MOVIE CRITIC COMING TO FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY

If
you enjoy being the first at the water cooler to drop your opinion on
the latest movie flick, from the finanicial and sexual shenanigans of
"The Wolf of Wall Street" to the conflicted relationships of Walt Disney
and P. L. Travers in "The Savings of Mr. Banks," then A. O. Scott is a
speaker you won't want to miss.  Scott has been the passionate film
critic on the staff of the New York Times since January 2000.  He will
definitely have opinions on all the top box office films, from "Frozen"
to "American Hustle" and everything in between.

On Monday,
January 27 at 8 p.m., Scott will be the guest speaker at Fairfield
University's Regina Quick Center as part of the Open VISIONS Forum
lecture series.  Perhaps he'll argue the acting abilities of Meryl
Streep and Julia Roberts as the battling mother and daughter in that
powerful dysfunctional family drama "August: Osage County" or the
sensitive search for a son as Dame Judy Densch in the true life story of
"Philomena."  Then again he might reveal his opinion of that unusual
romantic relationship of a man and his computer software, known
affectionately as Samantha, in the new Spike jonze's movie "Her."

Scott
might want to take you on a tour "Inside Llewyn Davis" where a man and
his guitar travel through Greenwich Village in the 1960's living a folk
tale.  His attention might be focused a little earlier in time as he
states his opinion on J. R. R. Tolkien's children's book about a ring
and a lord and a hobbit who adventure in Middle Earth.  He also might
like to weigh in on the powerful story of redemption "12 Years a Slave."

The
audience might gain insight into an elderly stubborn cuss of a man who
believes he has won a great fortune in "Nebraska" and sets off, on foot,
to claim his winnings.  If you follow the recent award shows, you could
want to hear A. O. Scott's verdict on Sandra Bullock's performance in
outer space, "Gravity," or how Robert DeNiro teams up against his long
time rival Sylvester Stallone in "Grudge Match."  Whatever your
expectations, you're bound to be intrigued by A. O. Scott's "Critic's
Picks."

For tickets ($45), call 203-254-4010 or 877-ARTS-396 or online at www.quickcenter.com.

Imagine
reviewing 300-350 movies a year, almost one every day, and reviewing
half of them in a column.  Let A. O. Scott discuss his experiences in a
movie theater seat.  Popcorn is optional.