Don’t give me that look, Tony. I know what you’re up to.A.O. Scott is one of my favorite writers. He’s smooth, he’s insightful, and he can even explain how the Times picked the best book of the past 25 years. But his writing tricks me into seeing terrible movies. Last night I walked out of Marie Antoinette, a movie he claimed to be the answer to the question, “what to do for pleasure?” He described The Science of Sleep “as (an) authentic a slice of life,” which is true in that both life and that movie are boring. And don’t even get me started on the Aristocrats, which was fine, but not worth rushing to the theater to see as he suggested.
I know I can’t rely A.O. Scott’s film criticism; apparently we have different tastes. But every Thursday night, I find myself checking for his new reviews and then getting duped into seeing an awful film. After Marie Antoinette, I’m going on a break. From now on, just book reviews from you.