Film: The Critics Choice

The best films of every 20th-century cinematic era are highlighted in Film: The Critics' Choice. Divided into categories like ""America: The Studio Years,"" ""Europe: New Waves"" and ""British Cinema,"" this glossy, illustrated volume offers a brief, informative description of each film that puts the work and its creator in cultural context, written by contemporary critics like University of Wisconsin film studies professor David Bordwell and the Village Voice's Amy Taubin. Some films are celebrated classics, others will probably be controversial (Eyes Wide Shut, or the choice of Wong Kar-Wai's Happy Together over his earlier Chungking Express), but in all cases the authors passionately defend their selections. ( Jan.)