(Applause Books). This the first book to examine the films of the acclaimed and popular Indian-born and Harvard educated filmmaker; Mira Nair. A unique voice in cinema today; she is one of the few female directors who made it to the top of a male-dominated profession. Her films feature an incomparably sensuous visual style yet at the same time often record the injustice of the disenfranchised and the cross-pollination of East and West. Her twin themes of realism and romance make for dazzling cinema. John Kenneth Muir analyzes all of Nairs work; including: Salaam Bombay! (1988); the groundbreaking story of a young boy abandoned by his family on the streets of Bombay; Mississippi Masala (1991); an interracial small town romance between an Indian woman (Sarita Choudhury) and an African American businessman (Denzel Washington); Monsoon Wedding (2001); featuring a Bollywood carnival atmosphere; one of the most successful foreign films ever released in the United States; Hysterical Blindness (2002); the HBO film featuring Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis; looking for love in all the wrong places; The big-budget Hollywood adaptation of the Thackery novel Vanity Fair (2004); starring Reese Witherspoon; Gabriel Byrne; and Eileen Atkins.
#1263899 in eBooks 2009-05-23 2009-06-09File Name: B002AY9J7O
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Much more than Hound Dog - really...By Philip JerromeAbsolutely wonderful ! Im so grateful to Mr. Leiber and Mr. Stoller for doing what they did with absolute artistic integrity all their lives ! They never wavered from their vision - which was vast. and their blues roots. They were driven to learn sophisticated musicality at such a young age. and honed their craft all along the way. Thanks for the wonderful songs guys ( yes. songs - not product ! ) I believe the first song by Leiber and Stoller I heard was Charlie Brown. on my sisters radio. I believe I was 5 yrs. old. Today there is nothing I would rather do (except being in the house of God.) than to talk shop with such musical greats. Alas. tis but a dream ... But I digress. The reader will find a historic insight into the whos who of the music industry. LS knew and worked closely with Everybody ! And. a roller-coaster ride into the often crazy evolution of SO many classic songs. the inside workings of the Brill Building. and so much more. It will thoroughly entertain and keep you reading till the wee hours. Get yourself a copy and enjoy !1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. One of my favorite books to readBy Jan BookThis is one of my favorite books. I love how the book is structured on a time line with Jerry making his comments about what he was doing (or not doing) and then Mike making his comments about what he was doing (or not doing) all interwoven as time marched along. And I was transported back in time as they shared about how the music was made (or was not made). These guys were constantly breaking new ground and creating a new industry which never existed before. I was constantly entertained and informed as I eagerly read about their lives. As the saying goes. I would have loved to share a beer (or cocktail) with either (or both) of these gentlemen. A great read. a great period in history to learn about. and a book you will not want to put down or end.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A painless and enjoyable readBy Howard SchulmanThis "autobiography" written by TWO individuals is more like a transciption of a conversation. It took a little getting used to in the beginning--keeping the characters straight--but in a short while it was like listening to two men (alta cockers) tell the story of their lives. The book was written in 2009 with Jerry Leiber telling us at that time (at the end of the book) that his heart was about to fail after many medical procedures.Even though it was 300 pages long. it was some of the fastest reading Id ever done. as the two composers seemed to just enjoy life without getting too serious. The one aspect of their work that sticks with me is how fast they wrote songs. sometime as quick as 15 minutes. It reminded me of the Lennon-McCartney collaboration. which I just read about. Also. unless you are well-versed in their music. Id suggest reading this with an iPad so you can Google the songs.
