For people who love film, this is a great read. I suppose you could just use it as a reference guide, but when I discovered this book, I just read it straight through. It's full of information, but it's more than that, it's full of opinion. What I like about David Thomson is that not only does he write beautifully, but he pulls no punches. He is passionate about film and puts it all out on the line. He not only gives personal opinions about things, but he also places it in a historical and cultural concept. He is often funny, sometimes poignant, can be controversial, and sometimes surprises. Who would have thought that Johnny Carson would have an entry in this book? Thomson includes him and then goes on to explain why.
It's one of those books that's hard to put down, because Thomson has such interesting insights. He is an original thinker who loves film and cares about it so much that he is quite willing to take people to task when he thinks they're shirking their duties. What's not to like?
