Rainer On Film: Thirty Years Of Film Writing In A Turbulent And Transformative Era

FromAmerican Beauty (overrated) toThe Night of the Hunter (masterpiece), this collection of Peter Rainer's film criticism spans the course of his illustrious thirty-year career, which dates back to the early 1980s. It is drawn from a wide range of publications, including theChristian Science Monitor, theLos Angeles Herald Examiner,Los Angeles magazine, theLos Angeles Times, New Times, andNew York magazine, and is arranged thematically with chapters such as "Overrated, Underseen," "Some Masterpieces," "Documentaries," "Issues (Mostly Hot Button)," "Comedies (Intentional and Unintentional)," and "Literary and Theatrical Adaptations."

Rainer covers films both well-known and obscure and writes in depth about many film auteursStanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, the Coen brothers, Mike Leighand New Generation icons, such as Sofia Coppola and Paul Thomas Anderson. The careers of actors ranging from Marlon Brando to Jessica Lange to Robert De Niro are also given an extensive examination. No film buff's collection is complete without this comprehensive compilation that showcases the best work from amaster contemporary film critic.