Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics (2013)

Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics (2013)

Author: Mark Kermode  |  Page Count: 272

'In a perfect world, film criticism would not be a series of rapid responses fixed for ever [...], but would rather be a slowly evolving debate in which nothing is certain and everything is up for grabs.'

I haven't read Mark Kermode's previous books yet, but nor was I unfamiliar with the London-born film critic, having seen him pop up on numerous film-related shows on British TV, most notably on the BBC 2 arts programme The Culture Show. His reviews were the main reason I programmed my VHS to record the show when I wasn't at home.

Kermode's views on film were the ones that most closely matched my own, and I began to believe that if he liked something, then there was a very good chance that I would too. It's a feeling that has lessened in recent years, but my respect for him and his role hasn't diminished in the slightest.

In Hatchet Job he explores the state of modern film criticism. In an era when every Tom, Dick, and Harry has a free blog upon which they can post thoughts, something that I can obviously very much relate to, what use is a 'professional' critic? And, furthermore, what, if anything, differentiates a professional from a simple lover of cinema? Why should certain individuals be paid for their work when there are millions of others online who do the same thing for free?

You can view the book as an elaborate treatise on why he should keep his job, but he seems to believe wholeheartedly in what he says, and the arguments presented are, for the most part, well-considered and logical. If film criticism was chair-building (bear with me on this, please), if it was something you had to pay for, then ideally you'd want a craftsman to construct it, not just an enthusiastic amateur, because at the end of the day it's designed to support a weight, and you wouldn't want the chair, or the argument (criticism), to fall apart under pressure.

All of which brings me to the next point: public profile. Kermode argues that it's easier to trust a review from someone who doesn't hide behind a pseudonym or a blogger/twitter/arsebook profile, etc. It shows that the person is publicly making themselves accountable, saying, "Here I am; come at me, bro!" in modern parlance. There's a definite logic to it; but when he later mentions the threats and hate crimes that he's been the target of it made me glad to avail of the safety that anonymity brings, because angry and/or upset people don't always just target an individual, they target the individual's family, and that's not something that's worth any job.

To end, even though a portion of the book painted bloggers in a somewhat unfavourable light, it was also fair. If you are a blogger, if you know what you are and are comfortable with why you do what you do, then there's no reason not to relish a contrary opinion when it's as enjoyable to read as Hatchet Job. If nothing else, the insights and anecdotes are certainly entertaining.

NOTE: I prefer not to link to greedy corporations, especially the BBC, but if you want to experience Mark Kermode's professionalism for yourself, his appearances on BBC radio are posted regularly as videos on a YouTube channel; search for 'kermodeandmayo' and you'll find it. He may not be as sultry as Mariella Frostrup, or have as many years on the clock as Barry Norman does, but Kermode is, frankly, the best British film critic I know of in the current era.