New York Times film critic A.O. Scott is probably used to actors taking issue with his negative reviews. Last year, “Marvel’s The Avengers” star Samuel L. Jackson blasted Scott’s dismissal of the comic blockbuster by airing his grievances on Twitter. “NY Times critic AO Scott needs a new job!” Jackson tweeted.
Now another actor has come out against Scott’s barbs—though without as much vitriol as Jackson.
Jon Polito, a character actor famous for his parts in the Coen brothers’ films “Miller’s Crossing” and “The Big Lebowski,” left a comment on Scott’s pan of “Gangster Squad.” Polito has a small role in Ruben Fleischer’s 1940s-set thriller.
“What struck me about A.O. Scott’s bad review was that it almost completely echoed [Vincent Canby’s] review of another film I was in, ‘Miller’s Crossing.’ That was a Kill review as well. Thankfully that film has be recognised as a classic. So, reviewers be ******!”
One can hardly blame Polito. A.O. Scott’s review seemed quite unnecessarily scathing and lacking in any real substance. But I admit that maybe it’s hard for me to see this issue straight since I did like Gangster Squad quite a lot.