The Game Of Film Reviews
Critics and their reviews pervade many industries and are supposed to be particularly important in the entertainment industry. However, are the critics really the know-all and be – all of cinema? Do these critics play favorites? Is there a lobby? Does money play a part?
I may not be able to answer all the questions posed above here in my article, at least not today but want to share a few thoughts about the much valued film reviews and the critics who write them.
Largely I abstain from writing on films and the film industry but today morning as I read the review of "JAIL" in the Mumbai mirror, I felt it to be biased against it, as my eyes scanned the page they rested on the picture of the critic who wrote the review. My mind started to sluggishly work and I remembered seeing him in Bhandarkar Entertainments office trying to meet up with Madhur Bhandarkar. . He was trying to pitch some script of his to the celebrated maker of reality based films.
Yes, this critic is Minty Tejpal , the writer of "BLUE UMBRELLA" a film which except the censors nobody saw.
Critic Minty Tejpal does rightly point out some drawbacks of the film but he is totally off the mark when he says that Madhur Bhandarkar take on reality has turned in to a formula. Madhur may have made a mistake in choosing not the best of scripts in his latest hard-hitting film "JAIL" but in spite of that, he has the viewers glued to their seats only on the basis of his own innovative style of direction. The real fact is that some critic's style of writing reviews has become like the 'hallmark greeting card', which feigns superiority.
Mel Brooks once likened film critics to 'eunuchs at an orgy'
A critic can look as long as he likes, but cannot participate. A critic can deconstruct all the seventy odd scenes of a film but cannot create any thing worthwhile himself even if given a chance to. A not so recent journalist turned film director – turned editor … yet again trying to turn film director, is the best example of vaccum-filled brains trying to impose his flawed thoughts on to the gullible cinema loving Indians in the form of a film.
I can only advise cinema lovers to avoid reading any professional film reviews; people could feel intimidated by critics, which may churn their minds in to a conflict situation. Some movie goers who read a four or five star rated review of a film may come away confused as to what the hype was all about. 'KAMINEY' had got four and five star ratings, all the critics were raving about it but the movie goers who saw the film could not even understand what the story was all about.
Critics are not the end-all and be-all of cinematic opinion, they also may have an axe to grind, just like our corrupt politicians, police, babus etc. they are strange men in strange jobs.
But just passing comments on others creativity is not a job, critics need to have work of their own to be judged before they can be allowed to start dissecting the work of others. If others start scrutinizing them, their own lives could turn in to a can of worms.
Coming back to 'JAIL' and its director, let us not forget that Madhur Bhandarkar very first film had flopped miserably, nevertheless he rose from the ashes to be the only director in India to be awarded the most coveted National Award three times. I distinctly remember a few critics had given Bhandarkar's films like Corporate, Page 3, Traffic Signal and Chandni Bar , one and one and a half stars, yet these films went on to become the biggest grosser at the box office. Talking about 'Chandni Bar' I don't think any film could come near it in terms of content and execution in the last seven years since it was released. Today the name 'Madhur Bhandarkar' guarantees a decent initial to his film, which most so-called stars just dream of and not all other directors can even dream of it.
It goes without asking that whenever Mr. Bhandarkar makes his next film the masses and the classes will be eagerly awaiting it, in this lies the curiosity, the charisma, the magic of Madhur Bhandarkar. A game, which the almighty God has set, and no critic can change.
]]>Critics and their reviews pervade many industries and are supposed to be particularly important in the entertainment industry. However, are the critics really the know-all and be – all of cinema? Do these critics play favorites? Is there a lobby? Does money play a part?
I may not be able to answer all the questions posed above here in my article, at least not today but want to share a few thoughts about the much valued film reviews and the critics who write them.
Largely I abstain from writing on films and the film industry but today morning as I read the review of "JAIL" in the Mumbai mirror, I felt it to be biased against it, as my eyes scanned the page they rested on the picture of the critic who wrote the review. My mind started to sluggishly work and I remembered seeing him in Bhandarkar Entertainments office trying to meet up with Madhur Bhandarkar. . He was trying to pitch some script of his to the celebrated maker of reality based films.
Yes, this critic is Minty Tejpal , the writer of "BLUE UMBRELLA" a film which except the censors nobody saw.
Critic Minty Tejpal does rightly point out some drawbacks of the film but he is totally off the mark when he says that Madhur Bhandarkar take on reality has turned in to a formula. Madhur may have made a mistake in choosing not the best of scripts in his latest hard-hitting film "JAIL" but in spite of that, he has the viewers glued to their seats only on the basis of his own innovative style of direction. The real fact is that some critic's style of writing reviews has become like the 'hallmark greeting card', which feigns superiority.
Mel Brooks once likened film critics to 'eunuchs at an orgy'
A critic can look as long as he likes, but cannot participate. A critic can deconstruct all the seventy odd scenes of a film but cannot create any thing worthwhile himself even if given a chance to. A not so recent journalist turned film director – turned editor … yet again trying to turn film director, is the best example of vaccum-filled brains trying to impose his flawed thoughts on to the gullible cinema loving Indians in the form of a film.
