Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb

Greetings again from the darkness. Writing well is difficult. Very few are really good at, even though many of us try. Editing well is difficult. Very few of us put much effort into it and it shows. Documentarian Lizzy Gottlieb uses her inside track to provide a fascinating look at the relationship between writing and editing at the highest level. Her father, Robert Gottlieb, is one of the most renowned literary editors of the past 50 years, and his relationship with Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist-turned-biographer/author, Robert Caro, goes under the microscope. The result is an insightful peek behind the curtain of their process.

Ms. Gottlieb spent five years on the film, and the two subjects set the ground rules ... they refused to be interviewed together in the same room. Because of this, the film begins with each man providing their own personal profile, dating back to their childhood and how they began honing their particular set of skills. Mr. Caro speaks to his newspaper background and how he transitioned into the years long process writing his 1974 classic, "The Power Broker", a massive biography of Robert Moses and the development of New York City. Ms. Gottlieb provides a contemporary point by noting the book's COVID resurgence, as it's frequently seen on the bookshelves of folks during Zoom interviews.

Mr. Gottlieb recalls his first interview and job at Simon and Schuster, and how he worked his way up to Editor-in-Chief at the publishing house, prior to holding the same position at Knopf Publishing, and The New Yorker. Estimating that he has edited between 600 and 700 books, it's fascinating to hear his recollections on coming up with the '22' for Joseph Heller's classic, "Catch-22". Gottlieb also edited such fine writers as Michael Crichton and Toni Morrison, while also fine-tuning a most unusual personal collection unrelated to books.

Most importantly, we get the sense of Mr. Caro's incredible dedication to deep research in the segment about his multi-volume biographical series, "The Years of Lyndon Johnson." It's a bit stunning to witness Caro show his process of utilizing actual carbon paper for copies of all the work he types out on his Smith-Corona. He makes no apologies for being old school in his approach to work.

Ms. Gottlieb's goal was to document the two men finishing up Caro's final volume of the LBJ series. Both men are in the 80's and have worked together on 5 books spanning 50 years ... and though the film does end, the final book remains a work in progress. Caro's literary agent Lynn Nesbit admits the two men's relationship has been contentious at times, and they've been known to have some colorful battles over punctuation ... especially semicolons.

This is not a true bio of either man, but rather an expose' of their working relationship and the painstaking process of completing a book. Their shared commitment to the highest level of work speaks to the pride, ego, and intelligence of each. One of my favorite lines comes from Mr. Gottlieb when he states, "He does the work. I do the cleanup." The director does finally succeed in getting the two men on camera in the same room for editing ... with one big catch. And that comes, of course, after a frantic hunt for a number 2 pencil.

The film opens on December 30, 2022.

As an ardent movie lover and a seasoned writer/editor, one might naturally assume that this release would be a film right up my alley. Yet, after watching director Lizzie Gottlieb's third documentary feature, a chronicle of the life, work and professional relationship between author Robert Caro and editor Robert Gottlieb, I came away from it with decidedly mixed feelings. To its credit, the film provides an insightful look into the worlds of writing and editing and the sometimes-harmonious, sometimes-contentious marriage between the two in producing finished works of literature, enabling viewers to witness the collaborative intricacies and mindsets that go into this highly subjective process. It also examines the depth of the work involved in researching and shaping the contents of these projects so that they're able to live up to their literary and commercial potential. And these aspects of the film effectively capture the essence of this material, something to which I and other authors/editors can certainly relate. However, whether this level of detail would appeal to the average moviegoer is another matter; it's niche filmmaking to an extreme degree, and I can't help but wonder if this offering would provide much of anything engaging to anyone beyond the aforementioned core audience and those who have an insatiable curiosity about this subject. Obviously that's a call that would be out of my hands, yet I'm still somewhat reluctant to give a definitive recommendation or caution about this film. No matter which way one leans, I must say that I found the picture somewhat overlong, sometimes going into greater detail than even I was interested in, something that I could see being a criticism other viewers might hold as well. And the use of the word "adventures" in the subtitle is something of an overstatement. Undoubtedly, however, there will be those who absolutely love this release, though I can't say how widespread that audience would be. So, in light of that, let me just say that this one is very much one of those "you decide" offerings. And, no matter which way you lean, you'd be right.

This is the rare documentary that is equal parts entertainment and inspiration. Most of the settings are lighthearted, humorous, and informal, but the more you learn about both Roberts, the more you begin to understand why they are the legends that they are. Despite their very different personalities, they share a work ethic, love for language, and empathy that are second to none. At the end of the day, this is a documentary about love - for the truth, for the craft of writing, and for the lifelong pursuit of excellence. It is a true privilege to get a close-up view of greatness like theirs; this film will inspire me for years to come.

This is a movie about the working relationship between an author and an editor, both of whom are exceptionally good at what they do. I enjoyed this movie, but it didn't really live up to the hype. At the end, my reaction was, "So?" It has no real ending. It's not particularly cinematic, either; it's more like a program on Channel 13, where I'm sure it will become a staple. (There's a joke in that sentence for those who have seen the film.) It was nice to see Gottlieb's wife, Maria Tucci, a fabulous actress whose work I've admired for more than 50 years. I wish there had been more of her in it. I think those who are passionate readers will like the film. I enjoyed it, but I was hoping for something more cinematic.

This is a marvelous documentary that every writer, editor, copy editor, grammarian, or anyone in any field who is even remotely interested in skill and mastery, will appreciate. It touches on serious themes, but it's done with such a light personal hand that I think anyone could enjoy it. And the literary references are far from obscure. Every other word out of one of these 2 masters' mouths is quotable. And their relationship dynamic is interesting and surprising. The technical issues that are addressed are totally accessible. I'm just drinking it all up, it's so wonderful and so thoroughly enjoyable - and also unexpectedly inspiring.