Barbenheimer and the point of view of film critics, in review

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Manohla Dargiss’s notebooks are filled with illegible words and sentences.

Chief Film Critic of The New York Times, Ms. Dargis jots down memorable scenes while watching films she intends to see again. In the darkness of a movie theater, her notes are rarely consistent, she admits, and distractions are inevitable.

Every once in a while, when I’m watching a movie, my pen drifts onto my shirt and I mess it up, she says. It’s one of the great tragedies of being a film critic.

This week, Ms. Dargis reviewed two much-talked-about new movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer, dubbed the Barbenheimer movie event of the year on the internet.

This highly anticipated film pairing comes at a turbulent time for the US film industry, as 160,000 actors represented by SAG-AFTRA went on strike last week. They joined the thousands of TV and film screenwriters already on the picket line on issues such as pay and the use of artificial intelligence in creative abilities. The strikes have largely crippled Hollywood productions.

In an interview, Ms Dargis shared her thoughts on the industry’s post-pandemic recovery and what the strikes could portend for the impending future of cinema. This interview has been edited.

How do you start covering two of the most anticipated films of the year?

I’ve been at The New York Times for about 20 years, so I’ve had similar moments when two huge movies open on each other. Around Christmas, film studios release their big so-called prestige films, for example.

I try to avoid reading about the movies before writing about them, but I do background research. I just want to have my own experience with a movie and know that a review is made up of my thoughts.

How do you decide which films to write about?

I try to find a balance that works for readers and what they want from a film critic. I also have to be interested in the film. I reviewed a bunch of movies the other week, like the new Mission Impossible, a big studio movie, and Earth Mama, a little indie movie.

This week represents in some ways my ideal mix, where I really cover the ground. I think if you’re only covering show blockbusters, you’re really missing out on the splendor of cinema.

Can you walk me through your review process?

I try to see films about a week before their release date. I go to screenings; some are called all-media screenings, where there are several hundred people in a large hall of a commercial cinema or movie studio. There are also smaller private screening rooms scattered across Los Angeles, where I live. I like to watch movies with other people. There’s something very special about the kind of energy you have from being around other people, especially when you’re watching a comedy or a horror movie and there’s a crowd dynamic.

I always bring a notepad and pen and write in the dark. Writing helps me remember things later because I try to absorb as much as possible while watching a movie.

You wrote in January about your optimism for women in film among a range of films centered on female characters. Are there any other trends you see in cinema right now?

I mentioned that I rewatched a movie called Earth Mama by a woman named Savanah Leaf; it is his first feature film. It’s exciting to me that she’s one of the many black filmmakers. We were far from where it should be, but there is a diversity of women making films.

Has there ever been a moment like this in the movie industry?

One of the funny things about the American film industry is that it has gone from crisis to crisis over time. Part of my optimism and hope is that the industry has managed to survive its transition to films with sound, for example. Then the TV came and everyone thought it was the end. And then the Internet arrived.

The American film industry is built on crises. Right now, the streaming bubble has passed. We don’t know what happens next. This is my biggest concern.

Which film did you screen first, Barbie or Oppenheimer?

I saw Barbie first; I saw them a few days apart so I could be in the right headspace. Barbie is nice, but that didn’t linger with me. It wasn’t something where I came home and said to my husband, I just need to talk about Barbie and her deep impression on me, because she didn’t have one. I loved it and then I had to figure out how to write about it.

After a heavy film like Oppenheimer, do you need a palate-cleansing film? How do you get down?

Right after a movie, I often don’t want to talk to anyone about it. Except maybe my husband. When you leave a movie that really touches you, you’re still in the movie bubble for a while. It can sometimes be a joyful experience. I remember seeing a Fast and Furious movie and really enjoying it. But I also remember coming home a little too quickly that night.

A film like Oppenheimer, an intelligent and thoughtful film that speaks to deep issues of great philosophical significance, is damn special. Although I was shocked by the movie, I was happy to say that the movie made me think about life. I am grateful for this experience.

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