Film critic Philip French dies at 82

• Gary Green


• 27 Oct 2015

Beloved film critic Philip French has passed away at the age of 82, following a heart attack after a few years suffering ill health.

Serving as critic for the Observer for an impressive 35 years, French finally received some recognition for his lengthy span as a cultural commentator when he won British Press Awards Critics of the Year in 2009, and even an OBE in 2013 for his services to film. Fellow Brit film critic Mark Kermode, who succeeds French as critic at the Observer, had this to say about him:

‘Philip’s noble, erudite writing elevated film criticism to the level of art. His judgement was acute but always generous, his prose beautiful, his knowledge breathtaking. He was an inspiration to an entire generation of film critics, and was always wonderfully supportive of his colleagues; encouraging, wise and kind. He is irreplaceable.’