NYT Critics Picks in Film

I believe that the New York Times film reviews, usually published on Friday Mornings, were one of the first times that I really understood criticism in the world. For me, I started reading these toward the end of high school, and in the beginning of University up in Eugene, Oregon.

Before I started reading these, criticism was inaccessible to me, and furthermore I didn't really have an opinion about which types of film-- or art-- resonated most with me. And then with the Times' short reviews I encountered small films with unique perspectives, scornful takedowns of cynical hollywood schlock, and even occasional praise for the artful popcorn film.

Here's an appreciation for 1983's Tootsie. I remember seeing this with my mom at the Rialto Theater-- such a dump-- on Gillman St. in Berkeley. It's one of Sydney Pollack's masterpieces of entertainment.