RaveNewsdayThe lives of each sister and the secrets they keep hidden drive The Vanishing Half, which is skillfully structured and filled with richly developed characters who defy stereotypes. By turns poignant and funny, it\'s a timely look at the dual nature of race—an abstract construct, a visceral reality—and the damage that racism can inflict.
Maura Spiegel
PositiveNewsday... insightful and entertaining ... Spiegel paints a rounded portrait of her subject. Her admiration for Lumet is apparent throughout ... Though Spiegel deals with Lumet’s four marriages, those craving gossipy details will likely be disappointed ... Spiegel does a neat balancing act of getting readers to know about Lumet the man and Lumet the filmmaker. And after reading her bio, you’re sure to develop a richer appreciation of his screen legacy.
Beverly Gray
RaveNewsdayIt’s been 50 years since Dustin Hoffman got an education in sexual chemistry from Anne Bancroft in Mike Nichols’ groundbreaking movie ‘The Graduate.’ To mark that milestone comes Beverly Gray’s Seduced by Mrs. Robinson, an insightful look at the making of the movie. Most interesting is the section devoted to casting, in particular, the role of Mrs. Robinson … There are also juicy tidbits on the working and reworking of the script and how that final deadpan shot of Hoffman and Katharine Ross on the bus came to be. Prepare to be seduced by Gray’s book.
