The Coen Brothers. Pedro Almodovar. Mike Leigh. Anthony Minghella. Mira Nair. Neil Jordan. Barry Levinson. Oliver Stone. Ang Lee. Stephen Frears. These are just a few of the 20 film directors who tell the fascinating stories behind the making of their first films in MY FIRST MOVIE: Twenty Celebrated Directors Talk About Their First Film. Edited by a Channel 4/UK writer and producer Stephen Lowenstein, these talented artists open up and give us the real lowdown behind the beginnings of what for some have been very celebrated careers.

Beginning with their schooling and early inspirations, each director gets pages upon pages to pontificate about some daring choices (Stephen Frears's ability to nab a high-quality actor like Albert Finney to star in his first film, or Oliver Stone's belief that Salvador would be a commercial hit) and silly ones, about financial disasters and artistic comeuppances. Included with these more well known directors are Steve Buscemi and Gary Oldman, the quirky actors who have directed several little-seen independent films. Lowenstein manages to elicit some wonderfully complete discussions from all of these filmmakers about their lives behind the camera and off the set.

MY FIRST MOVIE is a primer for anybody out there who is considering following such a path. The road to Hollywood is paved with a lot of disappointment, financial distress, and difficult personal decisions. But sometimes reading about someone else's trauma makes it easier for you to go through it yourself. Nonetheless, most film fans will find these lengthy and descriptive interviews fascinating.

 --- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano