James Franco Calls Out Ben Brantley- Page 3

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:50pm

"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."

Exactly. I definitely get why people don't like Brantley and resent the power he seems to wield but publicly arguing with a critic is rarely successful. And if he felt he needed to, he could have made some intelligent and specific points about why he disagreed with what Brantley said. But doing it on Instagram, all in caps with childish name calling is just not a good look. Franco seemed so angry you would have thought Brantley was reviewing his techniques to meet girls, uhhh, I mean women.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:50pm

I would petition to get O'Dowd into the supporting category. It's George's story and he has more stage time than does Lennie.

[bdn223]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:54pm

The sad thing is that Brantley's review for Of Mice and Men is his clearest reviews of the season. It's bad but has a couple of admirable aspects. Now if Of Mice and Men got a review written similarly to If/Then where one could barley understand what Brantley felt about the production it would be a different story.

But Franco is also known for this type of behavior. After all he got his NYU professor fired for failing him despite never showing up to class.

[harris007]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:55pm

and i'm sure after franco posted his comment he hit several high schools looking for more 17 years olds for more "promotion" for his upcomming movie

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:57pm

Is it just me, or is the supremely douchey side of Franco starting to outweigh his surprisingly insightful side?

He sure made Brantley more important than he was. Sometimes saying nothing is a more powerful statement.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 3:12pm

I totally agree. This is just another example of an obnoxious actor who can't take any criticism of any kind. The little bitch in this scenario would be him.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 3:23pm

Franco sounds like a whiny baby. Dude needs to lighten up.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 3:32pm

Brantley is entitled to his opinion - it's what they pay him for. But that he seems to feel the material is no longer relevant and fodder for parody is a real disconnect. Also, the crack about Franco's Gucci ad being on the back of Playbill was uncalled for. Surely he knows that Franco has no control over where Gucci places their ads.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 4:26pm

Is he the bastard child of John Simon?

Enquiring minds want to know. His smile does look the smile of the Joker in the old Batman comics.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 6:37pm

And Brantley got a couple of things wrong. The play opened in 1937, famously the same year the novella was published. And it's not Lennie who recounts the dream of owning the farm, it's George, who repeats it endlessly whenever Lennie asks to hear it. Geeze, do your homework..

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 6:37pm

And Brantley got a couple of things wrong. The play opened in 1937, famously the same year the novella was published. And it's not Lennie who recounts the dream of owning the farm, it's George, who repeats it endlessly whenever Lennie asks to hear it. Geeze, do your homework..

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 6:44pm

What was James Franco hoping to achieve here?

No good throwing your dummy out of the pram, because you didn't like what someone said, didn't Alec Baldwin do the same? This comes across as impulsive, sassy and not very smart and will ensure that James Franco will never work on Broadway again. if he is hoping to destroy Ben Brantley he has sadly failed, if anything this elevates his reputation and gives him kudos, hence we are talking about this right now.

When the New York Times appoints the chief theater critic, they do their groundwork and will go out and get the best, it is the most sort after job in theater. Ben Brantley job is go out and find 5-10 top shows each year and report back and recommend to their readers, what the best theater in New York is, not to report back to a few theater fans, who might happen to disagree with his opinion.... You guys are going to hate me for saying this, but the real fault lies with a personality floor with the American public, that elevates just one person to have so much power.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 6:45pm

Brantley takes liberties in his reviews to make them more engaging, tying shows into the larger cultural story and digressing most when there's not much to say about a show or production. Maybe I'm crazy, but he's the critic I trust most. I don't always agree with him, but to me he gives the most interesting reviews in town precisely because there are some shows not worth even taking seriously (If/Then comes to mind).

And his response to this to-do was spot on and professional. Grow up, James Franco.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 6:47pm

When the New York Times appoints the chief theater critic, they do their groundwork and will go out and get the best

That's a matter of opinion.

Many people in New York believed at the time (and still do) that if the NY Times had really done their groundwork, they would have hired Michael Feingold away from the Village Voice.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 6:55pm

"This comes across as impulsive, sassy and not very smart and will ensure that James Franco will never work on Broadway again."

I doubt that very much. If he wants to, I imagine he will.

I agree about Michael Feingold.

[Steve721]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 7:03pm

While I frequently agree with what Brantley has to say about a show, I don't think he's a particularly good writer, certainly not in the same category with Frank Rich, who has a knack for graceful prose. But if Franco can't tolerate negative reviews, he shouldn't work on the Broadway stage. That's part of the job--to go out and keep performing a show (and doing your best in it) even if it's been savaged by the critics, which "Of Mice and Men" really wasn't.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 7:27pm

I couldn't be more thrilled that someone finally called a spade a spade. Brantley is a little bitch and gets bitchier with each opening. He is past his expiration date , not John Steinbeck. Time for this tired bitchy critic to move on.
Anyway, I have no reason to believe this, but I have a very strong feeling Franco was defending his cast. He probably doesn't give a damn what critics say about him. He just doesn't strike me as caring about anyone's opinion. But I bet he feels like Papa Bear at the Longacre and no one is going screw with his cubs, and when the critic says the most effective performance was given by a dog, well no one says that about his compatriots, and since he has little to lose, why not dish it out to the little bitch.
Good for Franco, now maybe the bitch Brantley will weigh his words more carefully and stop writing revenues to make that other bitch at the Post giggle.

[NYyoshi2]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 7:33pm

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 7:50pm

Sean O'Neal of the AV Club (who usually covers Franco's antics in a hilarious fashion) wrote an article about this incident. http://www.avclub.com/article/james-franco-subverts-artist-critic-dynamic-callin-203574

[Steve721]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 8:16pm

If people think Brantley's pans (which I don't really consider his review of "Of Mice and Men" to be) are savage, they should take a look at some of Frank Rich's reviews. From Rich's 1988 review of Carrie, the musical:

"Those who have the time and money to waste on only one Anglo-American musical wreck on Broadway this year might well choose 'Carrie,' the new Royal Shakespeare Company co-production at the Virginia Theater. If 'Chess' slides to its final scene as solemnly and pompously as the Titanic, then 'Carrie' expires with fireworks like the Hindenberg. True, the fireworks aren't the greatest; the intended Stephen King pyrotechnics wouldn't frighten the mai-tai drinkers at a Polynesian restaurant. But when was the last time you saw a Broadway song and dance about the slaughtering of a pig? They've got one to open Act II of 'Carrie,' and no expense has been spared in bringing the audience some of the loudest oinking this side of Old McDonald's Farm."

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 10:50pm

I can't believe y'all are mad at Brantely for "putting shows down" or "being mean to shows." He's a theatre critic, people. He can't like everything. That's the whole freaking point.

Franco is bent out of shape because I'm sure he only did this show so he could win a Tony.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 11:21pm

The Times hired Brantley as a reviewer and not a critic. This is the NY Times own words. He is not a critic

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 11:25pm

Steve, are you suggesting that Rich's Carrie review is inaccurate? Because it wasn't.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 11:28pm

I wouldn't call Brantley's Of Mice And Men review inaccurate either though...

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 11:55pm

With this rebuttle, Franco pretty much reduced himself down to the level he has put Brantley at for the negative review.