There have been more than two dozen books already written about director Martin Scorsese, so do we really need another one? If it's Ben Nyce's Scorsese Up Close: A Study of the Films (Scarecrow Press), the answer is an unequivocal yes. In only 176 pages, the author gives us a concise study of the cinematic text of the Scorsese oeuvre, from his early student works through Bringing Up the Dead, with a brief postscript on Gangs of New York . This is a perfect introduction to films like Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Age of Innocence and all the maestro's other pictures. I really like Nyce's ability to study each picture through certain key sequences, giving us an overview of each project's roots and reception. I also like the fact that Nyce gives high ratings to two of my favorite (and underrated) Scorsese movies - New York, New York and New York Stories: Life Lessons. This book is also a nice supplement to the newly released five-disc Scorsese Collection on DVD. The National Board Of Review
