 pauline kael (; june 19, 1919&nbsp;â september 3, 2001) was an american film critic who wrote for the new yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. earlier in her career, her work appeared in city lights, mccall's and the new republic. kael was known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated, and sharply focused" reviews, her opinions often contrary to those of her contemporaries. she is often regarded as the most influential american film critic of her day. she left a lasting impression on many major critics, including armond white, whose reviews are similarly non-conformist, and roger ebert, who once said that kael "had a more positive influence on the climate for film in america than any other single person over the last three decades." owen gleiberman said she "was more than a great critic. she re-invented the form, and pioneered an entire aesthetic of writing. she was like the elvis or the beatles of film criticism."owen gleiberman ==early life and career== kael was born on a chicken farm in petaluma, california, to isaac paul kael and judith (fri
1919_births 2001_deaths American_film_critics American_people_of_Polish-Jewish_descent American_women_writers Deaths_from_Parkinson\'s_disease Guggenheim_Fellows Jewish_American_writers National_Book_Award_winners Neurological_disease_deaths_in_the_United_States People_from_Petaluma,_California The_New_Yorker_critics Women_critics Writers_from_California