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The Safdies making Good Time? Child’s play.
Me, writing a review of it in my underwear in student halls? The purest form of art. https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1353732519225675779
Me, writing a review of it in my underwear in student halls? The purest form of art. https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1353732519225675779
Alright, since Jerry Saltz himself liked my tweet, I believe it's only correct for me to contribute to this discussion and bring something to the table that isn't roasting him.
Disclaimer: my experience in film criticism comes from 3 years as a student journalist...
Disclaimer: my experience in film criticism comes from 3 years as a student journalist...
... 2 of which were spent as head editor of the film section. I also host a podcast about film (more on that later) and a YouTube channel where I discuss (note: not critique) film.
Here's what I've learned so far and where I stand on criticism.
Here's what I've learned so far and where I stand on criticism.
1. Being able to criticise someone's work is the highest honour there is. An artist has put their soul on a platter, it's up to you whether you savour it and enjoy the experience or just take a steaming shit on it.
2. Everyone's a critic, especially now. I've come across my fair share of jaded writers that have made it their mission to tear down and complain about every film that comes their way while not making any art themselves.
If you want to be a critic, you have to go beyond this.
If you want to be a critic, you have to go beyond this.
3. Think like a curator, not a critic. Criticism with scores and ranks and listicles is the bottom of the barrel. It takes a top-down approach to films, picking at every aspect of them, dehumanising the message and souring the piece. Instead, you should strive to think like ...
... a curator. Take a bottom-up approach to films; look at what the do differently, where the filmmaker is coming from as a person, did they achieve what they set out to do with the film. The list goes on. Perfection is a myth, being unique isn't.
4. Contribute to the discussion. Films are an experience that we all enjoy in our own unique way. My podcast, Films & Friends, is about how we relate to films in our own personal way. There's always a story behind the experience of watching films.
Lastly, this applies to other forms of art, but I mainly have experience with film.
A critic must work to contribute to discourse, not to get cheap clicks online.
"Be excellent to each other."
A critic must work to contribute to discourse, not to get cheap clicks online.
"Be excellent to each other."
( @jerrysaltz, just my two cents!)
One last note! Now I run a cinema, which of course brings curation with it. Everything I mentioned before is how I apprach curation.
