35 replies to this topic

[SecretAgentFan]

She had a unique perspective on films - and that is always interesting.

 

However, as her years in Hollywood show, she fell victim to the same thing most critics do: wanting to make movies themselves. Warren Beatty actually saw through that and got her on his side for a while by bringing her on board of many projects (that did not work out in the end, hah, surprise...). Her love for Brian de Palma also exposed her as someone of questionable intentions (praising those who showered her with affection, hating those who did not cater to her).

 

In the end, critics like her had too big of an ego. They became stars themselves. And that got in the way of their work.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, today, you have someone like Harry Knowles who absolutely loves those films he gets invited to watch the shooting of. But he hates those he gets the cold shoulder from.

[Turn]

I find Kael interesting, but don't hold her in high esteem as many do. I couldn't understand her claim that a film should be watched only once, for instance, and how she basically hated the entire body of work of somebody like Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick is a perfect example of why I find that theory flawed in that his films often demanded repeated viewings to really appreciate what he was attempting to say.

 

The rise of the Internet has really changed the role of critics. Anybody who can type can throw their 2 cents out there. Like anything else that means clueless people and trolls and also gives voice to some who

[glidrose]

I find Kael interesting, but don't hold her in high esteem as many do. I couldn't understand her claim that a film should be watched only once, for instance, and how she basically hated the entire body of work of somebody like Stanley Kubrick.

 

Not entirely true. She loved THE KILLERS, PATHS OF GLORY and liked SPARTACUS and LOLITA. From 2001 onwards, tho'...

[Matt Monro]

She had a unique perspective on films - and that is always interesting.

 

However, as her years in Hollywood show, she fell victim to the same thing most critics do: wanting to make movies themselves. Warren Beatty actually saw through that and got her on his side for a while by bringing her on board of many projects (that did not work out in the end, hah, surprise...). Her love for Brian de Palma also exposed her as someone of questionable intentions (praising those who showered her with affection, hating those who did not cater to her).

 

In the end, critics like her had too big of an ego. They became stars themselves. And that got in the way of their work.

Thank you for bringing up the De Palma thing.  It was embarrassing, and invalidated nearly everything negative she wrote about anyone else.

[Revelator]

Kael wasn't crazy about all of DePalma's work--she's rather cool toward The Untouchables--and anyway, all critics have their favorites. I also disagree that she praised those who showered her with affection, and hated those who did not cater to her--two of her favorite directors, Sam Peckinpah and Robert Altman, were capable of treating her quite badly in person, yet she continued championing their work (though never uncritically--she disliked nearly half of Altman's films and was indifferent to several of Peckinpah's).

 

More relevant to the interests of this board, Kael was one of the few major film critics of the time who unreservedly liked the Bond films, unlike Stanley Kauffman (who claimed in his review of FRWL that Connery didn't play Bond particularly well) or her rival Andrew Sarris, who went out of his way to pan Thunderball and didn't express a positive opinion on the series until Casino Royale in 2006 (by which time he was a shadow of himself and much less influential).

[glidrose]

Kael wasn't crazy about all of DePalma's work--she's rather cool toward The Untouchables--and anyway, all critics have their favorites.

 

More relevant to the interests of this board, Kael was one of the few major film critics of the time who unreservedly liked the Bond films, unlike Stanley Kauffman (who claimed in his review of FRWL that Connery didn't play Bond particularly well)

 

Kael also didn't care for "Obsession", "Scarface", "Wise Guys" or "Raising Cain" and was mixed about "Bonfire of the Vanities", "Carlito's Way" and "Mission to Mars".

 

Must disagree with the De Palma bashers on this board. He may not be perfect and he too often has a ham touch with actors, but I think he deserved Kael's acclaim.

 

Kauffman actually said Moore made a better Bond than Connery when he reviewed TSWLM.

Edited by glidrose, 08 April 2013 - 05:54 PM.