Expertly steered by Nathan Réra, these conversations showcase Chazelle's deep and wide-ranging knowledge of cinema history and his mastery of film-making technique.
They guide the reader from Chazelle's little-seen debut, the student feature film
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
(featuring music by his Harvard roommate-turned regular composer, Justin Hurwitz), through his triple-Oscar-winning breakthrough,
Whiplash
, and on to his acclaimed partnership with Ryan Gosling on
La La Land
- which made Chazelle the youngest ever recipient of the Oscar for Best Director - and the Neil Armstrong biopic
First Man
.
Réra also discusses Chazelle's screenplays for other directors, including
10 Cloverfield Lane
, and
Grand Piano
, and brings his filmography up to date with chapters on his Netflix series
The Eddy
and his extravagantly epic dramatization of the early days of Hollywood,
Babylon
Less a question-and-answer session between interviewer and interviewee, more a genuine dialogue between two articulate and devoted cinema enthusiasts,
Playing Among the Stars
is a must-read for admirers of one of the 21st-century's most important American film-makers, and all students of contemporary cinema.