The author behind Variety’s review of Carey Mulligan’s film Promising Young Woman, has expressed his defense amid accusations of sexism.
Dennis Harvey recently became the target for an online contest, after referring to the actress (35) as a ‘strange choice’ for the femme fatale role, while suggesting that producer Margot Robbie would be a better choice have been.
And in a new interview with the Guardian, the film critic described Carey’s reaction to his words as ‘bizarre’ and ‘quite a leap’ – and insisted that his review never compared the attractiveness of the actresses.
Pronounced: The author behind Variety’s review of Carey Mulligan’s film Promising Young Woman spoke out in his defense amid accusations of sexism
He said: ‘[W]While Carey Mulligan can certainly interpret the review as she pleases, her projection is that she is ‘not hot enough’. It’s just weird to me. I’m sorry she feels that way. But I’m also sorry it’s a conclusion she would jump to, because it’s quite a leap. ‘
Harvey also admitted that he was uncertain about his future with Variety after writing for them for thirty years because they apologized for his ‘insensitive’ review.
“I did not say or even mean that Mulligan is ‘not hot enough’ for the role,” he said. ‘I’m a 60 year old gay man. I do not actually go around with the comparative hotnesses of young actresses, let alone about it. ‘
‘[I’m] terribly tarnished as a misogynist, which is something foreign to my personal beliefs or politics, ‘he continued. “It can not make me more horrible than if someone claimed I was a Trump supporter of gung-ho.”
Issue: Mulligan attacked the Variety review and insisted it was ‘transparent’ and behind the times
During his interview, Harvey pointed out that his article remained online without complaint for 11 months until Carey spoke out against it.
He also said that U.S. distributors had asked to use pull quotes from his review as part of their marketing campaign shortly after the review was published last year.
In his Variety review, Harvey stated that Mulligan was apparently in a bad move in the film, as he suggested that Robbie should rather accept the role.
In an interview with the New York Times late last year, Mulligan Variety exploded for ‘sexist’ criticism, saying it ‘drives’ [her] crazy’.
The review reads: ‘Mulligan, a fine actress, seems a bit of a strange choice, because it’s admittedly multiple apparent femme fatale – Margot Robbie is a producer here, and one might (perhaps too easily) think that the role would ever have been meant for her.
Role: In his review, Harvey suggested Margot Robbie, a film producer, would have been a better choice for the femme fatale role
‘While Cassie with her star wears her pickup bait like a bad bear; even her long blonde hair looks a start. ‘
The Variety review was posted online a year ago, but was updated with an editorial apology in bold after Mulligan spoke in a recent interview.
“Variety apologizes to Carey Mulligan and deplores the insensitive language and insinuation in our review of ‘Promising Young Woman’ that kept her daring performance to a minimum,” the apology reads.
Variety told the Daily Telegraph that Harvey is a freelance critic and would not comment on whether he will continue to write for the publication.
A statement said: ‘Variety has no further comment. The excuse speaks for itself. ‘
Visit the review again: Mulligan spoke out again this week and talked about the dispute with fellow film star Zendaya in the series of Actors on Actors in Variety.
Mulligan spoke out again this week and talked about the dispute with his fellow film star Zendaya in Variety’s Actors on Actors series.
During the interview, Zendaya Mulligan investigated by calling Variety after the Promising Young Woman review was released.
“I feel it’s important that criticism is constructive,” Mulligan said. ‘I think it’s important that we look at the right things when it comes to work, and we look at the art and look at the execution.
“And I do not think it depends on the appearance of the actor or your personal preference for what an actor may or may not look like – which according to the article did look like.”
“So, I think I criticized or lamented a lack of attractiveness on my part in a character, it was not a personal slight,” Mulligan continues.
Award: Her portrayal of Cassie in a promising young woman received great praise
It did not hurt my ego, but it did worry me that an actress’ appearance could be criticized in such a large publication and that it could be accepted as a reasonable critique.
‘It’s important to call things out, because they look small and seem insignificant. But it stuck with me because I think it’s these kind of everyday moments that pick up. ‘
“Well said,” Zendaya replied.
The apology came after Mulligan called out Variety in an interview with The New York Times after Variety published their review.
“I read the Variety review because I’m a weak person,” Mulligan told the Times. ‘And I took it. It felt like it was basically saying that I was not hot enough to cause this kind of unrest.
“It drove me so crazy. I was like, ‘Really? Are you going to write something that is so transparent? Now? In 2020? “I just could not believe it. ‘
But Variety’s apology is criticized by fellow film critic Jeffrey Wells, who said that although he disagreed with Harvey’s review, the publication should have given him the opportunity to respond.
He blows online: “They washed Harvey completely in this case and more or less threw him under the bus.”
Promising Young Woman, first released on Christmas Day in 2020, features Mulligan as Cassie, who fights back against the men who try to sleep with her while she is apparently intoxicated.
Mulligan received an award for Best Actress from the National Board of Review for her performance, with Oscar also following her.
Actors: She argues that personal appearance should not become a fair criticism of actors