Movie Freak

November 16, 2015
Gleiberman, former film critic for the Boston Phoenix and Entertainment Weekly, often strays from the path in this spry but uneven memoir. His description of losing his “cinematic virginity” at a drive-in showing of Rosemary’s Baby is an endearing passage. The excitement he remembers feeling after seeing Carrie and Nashville for the first time is infectious, as is the thrill when he met his idol, New Yorker critic Pauline Kael. But once Gleiberman starts working at the Phoenix and, later, EW, the narrative devolves into a series of publication turf wars and feuds with a series of editors. There are some valid points about the work of film criticism, such as the importance of going against the mainstream and the critic’s function in marketing, alongside too many observations that read like ax grinding against his former employers. Gleiberman’s recollection of his friendship with Oliver Stone yields little insight, and his descriptions of junkets and film festivals are far too self-involved. When Gleiberman actually writes about movies, his book clicks, but his professional triumphs and travails won’t interest non-devotees of film criticism. Agent: Erin Hosier, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary.

Film critic Owen Gleiberman narrates his memoir with a candidness that reinforces the frankness of his writing. His tone is serious but intellectually lively as he explores his early film obsessions and the development of his career, much of which he spent as the lead film critic at ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. Gleiberman is better at talking about movies than people, or interacting with them, for that matter, but he earns listeners' empathy by not equivocating or rationalizing his behavior. Gleiberman contrasts the stages of his life with a chronicle of cultural changes, bringing emotions ranging from anger to acceptance to his account of the rise of the Internet and its impact on criticism and media as a whole. Thought-provoking listening for fans of film and pop culture. A.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine