A full page ad on the back of today's Independent arts section for the new Joaquin Phoenix film "I'm Still Here" carries the plug: "One of the best films of the year. Magnificent. The Independent."
Not quite sure where they got that from. The film is reviewed on page 9 of the arts section today and gets a modest two stars from critic Anthony Quinn.
He describes it as "this mightily peculiar quasi-documentary" and concludes: "Whichever way you slice it, you'd have to say it's more exasperating than exhilarating. Scene by scene it's slow going, particularly when you keep asking yourself if any of it is "true". It's one thing to pull off a hoax; it's quite another to transform the fakery into authentic entertainment."
Stick that on your film poster!
This issue was raised in the guardian in January & Siobhain Butterworth (then reader's editor) investigated. The Guardian had printed an ad with a review that conflicted with Peter Bradshaw's inside the paper.
ReplyDelete"Michael Hann, Film&Music's editor, said this kind of confusion sometimes happens when an early review by someone other than Bradshaw appears in the news pages or on the website."
Butterworth also revealed that "the Guardian is sometimes paid a fee for the use of quotes and ratings in advertising campaigns".
Here's the link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/18/confusing-business-music-film-reviews
ReplyDeleteThanks Judith,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, particularly the bit about being paid for quotes...