For more
than forty years, readers of The Age newspaper have learned about the
latest films through the interpretations and judgements of Brian McFarlane, now
himself a Melbourne institution of sorts. Over that time McFarlane’s reviews of
and articles on film have also featured in Australian
Book Review, Cinema Papers, Inside
Story, Meanjin, Metro, Screening the Past, Senses of Cinema, Sight & Sound, and many other
newspapers, magazines, and journals.
This selection of McFarlane’s writings on film, taken as a whole, tells
a story about what has brought us back to the cinema again and again, from
recent times to a now more distant past. In his attuned but easy style,
sprinkled with wit and insight, our guide brings back memories, fills gaps in
our knowledge, triggers conversations, and inspires delight and enthusiasm.
Making a Meal of It is a
first-rate resource for film buffs and excellent dinner-table company.
