That was an excellent one.

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Fran Lebowitz has been a part of the New York cultural scene since her arrival many years ago. She was a product of suburban New Jersey that never fitted in the small town atmosphere where she grew. Her passion for reading got her in enough trouble to be expelled from school. Her only alternative was to leave her surroundings and go to New York, a refuge for people like her, that found a haven among people that accepted her from the start. She confesses to have been taken by older gay friends that nurtured her in unexpected ways.Martin Scorsese, a fan of Ms. Lebowitz, sat with her in one of her favorite places, the Waverly Inn, where she expands on her way of looking at life and her eternal love for her adoptive city. When asked to explain about writer's block, she explains that she has suffered from the malady most of other famous authors have gone through.There are a lot of things she misses from the "good all days" when she came into the scene. The idea of previous eras being better becomes one of the main topics in the conversation. Finding people like James Baldwin when she first came to the city, showed her, in a way, the path she wanted to take. Even with only two books of essays to her name, Ms. Lebowitz is an authority in what is really happening in New York. Not being able to smoke in public is one of the things she misses the most. As far as she is concerned, the culture now has become boring.There is a section of the documentary that shows Ms. Lebowitz being interviewed by Toni Morrison, a friend, in front of an audience. One of the most hilarious situations she recounts is the almost international incident she provoked in Stockholm, when she accompanied Ms. Morrison to her acceptance of the Nobel prize. As a guest, she was relegated to the table set for the children of other prize winners, something that she thought it was uncalled for. Getting up to go to her agent's table was a faux pas on her part, not knowing the court's protocol.The conversation with Ms. Lebowitz was a good way to know something more personal of this witty writer.

I watched this movie because I saw Martin Scorsese directed it. I've seen just about every piece of film he's captured. I never read any of Fran Liebowitz's books or her essays. The movie is called public speaking as though Liebowitz were a good example of it, but she seems to be demonstrating the opposite. I'm not sure how you can be so smug and still be a good public speaker. Generally, you have to speak differently in public than you do in private. After all, its a different audience. Liebowitz seems to be talking the same way someone would if they were in a date situation. The whole movie you kind of feel like you are being held hostage by this unbearable woman who feels (incorrectly) as though you are clinging on to her every word.This may be a problem with many of the humorists located in New York. I'm proud to say I'm not from New York although I know many people from there. It seems to me their main problem is that they live under the assumption that they know absolutely everything, while knowing nothing. This would be a great convention to live your life by if you were a sociopath. Since no one of consequence would be the only people present, when speaking in public.

Fran Leboits is an uncommon woman. The film is basically one long, casual interview.She's a fast-talking, witty, very opinionated, intriguing story-teller. Her humor reminds me of a less crass, less cynical version of George Carlin. She talks about being a woman, the biological inequality of women (which I rarely get to hear anywhere), homosexuality, the military, marriage, her cigarette addiction, "elites", American culture, democracy, a little bit of everything. Instead of ramming her Jewish background down your throat, she makes humorous, poignant observations. Definitely check it out, especially if you live in or around NYC.

Public Speaking (2010) *** (out of 4) This HBO documentary caught my attention because Martin Scorsese's name was attached to it so that alone was reason enough for me to order the station. The so-called documentary is more like an intimate interview with writer Fran Lebowitz who is best known for her books Metropolitan Life and Social Studies. She's also known for her rather dry wit as well as her sometimes outspoken views on race, life and writers in general. This latest documentary from Scorsese really isn't a film that tries to teach you anything. I'll admit that I had never heard of Lebowitz so perhaps I was in a disadvantage going into this film but in the end I really don't think I learned anything about the woman. That's not to say this film isn't educational but I think it's main goal was just to showcase the woman and not necessarily give us her life story. We briefly hear her talk about her early life, her days in NYC and various things she did before she became famous but we usually hear these parts as they connect to something else. Lebowitz talks about people who feel that NYC was better before it became a tourist attraction. We hear her talk about the good that came from Obama being elected and the joke is that it was good simply because we don't have to keep wondering when the first black President would be elected. She gives her views on why writers should know something. We hear about smokers, people who write books when they shouldn't and of course she touches on a wide range of subjects. Lebowitz is shown at a couple public speaking events and she's also interviewed by Scorsese and another man sitting at a table. Did this film make me interested in Lebowitz? It did to a point but I don't think I'm going to be a life long fan thanks to the film. As usual Scorsese does a nice job and I really enjoyed the way he edited the piece by jumping from one interview to the next and constantly keeping everything going at a fast pace. The film runs 82-minutes and there's quite a bit covered in the rather short running time. Again, I'm sure Lebowitz has many die-hard fans out there and I'm positive they're going to love seeing her in an intimate session.