Tookey's Talkies, by Christopher Tookey

Christopher Tookey loves movies.  This may seem like a tautology when talking about a movie critic, but more than many critics, his reviews reveal a sense of someone who loves the feeling of sitting in a darkened theater, expectant, ready to be delighted by what is about to unfold on the screen.  His delight comes through in his reviews of some of his favorite films in Tookey's Talkies: 144 Great Films from the Last 25 Years.

I was most drawn to Tookey's reviews by his mainstream approach.  Among his 144 great films he includes primarily mainstream films, US and UK releases, plus a few foreign that had wide release in the US (and presumably in the UK).  So there's no snobbery here.  While he does enjoy and admire great photography and other technical aspects, it struck me that his concern lies primarily with the ability of a movie to tell a story and move the viewer.  I like his approach a lot.

Tookey, a British reviewer, seems right at home with American movies.  Unlike many critics, he thinks it's OK to celebrate family, patriotism, business, and community.  Some great movies will challenge us and make us uncomfortable, and Tookey features some of them, but he also likes a movie that is life-affirming, escapist, just plain fun, and leaves the viewer feeling good.

Some of 144 great films are what you would expect, critically acclaimed films that won universal praise, e.g. The English Patient, Jerry Maguire, Les Miserables, Pulp Fiction.  Many were popular but not necessarily praised by critics.  He includes most of Pixar's movies, Babe, sci-fi blockbusters like Men in Black, Star Wars, and the Lord of the Rings (all 3).  I was surprised to see Dodgeball and The Hangover on his list.  I haven't seen these but had written them off as gross-out comedy garbage.  Maybe I'll add them to my list.

Speaking of lists, if you haven't seen the movies he reviews in Tookies Talkies, you'll want them on your list of movies to see.  He writes engagingly, even adoringly, of these movies he loves.  He does have a tendency toward superlatives.  Virtually every review has an "-est" or equivalent: finest, all-time, most, best, great, most entertaining, most beautiful, best action adventure, most enjoyable, etc.  But the great thing is, he means it.  His love of these movies is infectious.

For more of his movie reviews: http://www.movie-film-review.com/


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!