In September of 2001 movie lovers lost one of their greatest friends - a friend who never tired of championing the best that the movies could offer and always delivered criticism with her famously acerbic wit. Kael's insight, spirit, and straight-shooting won her singular respect in both movie and literary circles, as well as a passionate following for her New Yorker columns and her inimitably titled books such as I Lost it at the Movies and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Shortly before her death, Kael sat down with Francis Davis for a series of conversations about her life and work - and, of course, the movies. Among the many things she talks about are her childhood, her early days as a critic, her impressive career, the directors she knew (for better or worse), her take on recent cinema, and her renewed interest in television. It's funny, it's controversial, it's right-on-the-mark - and time and again you realize that no one would have dared to say that in just that way, except Pauline Kael.