what’s wrong with the movies?

Let the NYT’s top reviewers, A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis, writing from Cannes, tell you the answer in one short sentence:

If you want escapism it is sometimes necessary to flee the screening rooms altogether.

The movies are supposed to be entertaining, right?
Well, American Idol is entertaining a lot of people.

Even Campaign ‘08 is entertaining a lot of people.

Meanwhile, the movies are a fucking drag.

“A Christmas Story” is one of the more lighthearted competition selections. It begins with the death of a child and includes a vicious sibling feud, mental illness and cancer.

Wait … because it gets worse. Here’s Manohla Dargis on the big hope of Cannes [e.a.]:

I was bored out of my mind while watching [the new Indiana Jones movie], which makes me think that Steven Spielberg was terribly bored while directing it.

Get us rewrite! Stat!