A shift from knowledgable writers to those simply in search of free tickets devalues cinema â and audience experience
âFeel free to share your positive feelings about the film on Twitter after the screening,â said the usher introducing the London press preview screening of Barbie, Greta Gerwigâs Mattel-produced film. The embargo for reviews, however, would not be lifted until two days later, closer to the filmâs release. The audience generally didnât bat an eyelid and it wasnât the first time my colleagues and I had heard such directives, yet we were left feeling censored: if they wonât allow for our negative reactions, why should they get our positive ones?
The purpose of this strategy barely needs specifying: in addition to the filmâs omnipresent marketing campaign, positive reactions on social media were to seal the deal and ensure that the most dubious potential spectators would be persuaded to turn up to the cinema on the opening weekend, the most crucial days for a filmâs box office success. The fact that the audience at this preview screening consisted mostly of influencers was another blatant marketing strategy, which would not have been as insulting were it not for the fact that it meant many film critics were unable to see the film before its release. The phenomenon occurred in other cities as well. A few days before the filmâs release, Parisian writers were dumbfounded to see some colleagues sharing glowing takes on the film on Twitter, after being told there would be no advance screenings for any of the press. Moreover, what were presented as exclusive interviews with the cast turned out to be prerecorded and pre-approved by the studio. Ahead of its release, the film was to be seen only through pink-tinted glasses.
While it is customary for film studios to try to control the narrative by organising advance screenings if they believe in a film or avoiding them if they donât, the methods employed for the release of Barbie were more extreme. They are symptomatic of a trend that has been evolving over the past few years and that concerns not only the film criticism profession, but culture at large. If all discussion of a filmâs merits before release is left to influencers, whose driving ambition is to receive free merchandise by speaking well of the studioâs products, what can we expect the film landscape to look like? Where will engaging, challenging and, if not completely unbiased then at least impartial conversation about cinema take place, and how is the audience to think critically of what is being sold to it?
"the methods employed for the release of Barbie were more extreme"
Okay, so I hate the film industry and would readily believe they are up to no good, but the fact that is focussed on Barbie movie makes me wary and raises some other questions:
Is the author lying, as part of a movement to drum hate against a female-fronted blockbuster, or jumping on the hate bandwagon? (See also Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and numerous other movies?)
Is the production company taking steps to try to cotnrol the narrative, knowing that the misogynistic trolls will be twistins everythign to try and make this film look bad (whixh hs already been happening; see also Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and numerous other movies, and for example, the reason Rotten tomatoes changed its user rating system.)
If this article demonstrated this was happening with other movies, and thus showing a treand, then we have something to talk about. But if it's only talking about Barbie, I think it can be safely dismissed.
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