That mention by my Manhattan friend about whether people will “have the guts” to critique or give a general thumbs-down to Munich is indicative of a lingering notion that Spielberg is a dispenser of great tribal power, and to say anything against him or one of his films could conceivably result in a negative reaction down the road. You have to at least consider that this psychology was part of the reportedly positive reactions to Munich at the Beverly Hills Academy screening last Sunday night. Take it with a grain of salt, but that’s what The Envelope‘s Steve Pond reported yesterday.
