The cinetrix is recovering from a lovely--albeit overbeveraged, shall we say?--evening in the company of Small Beer Press proprietors Gavin Grant and Kelly Link. They were in town for Kelly's reading from her book Magic for Beginners. Good times.
While I rehydrate, why not check in with Lisa, who has turned her back on the sprawling behemoth that is Tribeca for a second year in favor of the pleasures of Ebertfest. Next year, I may just join her.
And forget Philip Lopate,* Aaron has another film critic interview up: Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwartzbaum. Here's a taste:
Aaron: You might be the only critic I know of whose background is in covering dance and classical music. Some people might view these as more reputable art forms to critique. What were you able to take from them that you could use in reviewing movies?
Lisa: Do you really know anyone who actually believes today that movies are a less reputable art form to critique than dance and classical music? Or are you saying that defensively, assigning high/lowbrow heights that don't apply? Relax, Mozart and choreographer Mark Morris aren't scary. There's plenty from my days of writing about dance and music that I still regularly draw on to write about movies, particularly as I consider the movement, rhythm, harmony, and dynamics of a work. Also, my ear-training and knowledge of classical repertory is a help when it comes to considering the use of music in any particular film. There's a whole essay to be done just about the use of Mozart's music in movies, with particular attention paid to the trio from "Cosi fan Tutti"--the hardest working mood music in showbiz.
*Unless Brian or one of the other kind people at Library of America would like to send me a copy. Then we'll talk.
