As the best writer about film ever, she was central to the film conversation in her day, but polarized readers with strong opinions. She was inconsistent, backing her faves while she debunked Andrew Sarris’s auteur theory. He wasn’t as strong a writer but was equally pivotal.
Obviously factual errors are regrettable but the heart of criticism is being able to convey aesthetic response, which is not a factual matter and at which Kael excelled.