There’s an encased-in-cement contingent out there that insists on seeing La La Land — a love story that’s mostly about struggle, stress, career angst and romantic dreams not coming true — as some kind of slightly-too-frothy diversion. I’ve been repeatedly explaining that it’s hardly that at all. There’s exactly one light moment at the very beginning, and exactly two swoony romantic scenes — the rest is about what a bitch it is to make your career and love life work out. And yet the “too light” crowd refuses to back off.

Here‘s one of them — a member of the Academy’s publicist branch who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg:

By the way: Feinberg’s Brutally Honest Publicist admits that he didn’t understand what Arrival‘s story was about and had to ask a female friend to explain it, but when she did he went “Oh, my God, now I see it!” and subsequently decided that Denis Villeneuve‘s film is “terrific.” This person is a grade-A phony, for one. He/she wasn’t sure what it was saying but decides it’s a “terrific” film once a friend explains it? Bullshit, bullshit,bullshit. If you don’t understand what the story is it’s the movie’s fault and not your own. Obtuse, Gordian knot-level storytelling is not something you want to lay on moviegoers, but Villenueve does it with relish.

I found Arrival infuriating after seeing it at Telluride, and Feinberg was no fan either.