The attitude from the offset of Manohla Dargis' review (http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/movies/23amelia.html) of the 2009 biopic ''Amelia'' is ridiculous and offensive:
"The director Mira Nair, whose only qualification appears to be that she’s a woman who has made others films about and with women (“Mississippi Masala,” “Vanity Fair”)"
I am not claiming that Nair is yet a crafter of masterpieces, but this statement belies the $85 million and $30 million her films ''Mississippi Masala'' and ''Monsoon Wedding'' made worldwide, as well as the Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film for ''Salaam Bombay!'', the Golden Lion awarded to ''Monsoon Wedding'', the Golden Lion nominations for ''Mississppi Masala'' and ''Vanity Fair'' and many other accolades. This is no small feat for anyone, let alone a woman from an ethnic minority. Then to have a critic reduce her to her gender, and imply she has relied on positive discrimination, is insulting, and thoughtlessly sexist, in the extreme.
I think an apology should be issued for such careless and cheap journalism.
I expect better from the NY Times.
