The Goldfinch star Ansel Elgort has stuck up for the film, despite its frosty reception from critics and poor performance at the box office.
The actor leads the all-star cast of the new big-screen adaptation of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer-winning novel, in which Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, Jeffrey Wright and Aneurin Barnard also appear.
However, despite a lot of initial excitement surrounding the film, it was savaged by critics when it debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, with multiple outlets going on to brand it a “box-office bomb” after its official release failed to meet expectations.
Ansel has now insisted he’s standing by the film though, responding to the critics on his Instagram Story.
“Critics are usually really great writers and they have to kind of choose a side,” he told his followers.
“They decided that pointing out everything wrong with the film is the best way to write their reviews, their articles. They are all great articles, too. All the bad reviews are well written but there is a lot of good in the film, too.”
Explaining why he still views the film as a success, he added: “The film does work and the people who see it enjoy it and are moved by it.
“The most important person it moved for me was my mother, and she’s not moved by all of my films. She really liked this one, which made me really like it, too. So it’s still in theatres, take your mom.”
Prior to this, Ansel posted a spoof video poking fun at the backlash the film has faced:
Definitely Ansel’s finest Instagram moment since that time he posted 17 shirtless selfies in a row…
The Goldfinch is released in UK cinemas on 27 September.
