comment #1

Floyd Thursby says ...

Sounds more logical and less hysterical than White's usual rants. Could be he's on to something.

comment #2

Joe McDonald says ...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't SECRETS AND LIES get nominated for quite a few Oscars, including Best Picture when it came out? Most of anything Armond White says is just crazy-talk for the sake of getting attention (and entertaining in that respect), but to say that the Oscar voters who are presumably going to praise PRECIOUS gave any sort of snub to Mike Leigh in the past is ludicrous. Hell, if it weren't for Oscar voters, I don't think one in a thousand Americans would have any idea who Mike Leigh even was.

comment #3

actionman says ...

Next Day Air!

Hey Armond -- what's better...Next Day Air or Torque? Or does War beat them both?

comment #4

George Prager says ...

"Sorry that you feel that way, Armond, but we did want a block of flats."

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

Nice one, George.

"That's just the kind of blinkered, philistine pig-ignorance I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage. . ."

comment #6

VictorLazlo says ...

"whereas too many white film habitues casually enjoy it for the sense of superiority -- and relief -- it allows them to feel."

It's called projection. Armond White hates black people who live in the ghetto, and he's projecting that hatred on a legion of nameless white folks shaking their heads in disbelief at the ghetto negroes. He wants to cover his ears and make the dirty ghetto negroes disappear.

Bottom line: Armond White doesn't like black films made by black people. He likes black films made by white people.

The guy loved fucking AMISTAD and hated DO THE RIGHT THING. Amistad, a movie supposedly about one of the ONLY SUCCESSFUL slave ship revolts but really about a bunch of old white dudes talking in a court room with a truly embarrassing moment (GIVE US, US FREE!)

In the world according to Armond, there has never been a good film made by a black director. I HATE black reviewers who claim to speak for black audiences at large. Black audiences are no worse (or better) than any other audiences when it comes to discerning quality.

Fuck his Uncle Tom ass.

comment #7

THE MovieBob says ...

I almost-never "agree" with White, and it sounds as though he's actively TRYING to hate "Precious" (I haven't seen it yet) but I can't argue with his larger point about white audiences "getting off" on exploitative depictions of black desperation. His conclusion, that "Precious" is to white arthouse audiences as "50 Cent" is to white suburban teenagers is not what I'm hoping for from the film... but I wouldn't be surprised.

comment #8

VictorLazlo says ...

"whereas too many white film habitues casually enjoy it for the sense of superiority -- and relief -- it allows them to feel."

It's called PROJECTION. Armond hates black people who live in the ghetto and he's projecting that hatred onto a faceless audience of white liberals. He feels that his own people are inferior and pawns that off on white folks.

He wants to wish away all those Negro-Eloi with their rap music and corn rows. He has the issue, not white people. All one has to do is work in an ER in Baltimore or Oakland and you'll see the movie Precious play out in real time.

He loved AMISTAD and hated DO THE RIGHT THING. FUCKING AMISTAD. A movie about a daring revolt on a slave ship that ended up being about a bunch of powdered wig white dudes chatting in a court room interrupted briefly by the embarrassingly bad GIVE US, US FREE scene. For all his pontificating, he doesn't like to see black folks dealing with internal problems without regard to white folks, good or bad.

And then he claims to speak for all educated blacks (not the ones who flock to Tyler Perry movies and watch Oprah). Black audiences are no worse (or better) than the movie audiences in general.

BOTTOM LINE: Armond White hates black films made by black filmmakers. He loves black films made by white filmmakers. In the world according to Armond WHite, a black fimmaker has yet to make a good movie.

Fuck his Uncle Tom Ass.

comment #9

VictorLazlo says ...

sorry for the double post, I thought the internets ate my first one.

comment #10

Colin says ...

Coming from Baltimore there is nothing unrealistic about Precious.

It's like Ebert said, "the man is a troll"
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/08/roger_ebert_retracts_defense_o.html

comment #11

Glenn Kenny says ...

"Sadly, Mike Leigh's emotionally exact and socially perceptive films (Secrets and Lies, All or Nothing, Happy Go Lucky) that answer contemporary miserablism with genuine social and spiritual insight have not penetrated Daniels,Winfrey, Perry's consciousness -- nor of the Oscarheads now championing Precious. They've also ignored Jonathan Demme's moving treatment of the lingering personal and communal tragedy of slavery in Beloved."

Some of you might recall that Jonathan Demme's "Beloved" was produced by, and starred...um, Oprah Winfrey.

And that, in a nutshell, is why I love Armond White.

comment #12

Stringer Bell says ...

Which reminds me ...

