Articles

Andrew Sarris and the “A” Word
by Richard Brody (from The Front Row at The New Yorker)
American film critic Andrew Sarris died yesterday. To be frank, I'd never heard of him. This tribute explains why I really should have, as well as discussing his abiding influence on all English-language film criticism. I have mixed feelings when it comes to auteur theory, but this piece almost convinces me I should just go along with it.

Hollywood: A Love Story
by Clive James (from the Atlantic)
Clive James is in the news at the minute because of his terminal illness. Related to that, someone posted this article by him on twitter, as proof that reviews/criticism can be art in themselves. It's a very lengthy read, but you can see what that tweeter meant. Partly it's because the piece is not merely a "should you buy this?" review but also a riposte to the book it's covering. It works for the reader because, even if you've not read the text it comments on, it has something new and interesting to say.