The public looks at the relationship between filmmakers and movie reviewers often through a critical lens, assuming that it is always complicated because the two professionals have a direct conflict of interest. While this may be true, a lot of times, critics end up contributing positively to a filmmaker's life and career. Take legendary director Martin Scorsese, who turned a year older on Monday, for example. There was a time in Scorsese's life when he wanted to end his career following the commercial disappointment of his film The King of Comedy and a hectic work schedule. Starring his frequent collaborator Robert De Niro, The King of Comedy did not earn the filmmaker the same amount of appreciation from critics and audiences as his other films did.
At this time, Pulitzer Prize winning film critic Roger Ebert and his colleague Gene Siskel paid a tribute to the Raging Bull and Taxi Driver filmmaker at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), thus helping the legendary director rekindle his passion for filmmaking and return to work following his spell of depression.
The celebration of Scorsese's filmography at TIFF played a big part in boosting his morale, as it reminded him and the public of his importance as a filmmaker and the impact of his dramas. Many years later, Scorsese appeared on Ebert's show, and together, they looked at the best films of the 1990s. According to Ebert, Scorsese's Goodfellas was one of the finest films of the decade.
