James Franco Calls Out Ben Brantley — Page 2

Well, Franco wasn't getting nominated anyway, as O'Dowd got better reviews across the board, they are both lead actors, and it's a really stacked season for Best Actor in A Play. But while O'Dowd and the play itself could still get nominated, I do think a NYT pan makes a big difference between a nomination and a win. With Brantley on board, they could have been frontrunners to actually win. That's out of the question now. Which shows the power of the NYT.

I do question letting critics see the shows before opening night. It gives them more time to craft and ruminate, whereas if they just saw the opening night show and were on deadline to write a review, they would actually write about what happened onstage, no?

You let Brantley see it days in advance, then he has too much time to tinker. Of course, if you think he writes much of it in advance anyway, then this wouldn't change anything.

Updated On: 4/17/14 at 12:50 PM

Most creative people probably shouldn't read their reviews at all. Critics exist to entertain the readers of their publications, not to make fair and tactful observations. But at its best criticism is an art form in itself and Franco has just demonstrated he's no goddamn writer.

Mr. Roxy, I disagree that he made a mistake taking it down. Even if you want to rebuke a critic, you don't do so by calling him "a little bitch" in a public forum. It's unseemly.

That said, I find Mr. Franco to be extremely attractive, and would let him do anything he wanted to me.

I think that if Franco's complaint is that Brantley's review is not thoughtful, well-reasoned or properly considered--all of which I think is true--calling him a 'bitch' and an 'idiot' and saying that "everyone" "hates" him is hardly the thoughtful, well-reasoned or properly considered argument to support that complaint.

I generally agree that performers "should not" respond to critics, but I certainly understand the impulse to do so. Franco is uniquely positioned to voice the hurt feelings and outraged sensibilities of a larger community of actors who can't afford to make an enemy of the NYT theater critic.

The "inaccuracy" or tone-deafness of many of Brantley's reviews are not the result of his being a "bitch" or an "idiot", in my opinion. The opportunity to express an insightful, contrary opinion has been missed.

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Updated On: 4/17/14 at 01:18 PM

"I do question letting critics see the shows before opening night. It gives them more time to craft and ruminate, whereas if they just saw the opening night show and were on deadline to write a review, they would actually write about what happened onstage, no?"

It cuts both ways. Sometimes you do want a critic to ruminate and sometimes you just want an immediate response.

For example, Frank Rich saw Speed The Plow and gave a decent review to Madonna. After many people wondering what Madonna had done to Rich to get that review, he had to walk back his review and admit she wasn't as good as he had originally thought.

Plus I also wonder if there is wisdom in reviewing opening night. The production team has pushed so hard to get a show open that many times opening night is running on sheer adrenaline and may not be a representation of the show once it settles in.

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Franco isn't the right person to say this, mainly because he lacks the credentials of a great stage actor. He's a dilletantte film actor/student/writer/polymath making his Broadway debut as if it's something to cross off his bucket list.

Haven't "theatere folk" been grumbling for a couple of years about entitled film stars coming to New York and taking over. Now one of these entitled film stars, with barely any stage experience,is throwing a tantrum, when he's not treated like a King by critics. It's just not a good look any way you slice it. You'd need someone like Kevin Spacey (a big Hollywood star with lots of stage cred and previous experience) to call Brantley out, for it to really resonate. Spacey could have done so in 2007, when Brantley gave him a pretty harsh review for A Moon For The Misbegotten. But Spacey is a theatrical pro and veteran and knows that bad reviews come with the territory.

"Someone had to take the Joker like grin off his Brantley's face."

wut

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Franco cannot be both a 'Polymath'--an expert in many fields--AND a 'dilettante'--someone who dabbles in many fields with no commitment or expertise. Those two characters are precisely exclusive of one another.

Unless you have direct, personal knowledge of Franco's intentions, I consider the notion that appearing on Broadway as just "something to cross off his Bucket list" to be pure speculation.

Lacking any actual knowledge of Franco's inner feelings, why not be more generous and assume that he worked hard to do his best, with full consciousness of the privilege that being on Broadway represents?

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Updated On: 4/17/14 at 02:10 PM

^^^ Fair enuf. Maybe he IS capable of being both...lol.

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I don't know who annoys me more - James Franco or Ben Brantley. Brantley seems incapable of writing a coherent and insightful review. Franco should wake up and realize he isn't very talented and that he NEVER stood a chance against Rylance, McKellen, Stewart, or any of the other leading men this season.

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Mr Franco could be getting angry at a lot of people.... Will he call them all out?

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-of-mice-and-men-review-20140417,0,6448706.story#axzz2zAcXy0eF