First came the five-star reviews, then came the criticisms.
Using La La Land as a case study, we look at the anatomy of a backlash…
The deeper question, at least for us, relates to the nature of the backlash itself.
How can a fairly harmless indie film go from acclaim to comprehensive criticism so quickly?
More than several, in fact.
The reality, however, is a bit more stressful than it initially sounds.
First, youre spending eleven-or-so days watching dozens of films back-to-back.
It was Swiss, wasnt it?
Yes, probably Swiss.
Now, were not suggesting for one moment that you should throw a pity party for film critics.
So the festival critics love your movie, and the first wave of reviews are full of five-star verdicts.
Within a few short weeks, the cracks have begun to show.
There are certain kinds of movies that award bodies absolutely love.
Movies that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit; movies that showcase the craft of acting.
Most of all, Hollywood award voters love movies about Hollywood.
But reviews are invariably written early, often after one viewing and frequently before a films release.
Theyre an impression, a snapshot based on an initial screening.
The answer, wed argue, can be both.
This article was originally published on Feb. 10, 2017.
