Everyone’s a critic — including Christopher Nolan’s very own Peloton instructor, apparently. At a ceremony for the New York Film Critics Circle, Nolan used his acceptance speech for the best director prize to comment on his appreciation for film criticism — and to share a hilarious anecdote.
Speaking on his “complex emotional relationship with critics and criticism,” Nolan highlighted the importance of film criticism as a profession in a world where seemingly everyone now has an opinion to share. The Oppenheimer director then cheekily brought up a moment in which a Peloton instructor canned one of his own films during a workout, apparently unaware that he was in the class. (Variety reports that Nolan did not specify which film found its way onto the chopping block.)
“I was on my Peloton. I’m dying. And the instructor started talking about one of my films and said, ‘Did anyone see this? That’s a couple hours of my life I’ll never get back again!’” Nolan said, according to Variety. “When Rex Reed takes a shit on your film he doesn’t ask you to work out! In today’s world, where opinions are everywhere, there is a sort of idea that film criticism is being democratized, but I for one think the critical appreciation of films shouldn’t be an instinct but it should be a profession.”
Nolan went on to commend critics for their attempt to remain objective in their interpretation of cinema — highlighting that he was especially honored by the “careful, considered, and thoughtful” coverage that Oppenheimer received.
“We live in a world where the person receiving the story has the right to say what it means to them. I for one love that. It means the work should speak for itself,” he said. “In that world, the role of the professional critic, or the interpreter and the person who tries to give context for the reader…it’s incredibly important.”
Oppenheimer was Consequence’s third favorite film of 2023. The historical blockbuster is also expected to be a top contender for Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards, with nominations set to be unveiled on January 23rd.