Message:The role of the critic is to save time. Not everything can be viewed in one life. The role of the critic is to decide what must be saved. Not everything created will be preserved.
I enjoy people who read books, tell me the story and why they like it. I even prefer that to reading myself. I have never felt that way about film.
With film I almost always see the movie. Then when I see the review, I think about what the critic missed. I enjoyed many movies (ago), few past 2000. Maybe I have seen all the stories, and the way they can be told. But I also think that long form movies (including streaming) made in the last 25 years were made without scripts. The goal was "Wouldn't this be cool..." not "What are we trying to say."
I'm very surprised the NYT had a 100 or 1000 list from last 25 years, except as pandering to advertisers and critics and stars that make movies. The parties and awards seem more important than the art (or product).
PS to the guy who complained about his pay for creating art...it was far more than I ever made (from art).
But I'm not bitter.
Yours,
IronRed
14-Oct-2025