Zagat Movie Guide 2008 Book

For a critic best remembered for his vituperation, it surprises that good reviews outweigh the bad. Even the most sophisticated among us (among whom ego demands I must number myself) will find much to disagree with here. Flipping the bird will be a tempting option on occasion. But this is superb criticism, and you will learn much -- too much, if your cinematic leanings are only modest.

I've docked this a star and given it four stars instead of five because, the reviews aren't as good and the films aren't as interesting as Simon's previous film criticism of 1981 & prior. Of course, even less that superb Simon is better than most critics, and his reviews are far superior to Kael's and Stanley Kauffman's from the same time period. Like Simon, their reviews of the 80s and 90s, suffer in comparison to their earlier work. It all three cases, its seems to have been a matter of old age, and being ground down by an endless barrage of mediocre movies.

But Simon gives us an excellent takedown's of films like Unforgiven, Saving Private Ryan, and American Beauty along with some excellent analysis of better films like The Shawshank Redemption, LA Confidential, and Tender Mercies .