Dear sir or madam:
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The reviews of Nixon in Chicago’s major dailies read less like intelligent essays than packaged press releases. Rosenbaum correctly points out that Stone’s pretentious visuals are, once again, the cinematic equivalent of smoke and mirrors; they provide the illusion of ideas. When it comes to film technique, Stone is an undeniable pro; when it comes to art, however, he is a professional hack. Or as Goethe once remarked of Lord Byron: “Sobald er reflektiert ist er ein kind”–“The moment he reflects, he is a child.”
Thank you, Mr. Rosenbaum, for reminding us readers what good film criticism is supposed to be–thoughtful analysis, not an extension of advertising hype. Is it possible that the American film industry has its own political slush fund also called CREEP: i.e., Critical Ravers Earn Extensive Paychecks? Oh what a tangled web they weave, when American critics practice to perceive.
