Carrie Courogen in the Los Angeles Review of Books:
“I don’t have a clear-cut film identity,” Rob Reiner told London’s Sunday Telegraph in 1989.
The late actor, writer, and director was on a promotional tour for When Harry Met Sally…, the fifth feature nestled in what would become an eight-year run of all-timers, including This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Sure Thing (1985), Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), Misery (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992). With a quick, passing glance at his list of credits, it’s easy to take him at his word. Reiner’s films spanned the genre spectrum, from mockumentary to rom-com to thriller to courtroom drama, and his work as a filmmaker was often described as “versatile,” that of a journeyman: reliable, occasionally great, but never executed with the distinct stylistic flair of a true auteur.
Yet in spite of flash, what Reiner’s vastly differing films all share is the generous and empathetic heart of their director, a deep sense of humanity, and a relentless curiosity about and love of people, in all their imperfections and quirks. It seems a cliché to call a filmmaker’s work personal—what creative work isn’t?—but in Reiner’s case, filmmaking was deeply personal, taking the form not of statements but of questions. Taken all together, they shape the lifelong quest of a man searching for enlightenment on subjects both simple and profound.
More here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.