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Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2000

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Film critics generate hostility among some filmmakers who apparently consider the expression of an honest opinion the ultimate act of arrogance. "How dare they tell people they have no right to like (insert a title here)," Burt Reynolds once said on Entertainment Tonight. Of course, everyone who states an opinion ("I like it," "I don't like it") is playing the role of critic, including Reynolds, and the best critics do not tell people what they have a right to like. They tell you what THEY like and why. The professional film critic who does his job right is simply a more thoughtful member of the audience who takes the time and possesses the wisdom to explain why a film hits the target or fails to do so. Roger Ebert takes the time and has wisdom to spare. The fact that the Pulitzer Prize winning Chicagoan is America's most popular critic is probably a happy accident owing less to his skill than to TV exposure (there was a time when Gene Shalit and gossip-monger Rona Barrett were probably the two most popular "critics" thanks to their gigs on morning television), but Ebert's status is richly deserved. He genuinely loves movies, and that love is evident throughout his various collections of film reviews, including the excellent Movie Yearbook. He is smart without being pompous, funny without being cruel, and wise without being pedantic. He is also thorough, seeing and writing reviews of even the most obscure movies, including those that may be deemed unworthy of attention by other critics at big city newspapers. You may not always agree with him, but it's doubtful you'll ever read one of his reviews without being enlightened, amused, or, best of all, encouraged to see something you may have otherwise missed. Anyone for whom movies are more than mere entertainment but an art form with the potential to change the way the audience looks at life, should find a place on their bookshelves for Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook.

Mr. Ebert is clearly the best working film critic today, and his beautifully written reviews prove it. His depth and genuine love for movies shines in every one of his reviews, even the bad ones. He is my favorite critic--we almost always agree on movies--and his writing is down-to-earth, yet also wonderfully put. Among my favorite of his reviews is that of "Cries and Whispers"--so poignant and beautiful. I buy his book every year and relish everything he writes because you can tell he loves it so much.

For better or for worse, film critic Roger Ebert will be best remembered as the...er... "larger one" of the legendary (and sorely missed) Siskel and Ebert duo. But Ebert has boasted a Pulitzer Prize and for good reason- he's a superlative writer. Unlike others who have cloned Pauline Kael's visceral gymnastics and wisecraking sneer, Ebert's tone is refreshingly populist and conversational. He clearly loves movies. With each review he strives to find why the images on screen are worth our attention while retaining a highly personal vantage point. The man's only drawback is a tendency to fall all over escapist fare like THE KARATE KID as if they were classic moments in world cinema; 3 1/2 - 4 star reviews seem to abound more in his books than, say, Leonard Maltin's TV MOVIES. But when Ebert smells a stinker he's as good at firing bullets as anyone else in the critical game. Thus, with Ebert's MOVIE YEARBOOK 2000, along with his previous massive review books, you'll actually feel like the late Gene Siskel as you are arguing, agreeing, and laughing with a good friend.

With this being my first movie review book, I was rather dissapointed the 2000 edition only contains written reviews from the last 2.5 years or so. I found the reviews in this book to be written exceptionally well (to no surprize really). But I am always on the prowl for that one great movie that slipped by me and has since faded into the sunset umong the thousands of other movies not on the "new release" shelves. So, if you don't mind the somewhat limited format of this book, it's worth buying.