The documentary Putin's Kiss charts four years in the life of Masha Drokova, who became famous as the girl who publicly kissed Vladimir Putin.
After 'Putin's Kiss,' A Young Girl's Change Of Heart
()An absorbing new documentary by Danish director Lise Birk Pedersen charts four years in the life of Masha Drokova, who became famous as the girl who publicly kissed Vladimir Putin. Critic John Powers says it "offers a fresh glimpse into how Putin's Russia actually works."
'Arrietty': Good Things, Small Packages()
February 17, 2012 In a Borrowers adaptation from Japanese animators Studio Ghibli, a spirited, inches-tall girl and her family negotiate the hurdles and hazards of the oversized human world. Critic Bob Mondello says in an age of hyperactive kid flicks, this gentle, imaginative and visually lush film deserves a look.
In Love And 'War,' All's Fairly Wretched()
February 16, 2012 Two CIA-agent buddies (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) use their spy skills to vie for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). Critic Ian Buckwalter says despite game performances from its trio of stars, the movie is nonsensical, inept and, at worst, unfunny.
'On The Ice': Boys With A Secret, And A Chill Inside()
February 16, 2012 In Barrow, Alaska, three young men get into a squabble over a girl — and for one of them, it goes badly wrong. Critic Ella Taylor says Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's debut feature tells a hopeful story without resorting to sentimental wallowing.
'Bullhead': 'Roid Rage And Murder Among The Herds()
February 16, 2012 Belgium's Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film is a noir thriller exploring the brutal underbelly of the cattle industry — and an intense character study of an aggressive, troubled farmer who is shooting up for his own reasons.
'Michael': A Deliberate Study In Horrific Routine()
February 16, 2012 A quiet Austrian pedophile keeps a 10-year-old boy locked in his basement. Critic Mark Jenkins says the film from German director Markus Schleinzer achieves some subtlety but can't wrest itself from tipping toward melodrama.
'Chico And Rita' And All That Jazz()
February 9, 2012 An animated Oscar contender follows one on-and-off romance — and traces the development of some of the world's most infectious musical styles.
A Spy On The Run, But Playing It Too 'Safe'()
February 9, 2012 In South Africa, a rookie CIA field agent (Ryan Reynolds) shepherds a dangerous rogue operative (Denzel Washington) who's turned himself in to U.S. authorities. Critic Ian Buckwalter says the stars' effective performances can't save this tiresome, by-the-numbers effort.
'The Turin Horse': The Abyss Gazes Implacably Back()
February 9, 2012 In Hungarian director Bela Tarr's latest (and possibly last) film, a man and a woman in a barren landscape go about their routines as the world unravels. Critic Mark Jenkins says the film oppresses relentlessly, but Tarr presents a vision that is absolute, singular — and compelling. (Recommended)
A Veteran's 'Return' To The Front Lines Of Home()
February 17, 2012 In Liza Johnson's drama, Return, Linda Cardellini plays a vet who returns from her time overseas with no way to make sense of where she was and what it meant. Critic David Edelstein says the film's lack of a traditional story arc makes it seem even more real.
In War And 'In Darkness,' Our Worst And Best Emerge()
February 9, 2012 Poland's official Oscar entry is a Holocaust drama about a sewage worker who hides a small group of Jews from Nazi occupiers. Critic Ella Taylor says the movie depicts its grim subject with beauty — and a dose of reality. (Recommended)
About Movie Reviews
Opinions on current offerings at the cinema from a slate of reviewers, including Fresh Air contributor David Edelstein, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times and NPR's Bob Mondello.
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