{"id":2076558,"date":"2026-08-04T09:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T06:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2076558"},"modified":"2026-08-04T09:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T06:12:10","slug":"christopher-nolan-calls-out-amateur-film-criticisms-one-real-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2076558","title":{"rendered":"Christopher Nolan calls out amateur film criticism\u2019s one \u201creal problem\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Christopher-Nolan-Premiere.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><span>Film News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Christopher Nolan calls out amateur film criticism\u2019s one \u201creal problem\u201d<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>&#8216;The Odyssey&#8217; director shared his thoughts in a recent interview<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Victoria Luxford<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-04T10:12:10+01:00\">4th August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Christopher-Nolan-Premiere-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Christopher Nolan\" title=\"Christopher Nolan Premiere\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Christopher Nolan. CREDIT:  Chung Sung-Jun\/Getty Images for Universal Pictures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Christopher Nolan has pointed out what he views as the \u201creal problem\u201d with online amateur film criticism.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 review: cinema may have peaked with Christopher Nolan\u2019s blockbuster epic<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The filmmaker is currently riding high with <em>The Odyssey<\/em>, his adaptation of the epic poem by Homer starring Matt Damon. The has enjoyed enormous box office success and high scores with both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this warm reception, he voiced his concern about the misunderstanding of storytelling in the eyes of amateur critics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Speaking to podcast host Zhong Shu (reported by <em>Deadline<\/em>), he said: \u201cThe criticism that\u2019s often levelled at movies in general is, \u2018Oh, the character has to be made sympathetic, so the character is manipulated in different ways or changed in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd that\u2019s a fundamental flaw of film criticism in a way, or storytelling criticism. Because to be able to identify the mechanism does not invalidate the mechanism. And that\u2019s a real problem in criticism today.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Matt Damon went all the way to Australia to see Oasis\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FYdqYQNNh7I?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>He then clarified that the issue was more common in amateur criticism, found in social media posts and websites such as Letterboxd. \u201cI\u2019m thinking more of amateur criticism, because they feel they\u2019ve identified the mechanism, they feel that it invalidates it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat can be true of certain elements, and film grammar, film language evolves with that. So when a trope becomes too familiar to an audience, then it has to be changed. But we do, as filmmakers, avail ourselves of that common language. We build on that understanding. Our audience has seen many films and they understand that language.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>The Odyssey<\/em> continues to have vocal dissenters despite its success, with classics professor Emily Wilson, who wrote a celebrated translation of Homer\u2019s poem, having said she would be \u201cashamed\u201d to have written any part of Christopher Nolan\u2019s script.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, the warm audience response to the film has prompted a substantial rise in people interested in learning Greek.<\/p>\n<p><em>NME\u2019s<\/em> own five-star analysis said that \u201ccinema may have peaked\u201d with Nolan\u2019s epic and concluded: \u201cIt\u2019s hard to see how cinema can get much bigger than this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Christopher Nolan<\/li>\n<li>Matt Damon<\/li>\n<li>The Odyssey<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_93 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_93\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"td-block-title\"><span class=\"td-pulldown-size\">TRENDING<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"td_block_inner 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Smith\u2019s \u2018The Queen Is Dead\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Ariana Grande speaks out on break from public eye: \u201cMultiple things can be true at the same time\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Brandon Flowers is considering quitting music: \u201cI\u2019m really going through it right now\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Features<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Ravyn Lenae: \u201cI now know what\u2019s possible \u2013 but that just makes me hungrier\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Christopher Nolan has pointed out what he views as the \u201creal problem\u201d with online amateur film criticism.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 review: cinema may have peaked with Christopher Nolan\u2019s blockbuster epic<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The filmmaker is currently riding high with <em>The Odyssey<\/em>, his adaptation of the epic poem by Homer starring Matt Damon. The has enjoyed enormous box office success and high scores with both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this warm reception, he voiced his concern about the misunderstanding of storytelling in the eyes of amateur critics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Speaking to podcast host Zhong Shu (reported by <em>Deadline<\/em>), he said: \u201cThe criticism that\u2019s often levelled at movies in general is, \u2018Oh, the character has to be made sympathetic, so the character is manipulated in different ways or changed in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd that\u2019s a fundamental flaw of film criticism in a way, or storytelling criticism. Because to be able to identify the mechanism does not invalidate the mechanism. And that\u2019s a real problem in criticism today.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Matt Damon went all the way to Australia to see Oasis\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FYdqYQNNh7I?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>He then clarified that the issue was more common in amateur criticism, found in social media posts and websites such as Letterboxd. \u201cI\u2019m thinking more of amateur criticism, because they feel they\u2019ve identified the mechanism, they feel that it invalidates it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat can be true of certain elements, and film grammar, film language evolves with that. So when a trope becomes too familiar to an audience, then it has to be changed. But we do, as filmmakers, avail ourselves of that common language. We build on that understanding. Our audience has seen many films and they understand that language.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>The Odyssey<\/em> continues to have vocal dissenters despite its success, with classics professor Emily Wilson, who wrote a celebrated translation of Homer\u2019s poem, having said she would be \u201cashamed\u201d to have written any part of Christopher Nolan\u2019s script.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, the warm audience response to the film has prompted a substantial rise in people interested in learning Greek.<\/p>\n<p><em>NME\u2019s<\/em> own five-star analysis said that \u201ccinema may have peaked\u201d with Nolan\u2019s epic and concluded: \u201cIt\u2019s hard to see how cinema can get much bigger than this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/film\/christopher-nolan-calls-out-amateur-film-criticisms-one-real-problem-3960621&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Christopher-Nolan-Premiere.jpg&#8221;] NewsFilm News Christopher Nolan calls out amateur film criticism\u2019s one \u201creal problem\u201d &#8216;The Odyssey&#8217; director shared his thoughts in a recent interview By Victoria Luxford 4th August 2026 Christopher Nolan. CREDIT: Chung Sung-Jun\/Getty Images for Universal Pictures Christopher Nolan has pointed out what he views as the \u201creal problem\u201d with online amateur [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2076558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2076558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076558\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2076558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2076558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2076558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}