Girls, I Swear I Am Telling The Truth, I Thought I Saw Patience And Fortitude Mugging For The Camera!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 I was glad that is all they did, because I walked into "Ex Libris," Frederick Wiseman's documentary of The New York Public Library, at the Film Forum, with relatively jaundiced eyes.

                                  This is because what I had been expecting to see was one of two films.  The first was a kiss-your-ass lovefest, which would have made me puke, not to mention, Patience and Fortitude might have stepped down from their perches, and pooped all over the 42nd Street Branch, the Mother Ship of NYPL.  The second was a hatchet job, featuring players I know, which would have brought sadistic delight to my face, as one knowing what I now.

                                    Amazingly, the film turned out to be surprisingly non-biased.  I will say I do not think the length was necessary; a board meeting scene could have been trimmed here and there, because, with no intermission, my back, let alone my girdle, was killing me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    What made me happy was the people used whom I knew were some of the best people there.  Like LPA's Evan Leslie, with his tall, personable presence, and a true caring about his home base, LPA.  I loved Jonathan Hiam's close-up; this guy, big in LPA's Music Division, has true star quality.  I mean, I am talking Frederic March!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      And Miriam Tulaio, whom I  worked with years before in Books To Remember, and is just as warm, engaging, and caring about people and books as anyone I know.  I would love to have tea with her, and discuss the new Jennifer Egan, which comes out this week.

                                      This film was shot over a twelve week period in 2015, which explains why I saw some people, like Mary Lee Kennedy, who are no longer there.  I was gratified, however not to see those I did not want to see!  Wisemann knew whom and whom not to use!

                                        All in all, darlings, this film should be seen.  It could be Wiseman's last, and maybe, but I hope not, NYPL's last hurrah.

                                         I still know where the bodies are buried!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!