Cannes Film Festival Chiefs Say Twitter Reviews Are Hurting Film Criticism

nullWe live in the age of instant opinion. And we’ve certainly all seen or even participated in tossing out one-hundred-and-forty character summations of the latest movie we’ve just seen, or the developments in a new episode from a hot TV show. But for Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, he sees a problem when reactions arrive instantly on Twitter after a movie is over.

“Writing a review, is about formulating and putting down a thought, and can’t be summarized in 140 characters written as soon as the credits have stopped rolling,” he told Le Film Francais (via Screen Daily). And he also adds the rush to be the first to say something about a movie, particularly at the Cannes Film Festival, has "created a permanent race against the clock between journalists and amateur neo-critics."

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“Everything is accelerating. The instantaneity leads to hasty, excessive, definitive judgements. The critics are tweeting during projections. The nature and the function of the profession are changing. By acting like this, I’m not sure the profession is doing itself any good,” added Cannes president Pierre Lescure in an interview with La Croix.

And I’d say they have a point. There is something to be said about digesting a movie, letting it linger, and taking a moment to consider everything it has to offer before mashing your fingers on a mobile device with a quick statement and then moving on. But the flipside is that Twitter isn’t just one-way communication, and that it can open up a conversation around a movie that traditional media isn’t always able to.

Where do you think social media fits with film criticism or does it? Hit the comments section and share your thoughts.