I can only advise cinema lovers to avoid reading any professional film reviews; people could feel intimidated by critics, which may churn their minds in to a conflict situation. Some movie goers who read a four or five star rated review of a film may come away confused as to what the hype was all about. 'KAMINEY' had got four and five star ratings, all the critics were raving about it but the movie goers who saw the film could not even understand what the story was all about.
Critics are not the end-all and be-all of cinematic opinion, they also may have an axe to grind, just like our corrupt politicians, police, babus etc. they are strange men in strange jobs.
But just passing comments on others creativity is not a job, critics need to have work of their own to be judged before they can be allowed to start dissecting the work of others. If others start scrutinizing them, their own lives could turn in to a can of worms.
Coming back to 'JAIL' and its director, let us not forget that Madhur Bhandarkar very first film had flopped miserably, nevertheless he rose from the ashes to be the only director in India to be awarded the most coveted National Award three times. I distinctly remember a few critics had given Bhandarkar's films like Corporate, Page 3, Traffic Signal and Chandni Bar , one and one and a half stars, yet these films went on to become the biggest grosser at the box office. Talking about 'Chandni Bar' I don't think any film could come near it in terms of content and execution in the last seven years since it was released. Today the name 'Madhur Bhandarkar' guarantees a decent initial to his film, which most so-called stars just dream of and not all other directors can even dream of it.
It goes without asking that whenever Mr. Bhandarkar makes his next film the masses and the classes will be eagerly awaiting it, in this lies the curiosity, the charisma, the magic of Madhur Bhandarkar. A game, which the almighty God has set, and no critic can change.
Critics and their reviews pervade many industries and are supposed to be particularly important in the entertainment industry. However, are the critics really the know-all and be – all of cinema? Do these critics play favorites? Is there a lobby? Does money play a part?
I may not be able to answer all the questions posed above here in my article, at least not today but want to share a few thoughts about the much valued film reviews and the critics who write them.
Largely I abstain from writing on films and the film industry but today morning as I read the review of "JAIL" in the Mumbai mirror, I felt it to be biased against it, as my eyes scanned the page they rested on the picture of the critic who wrote the review. My mind started to sluggishly work and I remembered seeing him in Bhandarkar Entertainments office trying to meet up with Madhur Bhandarkar. . He was trying to pitch some script of his to the celebrated maker of reality based films.
Yes, this critic is Minty Tejpal , the writer of "BLUE UMBRELLA" a film which except the censors nobody saw.
Critic Minty Tejpal does rightly point out some drawbacks of the film but he is totally off the mark when he says that Madhur Bhandarkar take on reality has turned in to a formula. Madhur may have made a mistake in choosing not the best of scripts in his latest hard-hitting film "JAIL" but in spite of that, he has the viewers glued to their seats only on the basis of his own innovative style of direction. The real fact is that some critic's style of writing reviews has become like the 'hallmark greeting card', which feigns superiority.
Mel Brooks once likened film critics to 'eunuchs at an orgy'
A critic can look as long as he likes, but cannot participate. A critic can deconstruct all the seventy odd scenes of a film but cannot create any thing worthwhile himself even if given a chance to. A not so recent journalist turned film director – turned editor … yet again trying to turn film director, is the best example of vaccum-filled brains trying to impose his flawed thoughts on to the gullible cinema loving Indians in the form of a film.
I can only advise cinema lovers to avoid reading any professional film reviews; people could feel intimidated by critics, which may churn their minds in to a conflict situation. Some movie goers who read a four or five star rated review of a film may come away confused as to what the hype was all about. 'KAMINEY' had got four and five star ratings, all the critics were raving about it but the movie goers who saw the film could not even understand what the story was all about.
Critics are not the end-all and be-all of cinematic opinion, they also may have an axe to grind, just like our corrupt politicians, police, babus etc. they are strange men in strange jobs.
But just passing comments on others creativity is not a job, critics need to have work of their own to be judged before they can be allowed to start dissecting the work of others. If others start scrutinizing them, their own lives could turn in to a can of worms.
Coming back to 'JAIL' and its director, let us not forget that Madhur Bhandarkar very first film had flopped miserably, nevertheless he rose from the ashes to be the only director in India to be awarded the most coveted National Award three times. I distinctly remember a few critics had given Bhandarkar's films like Corporate, Page 3, Traffic Signal and Chandni Bar , one and one and a half stars, yet these films went on to become the biggest grosser at the box office. Talking about 'Chandni Bar' I don't think any film could come near it in terms of content and execution in the last seven years since it was released. Today the name 'Madhur Bhandarkar' guarantees a decent initial to his film, which most so-called stars just dream of and not all other directors can even dream of it.
It goes without asking that whenever Mr. Bhandarkar makes his next film the masses and the classes will be eagerly awaiting it, in this lies the curiosity, the charisma, the magic of Madhur Bhandarkar. A game, which the almighty God has set, and no critic can change.
Author of the hard hitting book of fiction "ASSASSINATION OF GEORGE BUSH" Story writer of the critically acclaimed film "BLACK & WHITE" made in India (Bollywood)
strangers (2004)- short film by: Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv
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