Criticism is an Art.

"Don't waste my time" — that's the prevailing attitude for most readers on the Internet. But here's the thing: If you don't take time to read, re-read, discuss, and reflect on what you're reading, then you are wasting your time. I know because I'm guilty of this. I can spend hours perusing the Internet, and the next day I won't think about any of it. At all. That was time wasted.

I'm delighted to see people taking notice of Sister Rose Pacatte, who goes about her work with a spirit of curiosity, fearlessness, discernment, and humility. She doesn't write with a sanctimonious, presumptuous, or condescending tone. She writes and speaks, rather, as a friend on the journey, sharing insights and impressions without any heavy-handed piety, without ranting.

Writing, I find, is a joy and an adventure. But it's not much of a job. In fact, you need another job in able to afford to do it.

Sure, there are some critics out there who strive to seem superior to others. But most critics are just fans of movies... such big fans that they like to examine and talk about everything that's in a movie. Today, I came across a reminder of what a great critic can accomplish.

As we're in a season busy with film festivals, I'm reading reviews of what sound like extremely challenging movies. Some of those reviews sound like the kind of comments that might provoke filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami to repeat what he said here...