Zaillian, along with the cinematographer and editor of SCHINDLER'S LIST, did
interviews on NIGHTLINE just after the Oscars last spring.  It was one of
the best shows they've ever done and illuminating in its brief way on
the collaborative aspects of filmmaking.
 
I was also impressed by BOBBY FISCHER, which managed to avoid a number of
cliche traps and remain humorous and intelligent at the same time.  (You
might contrast this as a chess film with a horrible piece of dreck called
KNIGHT MOVES, with Christopher Lambert).  Zaillian did a fine job of
showing *thought,* which--conventional wisdom has it--cinema can't do.
 
He was helped in no small part by fine performances everywhere, from the
kid to Ben Kingsly to Lawrence Fishburn to Joe Mantegna.  To prove that
direction must have something to do with performance, one need only look
for contrast to Mantegna's very disappointing performance in BABY'S DAY
OUT (my personal candidate for Worst Film of the Year, worse even than
the much-dirided NORTH).
 
--Don Larsson, Mankato State U., MN