Placing Movies: The Practice of Film Criticism - Tapa dura

Jonathan Rosenbaum, longtime contributor to such publications as "Film Quarterly", "Sight and Sound", and "The Village Voice", is arguably the most eloquent, insightful film critic writing in America today. This collection of his work gathers together 30 of his most distinctive pieces. Written over a span of 21 years, these essays cover a broad range of films - from Hollywood blockbusters to foreign art movies to experimental cinema. They include not just reviews but commentary on directors, actors and trends as well as analysis of the practice of film criticism. It is this last element - Rosenbaum's reflections on the art of film criticism - that sets this collection apart from other volumes of film writing. Both in the essays themselves and in the section introductions, Rosenbaum provides a rare insider's view of his profession: the backstage politics, the formulation of critical judgements, the function of film commentary. Taken together, these pieces serve as a guided tour of the profession of film criticism. They also serve as representative samples of Rosenbaum's unique brand of film writing. Among the highlights are memoirs of director Jacques Tati and maverick critic Manny Farber, celebrations of classics such as "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "The Manchurian Candidate", and considered re-evaluations of Orson Wells and Woody Allen.

"Once or twice a generation a film critic comes along who expands or even redefines how we talk about the medium. Jonathan Rosenbaum is one of these figures."Alan Williams, author ofRepublic of Images