Hate the sin, love the critic

MANILA, Philippines - Film critic Philbert Dy posted a festival report on Clickthecity.com a few days ago regarding this year’s Cinemalaya entries. He has good things to say about the lineup, except for Aloy Adlawan’s Ang Katiwala, which he refers to as “the only film I think people should actively avoid.” His critique is thorough and even makes room for some positive notes, in that the film may have given air to one of Dennis Trillo’s better performances.

Bianca King, who is currently dating Trillo, took to Twitter. And man, was she pissed. She busted out her degree in digital filmmaking (four for you, Glen Coco) and said that telling people to avoid a film is crass and insulting to what Cinemalaya is trying to accomplish—a festival that has withstood eight years of strongly-worded critics and prominent haters. Gems include: “Regardless of what your taste level or opinion is, no Filipino has the right to tell others to not patrionize [sic] something Filipino-made.”

Unmerciful

First of all, it’s unfair to assume that Philbert Dy’s readers have a zero capacity for critical thinking. While it is a critic’s job to be unmerciful, it is a reader’s job to choose if she accepts the critique, to decide whether or not she will sit down and watch the movie anyway, to figure out if she agrees with the critic. Just because he says something isn’t good doesn’t mean the world will shut down and erase all trace of the film in question. Really. His word is not law, and the audience deserves far more credit.

 Secondly, there should be support for local films, fashion, crafts, literature, music, everything. But it can’t be that support is rallied for things regardless of quality, simply because they came from Filipino hands. Calling something Pinoy doesn’t make it good; being flawless before it got its location stamp does. And so it follows that just because a fellow citizen doesn’t happen to like something Filipino-made doesn’t mean they’re necessarily unpatriotic. (After all, shit is shit, no matter where it comes from.) It may be out of respect for Filipino craftsmanship that they refuse to glorify every other thing with the stamp “Filipino-made,” because they believe that the label should come with a certain level of excellence.

Promoting Squat

Lastly, a proper film critic would tell you not to spend your money on something he believes was a complete waste of time. In fact, it’s his duty to. He’s not a public relations officer for the entire Filipino film industry; he doesn’t have to promote squat. He’s there to watch, assess, and decide whether or not these are two hours of your life best spent elsewhere. And while there may be a taste level that most people can agree on, there is no such thing as an objective preference. His job is to have a well-formulated opinion, and although it is one that a large following trusts, it will always remain subjective.

 A critic worth his salt doesn’t look for flaws, but for a certain kind of perfection. He is looking for a fulfillment of standards, praying for someone to get it right, but isn’t afraid to say it when someone falls short. He says what no one wants to say but everyone needs to hear because he believes that if you put yourself out there, you should be able to take the feedback. Because he has an almost idealistic respect for industry or even for those whose work it may be, and the highest standard of professional respect isn’t simply kindness, but honesty. Honesty that is often confused with bitterness, resentment, or a general refusal to be pleased with anything, but honesty that is so undiluted that if it wished, it cut through bone.

Suckage

And so he is not to be confused with a bully or a hater, who is there simply to hate — no more, no less. A hater is there to find fault even where it may not exist, he is there to make noise even if his judgment is unfounded. A hater will call you stupid, even if he himself cannot figure out the difference between “you’re” and “your.” (A beautiful experience I highly encourage.) He will discuss the size of your pores, the quality of your hair, the validity of your outlook, and conclude that your level of suckage is so high that you should kill yourself. You can’t do anything right with a hater, because he comes with the clear and simple intent of drawing blood.

If we are truly interested in growth and revival in any industry, we need to grow thicker skin and make room for honest, responsible critique. Because criticism is not cruelty, even if the words are painful. It is simply the courtesy of having someone respect you enough to stab you in the front.

Everyone has the right to a discussion where the beliefs are varied, and where different standpoints are not only welcome but encouraged. Everyone deserves the chance to learn from their mistakes, especially if they’ve already decided to put themselves out there. And every Emperor, as in that famous tale, needs that child who will say, “I know you’re highly respected and all, but your new clothes don’t exist and you are, in fact, naked. Now please, cover up your junk.”

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