Ronan Tynan was banned from singing 'God Bless America' & banned outright from Yankee Stadium because he made derogatory comments about Jews to a real estate lady (and later apologized) yet ...

Jay Z is welcomed with open arms at Yankee Stadium even though he uses the 'N' word like M&Ms and calls women 'Bitches' and 'Ho's'.

Welcome to the world of double standards.

If the world didnt have the likes of Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson screaming 'RACIST', this world would be a better place.

comment #13

Sean says ...

VictorLazlo, I'm past the point of wanting to defend Armond, but you mischaracterize him pretty severely by saying that he doesn't like black movies from black filmmakers. You probably can't find a bigger advocate of Charles Burnett, Charles Stone III or, yes, the Bros. Wayans. For him to come down on Spike Lee or John Singleton isn't enough to make him Uncle Tom.

comment #14

Colin says ...

Well Stringer if there weren't racists around Sharpton and Jackson wouldn't have to.

Are you going to tell me Sharpton is wrong for suing Limbaugh? The man told people that putting their children on a bus with black children would result in their death!

comment #15

Sean says ...

I think there's also an extent to which Armond would never like a movie like PRECIOUS regardless of its racial make-up. For lower-class distress, malaise and striving, Armond wants DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES and not PRECIOUS. I haven't seen PRECIOUS but from the reviews it's clear the formal differences are profound.

comment #16

mat says ...

I haven't seen Precious, so I'm a little confused. Is it a film about race or people? I thought it was a story about one particular family and whatever they go through, not necessarily a far-reaching indictment/social commentary on the state of black America. Those movies (Crash) always fail because it ignores the basic truth that life is small and big at the same time and it's different for everybody. I thought this was just one of those weird tales of dysfunction somewhere along the lines of Half Nelson (not in subject matter, but tone). The only part of his reviewed that I took to mean anything is the "two note performance" comment. That I can see. That's a fair criticism of a film. But for someone to write a book about a family that you have contempt for isn't a flaw in the story, it's a personal distaste. To inflate it to fit your own agenda is disingenuous at best, manipulative and underhanded at worst.

comment #17

Rothchild says ...

Armond White says Brian Robbins is an important black filmmaker. Is there a reason you cut that part out Jeff? Norbit! Meet Dave!

comment #18

LexG says ...

Really, is Armond's pan ANY more predictable and probably sight-unseen predestined as EBERT'S rave and INEVITABLE christening of this as Best of 2009?

White is generally a bit of a loon, but his take on this seems pretty valid... Jesus, I remember filing out of CRASH at the Arclight, shell-shocked by all the absurd coincidences and Beverly Hills-based bromides... but almost to a T every 30-ish, Caucasian, industry-hanger-on, never-talked-to-a-minority-ever Whole Foods type thought they had just LEARNED A LIFE LESSON.

Ed Gonzalez in SLANT also savaged the film and called it "one for the Stuff White People Like canon":

http://www.slantmagazine.com/Film/film_review.asp?ID=4565

Every review and trailer would suggest that it has that Monster's Ball/Crash heavy contrivance MISERY PORN element that white, milquetoast critics and sheltered audiences seem to lap up.... which is odd, since most of these stuffed shirts LOATHE contrivance and ham-handedness in just about anything;

Established critics generally want Scotch-guarded, quaint prestige and restraint... yet since most of them have like one black friend and wouldn't know the hood from fucking Walla Walla, when something like this comes along that just blugeons with an heavy-handed, overwrought "crescendoing symphony of misery", they default to their P.C. instincts and overcompensate by falling for it hook, line and sinker.

Wasn't MONSTER'S BALL Ebert's best of its year? Really? Halle Berry's husband getting juiced then ten minutes later her GIANT FAT KID GETS HIT BY A CAR? And don't get me started on Halle's GUMBALL! MY BIG FAT BOY EAT THAT GUMBALL! monologue, which is CRINGE-inducing.

Daniels was a guiding hand on that; Per the Shadowboxer commentary and the interviews I've seen, the dude's about as subtle as Miss J. Alexander from America's Next Top Model.

comment #19

corey3rd says ...

Armond White is Tyler Perry

comment #20

Scott Nye says ...

matt - this is the problem of representation. If you make a movie about ANY person belonging to a minority group (be it racial, sexual, whatever), there is always a pretty hefty stack of people taking it to task for being a poor representation of said minority group, which is about as ludicrous as me insisting Thank You for Smoking is a load of shit because Nick Naylor does not represent my experience as a white man with blond hair.

comment #21

LexG says ...

"Armond White is Tyler Perry."

