A Director Who Shines After His Oscar

“Lumet’s reputation as an ‘actor’s director,’ though accurate, has made it easy to overlook the subtle classicism and throwback efficiency of his technique, which he outlined in his congenial, common-sensical 1995 book, “Making Movies,” a memoir in the pragmatic guise of an instructional text. During rehearsals he is not merely fine-tuning the performances but also working out the cinematography.”