Film Criticism: How To Evaluate Cinematography

How does a film critic evaluate a film's cinematography?

A film critic evaluates a film's cinematography similar to how a filmmaker would evaluate any aspect of a movie. Cinematography really differs in different movies. Sometimes it's incredibly unobtrusive, sometimes there's a technical quality that's just mesmerizing. I think the most famous cinematographer that we have is probably Terrence Malick who directs and does his own cinematography. His movies look like Andrew Wyeth paintings. If you've ever seen Days of Heaven if you've ever seen Bad Lands or The New World. His movies are painterly; they're gorgeous, they're like brushstrokes. And that sets him apart. There's a wonderful film about cinematography called Visions of Light that gets into the aspects of cinematography.