Armond White is George Sanford Brown in STIR CRAZY.

comment #22

kingofnails says ...

LexG, you don't get enough credit around here for being as on point as you are so often. Now I'm going to have to listen to Lee Daniels' commentary track on SHADOWBOXER. Crap.

comment #23

Stringer Bell says ...

Brian Robbins was on that lousy ABC sitcom 'Head of the Class'' with Howard Hesseman, and is definitely WHITE.

comment #24

Rothchild says ...

I'd understand if Avon didn't get the joke, but come on, Stringer...

comment #25

George Prager says ...

I seriously doubt LexG's Arclight account. If people were somber, they were probably just being polite. Yes it was a glorified TV movie, but I was moved by Don Cheadle's character.

comment #26

corey3rd says ...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005367/

He's about as white as David Gordon Green

comment #27

Rothchild says ...

THAT WAS THE JOKE.

comment #28

lipranzer says ...

Victor - Agreed with your rant, except if memory serves, Armond did like DO THE RIGHT THING when it first came out. If he reversed that opinion since, however, it wouldn't surprise me. As several others have pointed out, he is never one to let the facts get in the way of a good argument.

comment #29

Tom Reagan says ...

I think Armond White just likes to be contrarian. I can't say that there's anything about the man I like. His endless praise of Steven Spielberg strikes me as a plea for the man to notice his writings. Whenever I needs me a good hating, I read an Armond White review.

comment #30

Travis Crabtree says ...

One wonders if Roger Ebert decided it was the Best Film of the Year before he even saw it.

And I'll tell 'ya what I find insulting to African Americans. With all of the intelligent, thoughtful, (I won't say articulate...I hate when white folk call black folk "articulate"... code for, "he doesn't talk like a gangsta"), and insightful black people in the world, whenever something happens that involves race or black-white relations they can't come up with someone, ANYONE better than that lying, criminally negligent race-baiter/profiteer Al Sharpton.
The man is a fool. "Let's turn to Rev. Al and see what he thinks".

comment #31

Travis Crabtree says ...

(.... by "they" I meant the news media....)

comment #32

Rothchild says ...

Travis Crabtree, are you white? Also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkf5jW9GM48

comment #33

Phatang! says ...

Armond White is one of the few really smart, independent minded critics out there. Sometimes he's off base, but more often he sees through all the bullshit. I love that he inspires so much defensiveness in people on here.

Precious sounds horrid.

comment #34

Ronald McFirbank says ...

Ebert's a good company man and Oprah's an ex Sun Times colleague. If Richard Roeper ever produces a movie out of Neil Steinberg's book, it'll be the greatest movie ever made.

Meanwhile, just as you can never stop being a concentration camp guard, Armond White can never stop having praised Mission to Mars.

comment #35

Phreaker says ...

"but I can't argue with his larger point about white audiences "getting off" on exploitative depictions of black desperation." That is such crap. They get off Indian desperation, third world desperation, white desperation - they get off on desperation period.

comment #36

corey3rd says ...

Armond White is in a business where movie critics have become about as useful as Radio Talkshow Hosts that cater to the Amish. So he's got to at least get noticed by saying things that make him the Michelle Bachmann of cinema.

Personally I shall never forgive him for his power play against Lumet being honored with the "He's a hack!" slur. Lumet deserved an award for letting Marisa Tomei drop her top in "Before the Devil."

comment #37

TheGK says ...

Phreaker makes a good point - desperation regardless of race sells or gets critical acclaim e.g. Slumdog, Hotel Rwanda, City of God, La Haine, Drugstore Cowboys, Nil By Mouth, etc ad infinitum.

comment #38

bluetide says ...

The author of Push (Precious' source material) was on All Things Considered yesterday speaking about her concerns with adaptation. It was a really interesting conversation that dealt with the exact same issues that White is complaining about. When offers began to pour in to adapt the book 13 years ago, she had a very serious concern about the film audiences' ability to place the story in its proper context and not use it as an excuse to reinforce stereotypes. But (and these were her words, not mine) with the emergence of Barack Obama and the more diverse picture of black families in the media, she felt like it would now be more possible for people to understand that this is a story of a specific family in a specific situation and not somehow a portrait of black America.

I'm not black so I can't speak to those concerns from firsthand experience, but I do think that cinema is better served by directors who feel they can depict their characters honestly and empathetically than when they feel some responsibility to soften the characters' rough edges in order to avoid creating a negative image. That's why pretty much any Spike Lee film (even the worst one) is considerably more interesting than Amistad. The ultimate measure of equality is being able to consider the totality of the individual.