Barry Levinson replies to Alessandra Stanley

November 11, 2009 D. H. McKee

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Barry Levinson tears a strip off error-prone NYT reporter, Alessandra Stanley, after she completely misses the point of his film, Poliwood.
Normally, it’s odd when a director fires back at a reviewer, but this is apparently a special circumstance.

Ms. Stanley states, “In politics, the only thing worse than no access, is too much access.” She goes on to say, “At its core the film is a screed about everything that was wrong with politics and media during the 2004 election, carried over and misapplied to the 2008 campaign.”
For the record, the film essay has nothing to do with the 2008 campaign. That’s why there is no footage of the candidates leading up to the conventions, and no footage of them campaigning on the road, leading up to the election. There is also no footage of the candidates stating political positions. No footage of strategy sessions. No discussions with the political operatives of either side. No footage of the fears or anxieties, the second-guessing, and the tiresome campaign trail. I only cover the two conventions and the inauguration merely as the backdrop for the intersection of politics, media, and entertainment as the cameras followed the journey of the Creative Coalition through these events.

Barry Levinson: The Delusions of Alessandra Stanley

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