A. O. Scott from yesterday’s New York Times (as always, registration or BugMeNot required):
We critics often wish (or say we wish) that the discussion of movies – and the movies themselves – were more socially relevant, more political, more in tune with what’s going on in the world. This year that wish came true, and it made me appreciate the value of escapism – or at least of popular art that maintains a happy distance from contentious realities. Don’t get me wrong: I was fascinated by the intensity of argument about “The Passion of the Christ” and “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and curious about the skirmishes that sprang up around “Team America” and “The Incredibles.” But at the same time, the assumption that the most interesting interpretation of any cultural artifact or work of art must be the ideological one – is “The Incredibles” anti-affirmative action? Is “Troy” antiwar? Is “Shark Tale” pro-gay rights? – is one of the things that drove me from graduate school. The best movies, however political they may be, are always more than just political.
I’ve actually seen almost none of this year’s so-called big movies. The truth is, I probably haven’t seen a lot of last year’s big movies either. Eventually, I may work my way around to watching The Passion of the Christ, but I can’t imagine it’s a film I’ll enjoy as much as the argument about the film.