We know, we know. We'll talk about it later.
We finally got to see The Good Shepherd, a very good film -- a little too proper for our own personal tastes but still an engrossing account of the CIA and one man's descent into emotional callousness for its cause. Going back to Armond White's review of the film from approximately a month ago we saw that he perfectly describes how Robert De Niro generates empathy for Matt Damon's aware but self-effacing anti-hero while also exploring the complex motivations behind involvement in something as bureaucratic and bizarre as a secret government agency (although AW does skimp on the issue of racial exclusivity, which he barely acknowledges as "privilege.") But for one unforgettable moment Armond succumbs to the temptation for a cheap shot and consequently lapses into classic frothing mode:
This may be the boldest movie characterization of the year because it defies the snarky, anti-American, self-hatred and nihilism and distrust of Bush-bashers, also known as Borat-mania.
Sigh. And you wondered why we were away for so long?
Thursday, February 1, 2007
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12 comments:
White just said that Eddie Murphy, and Norbit, are more brilliant than Sacha Baron Cohen and Peter Sellers.
Get on it!
I just came here to leave the same comment. Norbit. Pleasepleaseplease do Norbit, please. Thanks.
I'm going to start a blog called Racism Is Dangerous, dedicated to parsing the confounding lack of critical thought on this website (and I'm not referring to quantity, but rather quality).
"Pleasepleaseplease do Armond Dangerous!" my mother cries.
"Get on it!" Jiminy Cricket whispers in my ear.
If you can't keep up with the man while he's doing the moonwalk, get off the stage:
http://www.firstofthemonth.org/archives/2007/02/godfather_meet.html
http://www.firstofthemonth.org/
archives/2007/02/godfather_meet.html
Mr. Demetry-
Congratulations on being mentioned in print by Armond White. I don't really see what that has to do with my being a racist, though.
In all seriousness (much as I hate to participate in this hijack), I don't really see how a request that the proprieter (or proprietress) of this blog take on the issues raised in one of the most confounding movie reviews in recent memory demonstrates a lack of quality critical thought. His review of Norbit diverged so thoroughly from the critical consensus (perhaps best exemplified by Walter Chaw: http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/
screenreviews/norbit.htm), that I think a critical examination would be fruitful.
Good point about the racism thing, though. Armond White and Eddie Murphy being, as they are, African-American, a request for perspective on the former's review of the latter's movie is clearly, clearly racist.
... You know, that was less cleansing than I hoped it'd be.
Were we meant to be impressed? I didn't know Morrissey did the moonwalk.
Demetry, if you think there's a lack of critical thought on this website (which there has been lately, because of the lack of new posts) then contribute something beyond childish name-calling.
Because this blog was established in 2006, it missed the opportunity to examine one of the most telling examples of Armond White's pretentiousness disguised as anti-pretentiousness--His participation in Slate's 2004 "year in review," in which he managed to alienate the other critics on the panel by referring to them as "baby critics," a demeaning label they earned simply by praising the phenomenal Bad Education. Being one of the most original and courageous films of 2004, Armond, of course, hated it.
This exchange also resulted in one of the most asinine statements ever uttered by any film critic, ever--He referred to Gael Garcia Bernal as the "new Rob Lowe." And knowing Armond as we do, he wasn't joking. Because he has no sense of humor. And this inexplicable comparison was based upon a film in which Garcia Bernal plays three different characters, one of them a transvestite. Nothing says "Rob Lowe" like an excellent, gender-bending performance in an Almodovar film.
Okay, I just wanted to get that off my chest. The authors of this blog are far more eloquent than I, so let me be the first to say it outright--Armond White is a pretentious, idiotic, pompous ass clown with the maturity level of a first grader repeating "I know you are but what am I."
Oh, and I forgot one thing--Did Armond compare Bad Education unfavorably to a Brian DePalma crapfest? Of course he did! The aggressively shitty Femme Fatale is, apparently, everything Bad Education should have been. Sure. In an alternate universe.
I was very gratified to see someone criticize Armond White's politically correct but theoretically incoherent film reviews. White is a paranoid jackass.
Armond White has a new book out!
It’s titled KEEP MOVING: THE MICHAEL JACKSON CHRONICLES
http://www.resistanceworks.blogspot.com
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