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Christopher Nolan speaks out after Peloton instructor slammed his movie during a workout

Home> Film & TV> News

Published 18:14 5 Jan 2024 GMT

Christopher Nolan speaks out after Peloton instructor slammed his movie during a workout

The director had been attending a peloton class when the instructor remarked that he hadn't enjoyed one of his films

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

Christopher Nolan has revealed how he was once told by his Peloton instructor that they hadn't enjoyed one of his films.

The director of The Dark Knight had been giving a speech to the New York Film Critics Circle on January 4 about his relationship with film critics.

Naturally, Nolan is accustomed to reading criticism of his work in the media, as you would expect for a director of his repute.

Not only that, but he told how with the rise of social media where anybody can broadcast their opinion, he had found a deepened relationship with critics.

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But sometimes the critiques come from wholly unexpected sources beyond the media or even social media.

In his acceptance speech after being given the award for best director, he said: “Directors have a complex emotional relationship with critics and criticism. A question we’re always asked is: Do we read reviews?

"Let’s start with the fact that I’m British. A typical family gathering will involve relatives saying to me, ‘You know, Christopher. You probably shouldn’t open The Guardian today.'”

Christopher Nolan got some unexpected critiquing while working out.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

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But it was when the director was exercising that he was most surprised. It's one thing opening a newspaper ready to receive a review, quite another when you're in your exercise pants gasping for breath.

Nolan recalled: “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!'”

Ouch.

He continued: “When [film critic] Rex Reed takes a sh*t on your film he doesn’t ask you to work out!

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"In today’s world, where opinions are everywhere, there is a sort of idea that film criticism is being democratized.

He revealed he had been at a peloton class when the instructor criticised one of his films.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"But I for one think the critical appreciation of films shouldn’t be an instinct but it should be a profession.”

Of course, the director may have been very mindful of his audience, of the assembled film critics of New York. Not a group of people you'd want to get on the wrong side of as a director.

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He continued: “What we have here tonight is a group of professionals who attempt objectivity.

“Obviously writing about cinema objectively is a paradox, but the aspirations of objectivity is what makes criticism vital and timeless and useful to filmmakers and the filmmaking community.”

There is nonetheless a lot to be said for having someone who is very knowledgeable about film-making writing criticism.

Featured Image Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME / Scott Heins/Getty Images

Topics: News, UK News, Christopher Nolan, Film and TV

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

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