Robert Elisberg’s Review of My Book: 101 Must-See Movie Moments

Many thanks to my old friend Robert Elisberg for a wonderful review of my book in the Huffington Post. 101 Must-See Movie Moments

What makes the book such fun is that most books on movies give a fairly general overview of the films its covering, Nell hones in on the specifics. Or rather, on one specific. She does discuss each film, of course, to sort of set the stage, though not as a mere recap but rather going into depth with behind-the-scenes tales, and an explanatory sense of why the movie is so worth attention — but then singles out that one special moment that (as the title says) always gets overlooked at the expense of others, or was so wonderful in a movie you might never have even heard of.

In some ways, the book could have been titled, “Remember That Scene Where…”

That’s the fun of the book, how it brings the joy of the movie-going experience to life. There’s nothing dry about her writing or appreciation of films. (Don’t forget, I did say she’s giddy about watching movies, sometimes two or even three in a day — after having met with corporate shareholders to analysis their situation earlier in the day.) And so what we get here is picking that one unique scene that helps put the whole movie in perspective, and help explain why it works so well. Why we love that film, or why we should see it. Through the focus of one great moment.