Ann Hornaday, who is chief film critic at the Washington Post, recently wrote a book to help viewers understand what they are seeing on the big screen and how to think about what they see. Her book, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies (2017), is like a crash college course on appreciating film.
Hornaday explains in the introduction that the book “Is designed to guide readers through a medium that, as it morphs into an ever more constant presence in our lives, has called upon everyone to be their own most trusted film critics.”
The book chapters break up various aspects of movies, starting with The Screenplay and Acting all the way through Cinematography, Editing, and Directing. Each chapter tells the viewer what to watch for to appreciate the good and bad qualities of certain movies.
Talking Pictures likely will not radically change your understanding of movies. But Hornaday is not trying to provide the definitive treatise on movie-making. Instead, Talking Pictures is an easy and enjoyable trip through various aspects of watching and appreciating movies.
Hornaday writes in an easy-to-understand manner. One of the best parts of the book is her use of actual movies to illustrate her points. Most of the films will be familiar to the average movie fan, so the reader will easily understand the examples. Hornaday also mentions some movies you might not have seen, which will peak your curiosity to seek out those films. Similarly, at the end of each chapter, Hornaday provides a list of recommended films related to the chapter’s topic.
If you love movies and want to learn more about how to appreciate and how to talk about film like a movie critic, check out Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies
What is your favorite book about film? Leave your two cents in the comments.
