The Criticism We Deserve
July 20th, 2012 on 6:10 am[...] Mott wrote a fine piece about some furious reactions to early reviews of The Dark Knight Rises, which he began with this: [...]
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Games » Blog Archive » The Criticism We Deserve
July 20th, 2012 on 7:05 am[...] Mott wrote a fine piece about some furious reactions to early reviews of The Dark Knight Rises, which he began with this: [...]
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The Criticism We Deserve | Game Advisers
July 20th, 2012 on 10:24 pm[...] Mott wrote a fine piece about some furious reactions to early reviews of The Dark Knight Rises, which he began with this: [...]
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The Criticism We Deserve | Game reviews Xbox360 Playstation Nintendo
July 25th, 2012 on 5:14 pm[...] Mott wrote a fine piece about some furious reactions to early reviews of The Dark Knight Rises, which he began with this: [...]
July 17th, 2012 on 11:28 pm
Film criticism should never be waged, however, between “the comparison of one movie to the other – unless there is an argument why. That would be the death of film criticism…and perhaps of us all.” I think she compare this to the Dark Knight 2008. As high as expectations goes, she didnt meet it. This is a trilogy for christ sakes!
July 17th, 2012 on 11:39 pm
KJ. Yes, I meant what I said. But I added, what you quoted, “…unless there is an argument why.” Lemire referencing “The Dark Knight” in the “Rises” review makes perfect sense. Both obviously have a relationship with each other (genre, SAME FRANCHISE! lol, expectations). So that’s a sound comparison. What would be wrong is to compare it to A Clockwork Orange and say it didn’t love up to Kubrick’s brilliance. lol
July 17th, 2012 on 11:35 pm
The problem I have with a lot of film criticism, or any criticism for that matter, is the writer’s seeming desire to impress his readers with his dazzling wit and clever use of words at the expense of the film. In effect, he’s putting himself above what he’s reviewing, propping himself as better somehow, or more superior. I’ve seen this a lot. And it’s annoying.
July 17th, 2012 on 11:48 pm
Mike. I agree, and we call that bad film criticism, lol. Sarcasm over substance/analysis is never a good read. However, critics who can write with energy and a sense of humour, within reason, can really benefit a review. Gives it some life, instead of being an overly cerebral and scholarly piece. Then, I start to feel “this guy thinks he is way smarter than me, so why do I want to read this?”. Luckily, the good stuff IMO – like by Ebert, Liam Lacey, Lemire, A.O. Scott – are very perceptive and only “funny” when it is called for. Thanks for commenting.
July 17th, 2012 on 11:52 pm
*Miko. My apologies.
July 17th, 2012 on 11:37 pm
>Film criticism should never be waged, however, between the comparison of one movie to the other – unless there is an argument why. That would be the death of film criticism…and perhaps of us all.
Sadly this is probably the most commonly viewed form of criticism today (Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic)
July 17th, 2012 on 11:59 pm
I won’t presume to know why critics use a grading system for movies but I would imagine at some rudimentary level it allows a reader to compare one movie to another. And at the very least if Christy gave Battleship 2.5 stars and The Dark Knight Rises 2 stars, it would tell me that Battleship is the superior film.
I do find it funny that you chose to defend her review of Magic Mike but not that of Battleship. If her opinion is that Battleship is a superior film to The Dark Knight Rises, fine. But if she doesn’t think so, than I feel she is open for criticism.
July 18th, 2012 on 12:10 am
No, I didn’t defend her review of Magic Mike. I just thought it was excellent. Meanwhile, I think Lemire is crazy re: “Battleship” (I mean “crazy” playfully of course). It’s a horrible film, if you’ve read my review I go off on it. But it doesn’t carry the same intentions as DKR, so it’s difficult to concretely deem it a “superior film”. For example, I gave “Requiem for a Dream” 2 stars and Sandler’s “Longest Yard” 2.5. Objectively, Requiem is probably better. But for what they intended to do, I enjoyed “LY” more. I’ll do better next time!
July 18th, 2012 on 12:10 am
*I thought “Magic Mike” was excellent, I mean.
July 18th, 2012 on 12:07 am
Hi Peter, nice article, you bring up some fair points.
One thing to remember though is that these are internet comments we’re talking about. People can be at their harshest and nastiest while typing anonymously on the internet, even though they might have a completely opposite personality in real life.
I must admit, I’ve been hyping this movie up in my mind for over a year now. I loved Begins, absolutely loved TDK, and even though I admit that the expectations are probably too high to be matched, I still can’t wait to see the movie myself. Unlike some other people, my excitement doesn’t diminish because of other people’s opinions about the film.
July 18th, 2012 on 12:13 am
It’s Parker, Jay. Not to be confused with Spider Man, lol. Yes, now that you mention it I had a convo with a friend this morning about the dual personality of the troll. People wear their warts when they are anonymous and I think that’s an issue. If you read the letter from RT’s editor-in-cheif (linked at the end of my article), he talks about how he may make RT not anonymous, so people need to stand by what they say. Bright idea, I think. Thanks for commenting.
July 18th, 2012 on 12:30 am
I just want to point this out in the good name of trying to be funny but to me there is something wrong with liking Battleship and not liking Dark Knight Rises… I say that without having seen the final installment but after having seen Battleship all i am left wondering is…Really?….Really?
July 18th, 2012 on 12:38 am
PJ. It’s impossible sometimes to pinpoint the logic behind people’s reactions. Case in point, here lol. I always like to see how they can defend themselves, however, with that proverbial “gusto”!
July 18th, 2012 on 1:19 am
I don’t know why Christy Lemire — or any critic — would care about what shows up in the comments section below one of her reviews. A review is an opinion, not a conversation.
Critics: have the courage of your convictions. If there are people who want to fling mud in the comments section, let it fly; once you’ve published your review, your job is done.
July 18th, 2012 on 1:39 am
I don’t think it’s the mud that bothers them. It’s what is in the mud; especially the death threats which happened to Marshall Fine. That stuff just can’t be ignored. Just ignoring bullies/trolls, I feel, has its profound limitations.
July 18th, 2012 on 9:03 am
I think that perception is everything. Obviously mrs lemire expectations were high, waiting for a personal and emotional appeal in the movie. However, I kind of think that a lot of people (mainly those who critic her) won t have any problems to project themselves in this univers. The same debate appears with prometheus, with two kinds of critics (about storytelling) those who expects some blanks in a sci-fi movie, and those who wants all the clues. Critics, perhaps more geeky, who like to speculate,recreate and explore the univers afterwards were very fond of prometheus. Meanwhile those who expects a movie to answer and end all his premisses felt let down. Well, as fot tdkr, when going to a movie everyone expects, not only some elements of genre, but also the movie to behave in certain ways. And all this prior expectations will guide the people’s perceptions.
July 18th, 2012 on 4:20 pm
Good point. And if you’re interested in what I thought of Prometheus, David, here’s my review: http://www.thefinaltake.com/prometheus-2/. Thanks for commenting.
July 18th, 2012 on 2:56 pm
Well said, Peter. (This is my first visit to your website and won’t be my last–great work!)
It’s impossible to ask for objectivity from mass audiences when they crave “The Dark Knight Rises” like a heroin addict craves a needle. I applaud Miss Lemire for speaking her mind in the midst of a fanboy backlash—the worst kind.
I have receiving my own share of hate for liking Rob Zombie’s remake of “Halloween” and shunning the first “Matrix” film. Even as I attempt to form cogent arguments for both, it’s sometimes impossible to get the message across when people have such negative reactions.
The fact is Lemire’s review offers some valid arguments that have been ramped throughout Nolan’s first two films–even though I still think they’re marvelous, they aren’t perfect either.
Negative knee-jerk reactions have become commonplace in our culture. Just look at the so- called “discussions” and “debates” on news networks. People want to point out wrongs rather than listen to another viewpoint.
In this case, folks are so gung-ho over the hype machine that they will not accept anything that negates that. I suppose after “The Dark Knight Rises” comes and goes out of multiplexes will people begin to settle down and contemplate Lemire’s arguments with more open minds.
But in the meantime, most readers (if they even read these things) are focused on viewpoints that fuel their own feelings, even if they haven’t even seen the film.
Asking folks to stop and listen to opposing arguments is like asking human kind to live without war and hatred. It will never happen. So Miss Lumire will have to tolerate to angry tirades of an ill-informed ignorant crowd. Personally, I like reading reviews that are in opposition to my own. It allows me to reconsider my own viewpoints–which either strengthens my resolve or opens more windows.
But that’s just me.
Thanks!
Chris
July 18th, 2012 on 4:25 pm
Chris, as the line goes “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”: I really liked Zombie’s “Halloween” remake as well! Yes! I will defend that thing until the cows come home. In fact, I prefer it over Carpenter’s original, which was more of a suspense tinker toy than an actual compelling story (however, can’t comment on your “Matrix” skepticism though). If you like reviews that differ to your own, you may enjoy my review of “Moonrise Kingdom”, a film everyone seemed to love. Not me. Thanks for commenting. And keep up the work with your reviews. If you have a blog, send a link my way.
July 18th, 2012 on 5:57 pm
http://www.film-matters.net
I must see “Moonrise” so I can finally see what the fuss is about. Wes Anderson has been hit or miss for me.
Thanks again!
July 18th, 2012 on 4:59 pm
i love how Parker Mott reply to everyone’s comment on the article.
July 18th, 2012 on 5:00 pm
(REPLY!)
July 22nd, 2012 on 12:24 am
I’m really impressed with this piece. I’ll have to read your work more often.
(I love TDKR personally, btw. I’d maybe even call myself a “fanboy” for the character, but the reactions of some other fans were beyond the pale)