Tarantino adored her, Kubrick feared her… This great lady could shake Hollywood!

What is it about?

Pauline Keel, a longtime New York film critic, has struggled throughout her career to make her mark. A person in all its splendor, rich in unwavering self-confidence, with a complicated past, but above all with a deep love for art and cinema.

Documentaries dedicated to film critics are rare, and even rarer when it comes to female film critics. This one, dedicated to Pauline Keel, is a must-see rip-off that hits theaters this Wednesday, June 21st! The film is also available on demand on myCANAL (Ciné+).

The title of this review may mean nothing to you, even though a while back it was announced again via a project announcement regarding the upcoming Tarantino!

Pauline Kael is one of the most famous, but above all, the most feared feathers in the United States. The documentary Who’s Afraid of Pauline Kael takes a long look at the fascinating trajectory of this signature, mostly New Yorker, who began in the 1950s and died in 2001. Directed by Rob Garver, the film reveals some facts about this weapon. A woman who was feared and admired!

Pauline Kael has touched your senses

Among his ardent followers is a certain Quentin Tarantino, mentioned above. He said this about him:Pauline Keel’s reviews were my only film school“. Why this statement? Simply because this review had a sense of observation and a rather incredible memory, and therefore could see the film differently.

“In my movie, Quentin Tarantino says that he regularly pointed out a flaw that you didn’t see. And you have to agree that he was right. He spoiled your feelings. This is what made him a prominent writer.“, details Rob Garver in an interview given around the release of this film.

“I will give you an example: 2001, A Space Odyssey. I honestly think his review was unfair. Despite its imperfections, it is a revolutionary film. I agree with him that the speech, especially at the end, is vague, but he never gave Kubrick the credit he deserved. He wasn’t a fan. Doctor Strangelove One of my favorite movies, although he said he had very liberal leanings. I don’t agree with himHer fans were also nicknamed “Paulettes”!

Pauline Keel also remains famous for destroying highly regarded directors. Which earned him murderous letters or severe displeasure! Among the most famous are Clint Eastwood and, as described in the film, Stanley Kubrick and Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean. Note that it also has “SafeFilms that testified to his influence at the time. It was he who made Bonnie and Clyde a huge success, which could have been a box office failure from the start. His criticism had the power to challenge the light of this film.

He was less hasty than all the critics who wrote about the other

Who’s Afraid of Pauline Kael also has the advantage of encouraging reflection on the exercise of criticism and its evolution. In an age where things are always moving faster, this doctor speaks of him as someone who takes time to reflect and step back: “He was in less of a rush than all those critics who wrote the second they left the show, like Roger Ebert or Gene Siskel. (…) Thanks to this long time and writing with natural authority, he built up his power and notoriety. But I think he was not interested in fame or publicity. He wanted to write well, to hear his own voice. That’s what makes it so alive. His sentences are alive, his mind and heart are alive, always, everywhere. And when the movies weren’t very good, his articles were often much better.”

Find all the movie releases of the week

Who’s Afraid of Pauline Keel’s numerous archives and unpublished testimonials from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Paul Schrader, John Boorman, David O. Russell, or Pauline Keel’s daughter, who worked with him a lot.